Copper Plating on Iron Piece

If an iron piece is left at a place
directly affected by the change in
weather conditions, you won't have
any difficulty in predicting the changes wrought on it. What do you say? It will get rusted? That's right. There's no doubt about the fact that iron starts catching rust as soon as it comes in contact with air and water.

Articles required for this Science activity are Some iron article like a nail or a screw, sulphate of copper.

But there is more to this phenomenon of rusting of iron. If an iron piece is copper-plated, this process of rusting can be slowed down to a considerable extent. And the greatest thing is that this process of copper plating is very easy. All you
have to do is to prepare a concentrated copper sulphate solution and leave your iron piece in it for some time. The copper plating will be done automatically. In fact, even if you leave it just for a few seconds,
your iron will get copper-plated. But if you want a really thick coating you'll have to wait for a little longer.

Now you know how to coat iron with copper. We'll also tell you the process of silver plating on copper. The photographers use a solution called hypo. If you hang a copper piece in this solution for about two-three hours, and rub it with dry cloth after taking it out, you'll get a
silver-plated copper piece. Yes, it's true that this plating is very temporary, but isn't it a good fun?

Homemade Battery cell

Take the wooden piece and with the help of screws attach the zinc plate on one side of it and copper
plate on the other. Also secure the ends of copper wire on each bolt, as shown in the figure. Make sure that these wire ends and the screw ends inside the wooden piece do not touch each other. Now put this wooden piece on the mouth of the jam bottle. Pour as much dilute sulphuric acid into it as to fully immerse the metal plates. The acid which you can get from any chemist, should be handled carefully as it can burn your skin.

Materials required in the activity are An empty jam bottle, a wooden piece two screws, copper wire, a plate of zinc and another of copper, a little dilute sulphuric acid.

Homemade Electromagnet

While Performing this fun activity following materials are used namely a nail or a bolt about 7 cm long, few meter insulated copper wire and a battery.

You can't even imagine how easy it is to make a magnet at home. Takeany iron piece a nail or bolt and coil insulated copper wire around it from one end to the other. Repeat this process a few times keeping the direction of turns same. Now scrap off the insulation up to about 7cm from both the ends. Join these two ends to the battery terminals. Now if small iron pieces or clips are brought near it, they would immediately get attracted revealing its magnetic properties.

However. the moment its contact from the battery is broken, it loses its magnetic property. So, it's only a temporary magnet. Such type of magnets are used in call-bells, motor starters etc.

Homemade Telescope

By explaining to you how to make a

compass, we aren't suggesting that you go on a sea voyage. But a voyage or not_ and that also all by yourself? First of all, take the needle and rub it on the magnet

from one direction to the other. When you've reached the other end, lift it, make a circular motion and come back to the first end. Now repeat the same move.

Do it continuously for some time. But remember you've to rub the needle always in one and the same direction.

Now, cut a 1.5 cm thick slice from a cork, and push a needle through it. Then cut a circular piece of paper, a little smaller in diameter than the cork. Draw two lines passing through its centre at an angle of 90° to each other. At the ends of these

lines write N S E W, to point towards north, south, east and west.

Finally, put the cork in a water filled saucer. You'll notice that the needle comes to stop in the north-south direction. At your place, you know where the east is, that is the direction from where the sun rises. Just stand facing in that direction. Now to your right is south, left north and back west. On this basis, paste your circular paper piece on the cork ensuring that the needle comes right above the line pointing towards north-south direction.

If you want to make a more detailed Compass, draw more lines as shown in the figure here. So, how is your home-made compass?

        Forecast weather with homemade Barometer   

           

In certain seasons in the year, the weather becomes very unpredictable. But even in that season, if you wish, you can yourself make a forecast about  the expected change in it. For this you need a barometer, the instrument that measures the air pressure. Normally in standard
barometers mercury is used. This is because it can indicate even the slightest change in the air pressure. However, for the sake of convenience we will use here coloured water only.

Materials required for this science activity are a bottle with a cork or rubber stopper, a narrow glass tube (at least 12 cm longer than the bottle), a cardboard piece and a sketch pen.

First of all, fill the bottle up to 5 cm with water and put two drops of red ink to colour it. Now make a small hole in the centre of bottle's stopper and insert the glass tube, deep enough to almost touch its bottom. Make sure that this apparatus  is airtight.

Cut out a 12 cm long strip of cardboard. Draw lines with sketch pen dividing the strip into 20 equal parts, and mark these lines. This is your scale which will have to be pasted from behind the glass tube with gum or cello-tape to measure the pressure.

First watch the tube carefully. The water level in it should be the same as in the bottle. Now put the exposed end of the tube in your mouth and blow gradually. You'll notice that when you stop blowing,
the water level in the tube rises. Blow a few more times until the water level in the tube reaches the middle of the scale. Of course it is only possible when the lid and tube are fully air tight. Well, your barometer is ready to forecast the weather for you.

If the air pressure increases, the water level in the tube will decrease and the vice versa. Now, the increase in air pressure indicates dry and pleasant weather whereas a decrease predicts rain, storm etc.

Now where to put it? The ideal place is one which is not directly affected by weather like some secure corner of your house.

Break a bottle _ make a tumbler

When some glass bottle gets broken you don't know what to do with it, except to throw it away.

But if you know how to convert a broken bottle into something exciting you won't regret it. Now here is the magic formula of turning your broken bottle into a beautiful glass.

Articles required for this science activity are a bottle, gear oil, iron rod and fire.

Fill the bottle with oil up to the point where you want to cut. Now heat the iron rod over the fire. When it becomes red hot, remove it and immediately dip into the oil. The glass will instantly get cut neatly from the point above oil's level, leaving behind an exquisite glass tumbler.

 

Yes, if you want to make bracelet like rings' of it, you can also do that.

First, decide about the width of the bracelet you wish to get and then lower the level of oil accordingly.

Repeat the above process of heating and dipping the rod in oil and you'll get the ring.

Homemade Air-gun

First of all the materials we require are a 15 cm long metal or glass tube, potato and pencil.

Cut 4-5 mm wafer-thin potato slices. 

Now take the metal tube an press hard its one end against potato slice. This end will get closed. 

Now similarly press the second end and close it also. With the pencil, force the potato piece of one side a little further down in the tube. Now point it towards the
target. 

Use your pencil as the trigger and push it in the tube. The wafer on the other side will act as a shot and hit the target with a 'pop' sound !

So, how about making a harmless and inexpensive airgun? An airgun- in real sense.

Homemade Hectograph

Sometimes you think how wonderful it would be if you could get a number of copies of whatever you write! The carbon papers at the most, give you three to four copies at a time. But then there are times when you want more - say 40-50 Copies. Would, you like to know how to make them at a go? Come,we'll tell you here.

The apparatus used for this purpose is called hectograph.

Materials used for this are One tray or an empty biscuit can, art paper, plain paper to take out duplicate copies, one ounce gelatin, one ounce brown (Demerara) sugar, six ounce glycerine, 2.1/2 ounce barium sulphate, 1/4 ounce methyl violet aniline,1/4 ounce spirit, dilute hydrochloric acid.

To make it, first cut the gelatin pieces into smaller bits, Put three ounce of water in a pot and immerse these pieces for about 24 hours. Next day, mix glycerine into this solution and put the pot on strong heat.

Wash the tin plate properly and remove any traces of oil. Now pour this paste into it and spread equally in all the directions. Leave it until it gets dry and becomes like a thick rubber sheet.

Get to know how to make the ink also. Mix 1/4 ounce methyl violet aniline and 1/4 ounce spirit in 1/2 ounce water. Stir until aniline dissolves completely. Well, your ink is ready. Use this ink to write whatever you have to, on the art paper. Now take this sheet of paper and spread it on the hectograph with the writing facing downwards. Take care to avoid any wrinkles. Let it remain like this for about fifteen minutes and then remove. This is your master copy which will make further copies for you.

Take the papers on which you want to print this matter, put them on the hectograph one after the other and press them gently to get right impressions. However after 40-50 copies, it's impression would get quite dim. You'll have to stop there. But, if you want more copies you can use it again too. Mix water and hydrochloric acid in the ratio of 8:1. First wash the hectograph with this solution and then with water. When dry, you will find it ready again to serve

You are watching a procession on the road. Suddenly some tall per son comes in front, and blocks your view. Now you are helpless and don't know what to do? Well, why don't you make a periscope and reach beyond this human wall. Don't Worry! Making it is no problem.

To make it you need materials namely a piece of cardboard (29 cm x 41cm), two plane mirrors (10 cm x 7.5cm).

Cut out a cardboard piece in the required size and draw three parallel lines at a distance of 7.5 cm, 7cm. and 7.5 cm respectively. Now draw a line 7 cm away from the top and cut out a rectangle (X') as shown in the figure here. At the bottom, make a circular hole of 4cm diameter. Now bend the cardboard inwards on the three lines and make a rectangular box. If you score these lines with the help of blade or knife, it will be easy to bend the cardboard, and result will be of excellent finish.

Now you will have a rectangular cardboard box in hand as you see in the picture. With the help of cello-tape fix two plane mirrors at the top and bottom, making 45° angles to the surfaces. Make sure that their looking ends face each other. Finally fix two cardboard pieces on its open ends and paste some colourful cloth or paper all over to make it more attractive. Well, your periscope is ready.

Want to try it? Just sit under your window and try to look outside.
Don't worry if you can't see anything. Now peep through your periscope and see the entire outside world come alive before you. Isn't it exciting? Not just exciting, it is immensely useful too. That's why it is used in submarines to keep a
watch.

First of all, get to know what the electroscope is. In fact, it's a device usually consisting of two pieces of gold leaf enclosed in a glass-walled chamber, for detecting the presence and determining the sign of electric charges by means of electrostatic attraction and repulsion.

Articles required for this are a bottle with a big mouth, aluminum plate, small piece of copper wire and thin metal foil.

To make a simplified version of it you'll have to first bend the copper wire in the shape of a Z' as shown in the figure here. Put this bent wire into the bottle and cover its mouth with an aluminium plate. But be careful to first hang a small metal foil on the wire inside the bottle.
Well, this plate-covered ordinary bottle will serve as your electroscope.

Now just comb some dry hair - yours or of someone else-and bring this charged comb close to the exposed end of the wire. Do you know what happens now? The metal foils in the bottle gets separated. It's the electric charge that does it. One very important thing: to demonstrate this you must make sure that the wire, foil and comb are absolutely dry.

Most probably you've seen a kaleidoscope? Well, even if you haven't,we're sure, at least, you have heard of it. Here, we'll tell you how to make one for yourself.   
                         
Here we need some materials namely A piece of plane mirror piece, rubber bands, a cardboard piece, two discs of glass-one plane and other translucent (milky),
broken pieces of coloured bangles.

Cut out two strips of the same size (15 cm x 4cm) from the mirror piece you have taken. For this either you will have to go to a shop dealing in picture frames or get a glass cutter.

Now cut out a cardboard piece identically of the same size as the  mirrors and paint it black on one
side. 

Place the two plane mirrors and the cardboard piece as shown in the figure here, and join them
properly with the cello-tape. Mak sure that the looking surfaces of the mirror and the painted surface
of the cardboard face inwards. You can also use rubber bands an it for additional support.

Now make a cardboard cylinder of 4.7 cm diameter. On one end join the milky disc and at a little gap the glass plate, leaving sufficient distance between the two for the broken bangle pieces to move. On the other end, affix a plane glass disc. You can cover the whole thing with some coloured paper to make it more attractive.

Well, your kaleidoscope is ready. With every new twist a new design would emerge to surprise and

entertain your friends, Do you know it's a great help to the fabric designers?

Materials Required;

Two Plastic cups or Coffee cups, long piece of string.

Now, What a great thing the telephone is! Talk to any one who is near and dear to you, whenever you want without caring about the distance at all! But, one minute! The telephone you'll make here will help you to talk just in and around your place, the farthest you can go is to the street corner and have a chat with a friend across.

To make this homemade telephone, take two small plastic cups and make a small hole in the base of each. Now pass your string through these holes and tie knots so that the string doesn't slip back through the holes. Yes, make sure to keep the cups opening in the opposite directions. That's all, your
telephone is ready.

Give one cup to some friend and ask him to put its open end on his ear.

Now stretch the string fully and, standing at a distance, speak into your cup keeping it close to mouth,
"Why man, what about having a dinner with me tonight?" Having asked the question, now change
the position of the cups i.e., put your 'mouth-piece on your ear and ask your friend to put his 'earphone' on the mouth. Now you'll be able to hear clearly how your pal reacts to your dinner invitation. But, how does it happen? Do you know the theory behind it? When

you speak into the box, your voice produces sound vibrations in it.

These vibrations travel through the string and produce the similar kind of sound waves in the other cup too. The air inside the 'earphone' is affected and the same so heard which you and your friend
produced alternately.