Really Small Science
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, we have had to postpone all of our upcoming events. In the meantime, we have been working on producing some online content so that you can all have some ReallySmallScience at home!
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Check out our YouTube channel below and download our activity sheets!
Download the Nanopolymer Bouncy Ball Activity Sheet!
Do not eat or drink any of the materials in this activity.
Bicarbonate of soda can be a mild skin irritant – if it comes into contact with skin, wash well with water.
Nanopolymer Bouncy Balls
Ages 7 and up. Adult supervision required.
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In this activity, you can make your own stretchy, squishy nanopolymer bouncy ball. We will be using only four ingredients and the power of polymers!
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Polymers are important chemicals and are all around us!
They are long molecular chains made up of repeating units. Natural polymers are things like wool, silk, and protein. Synthetic (human-made) polymers include plastics, glues, bulletproof vests, and even the coating on frying pans!
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Engineers at the University of Strathclyde, develop new polymers to help us in our everyday lives! Some of these new polymers including gels and adsorbents which can be used in water treatment, carbon capture, and storage.
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Watch our video below and download the activity sheet to find out how to make your own nanopolymer bouncy ball!
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Download the Nanojelly Activity Sheet!
Adult supervision required.
Boiling water is used to melt the jelly - boiling water is VERY dangerous
An adult must handle the boiling water and chopping the fresh pineapple (if using a whole pineapple)
Wobbly Nanojelly Experiment
Ages 6 and up. Adult supervision required.
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In this activity, explore the wobbly properties of jelly! How does fresh pineapple affect the jelly we make?
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To understand why jelly is wobbly, we have to take a look at jelly on a nano scale!
Jelly contains gelatine which is made from the protein collagen. These collagen strands are the nano-sized building blocks which give jelly its unique wobbly properties!
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Engineers at the University of Strathclyde, use special microscopes (Scanning Electron Microscope) to look at the nanosized building blocks which make up wobbly structures like jelly and other gels!
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Watch our video below and download the activity sheet to find out how to try your own wobbly nanojelly experiment!
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