Have a question? My team and I are happy to hear your questions and get you answers! When you type a question, it shows up not only on that experiment but also here so you can easily find your answer. You'll find question boxes at the bottom of every experiment in the program.

Question: from laura_black about the Electrochemistry Analysis experiment :

Any idea when the lesson will be done?

Question: from laura_black about the Ksp Calculations and Solubility Product experiment :

same here. totally empty

Question: from laura_black about the pH and solubility experiment :

This lesson has nothing in it

Question: from lauriecamp2013 about the Cosmic Ray Detector experiment :

Hello Aurora, we're new to Supercharged Science and this is our first experiment. Is there a place to find the answers to the worksheet questions? Thank you!

Question: from Aurora Lipper about the Acid Test experiment :

Certain samples, such as limestone, may dissolve if the acid is to strong. So, once you're finished with your experiment, it is best to neutralize the acid as directed.

Question: from hmsc21 about the Acid Test experiment :

does the sample melt if you pour more or wait a bit?

Answer:  Predator-Prey: Who Eats Whom?

Yes you can, but I wouldn't do this in the house, it will be impossible to get rid of them. Perhaps a closet or storage area, or the garage?

Question: from Laurie about the Predator-Prey: Who Eats Whom? experiment :

It's winter, and my son wants to do this experiment; we use the flightless fruit flies that are sold at Petco fro this experiment? (Drosophilia melanogaster and/or drosophilia hydei varieties.) Thank you! -Laurie

Question: from Aurora Lipper about the Homemade Pulleys experiment :

There really aren't any good alternatives. You will need a spool for this experiment.

Question: from Aurora Lipper about the Le Chatelier’s principle experiment :

Oops apologies! This has been corrected.

Question: from shz_bz about the Homemade Pulleys experiment :

What else would work instead of a spool?

Question: from Aurora Lipper about the Buzzing Hornets experiment :

This works best if the popsicle stick reaches all the way across the index card, so you'll need to get larger index cards or shorter popsicle sticks.

Question: from Aurora Lipper about the Rock Candy Crystals experiment :

It is important to heat the water as you add sugar. The ensures that you can dissolve as much sugar as possible.

Question: from Aurora Lipper about the Disappearing Foam Cup experiment :

You can throw it away in your outside trash. The acetone will evaporate.

Question: from Aurora Lipper about the VEX IQ Robotics experiment :

Best thing to do is contact Vex Robotics directly. Here is their website: https://www.vexrobotics.com/

Question: from solomatnikova about the Buzzing Hornets experiment :

What if the index card is shorter then the popsicle stick?

Question: from kahla_wier about the Rock Candy Crystals experiment :

If you heated the water in a tea kettle and poured over the sugar in a different non-heated bowl would it still work? Or does it have to be in a pan on the stove?

Question: from jettica about the Disappearing Foam Cup experiment :

Hi! Just wondering how do we dispose of these materials after the experiment? Thanks :)

Question: from amberdawnbook about the VEX IQ Robotics experiment :

How do I find a team near me for VEX IQ? -Ben B 11 yrs

Question: from 2015ebwebb about the Le Chatelier’s principle experiment :

This is the same video as for the previous lesson?

Question: from tashsmithjbt about the Is It Alive? experiment :

this is such a good video and my little sibling loves the music and the ocean looks amazing were about is it (*-*) so goooooooood

Answer:  Measuring a Molecule

Oops! Yes I forgot the 2 in the equation, so sorry about that!

Answer:  Balloon Gymnastics

Yes I prefer plastic for use with kids.

Answer:  Triple Point

The one I'm demonstrating with water in a syringe is the absolute easiest to do. The second easiest is carbon dioxide (CO₂): Triple Point: -56.6°C (216.6 K), 5.2 atm (517 kPa). Dry ice (solid CO₂) can be used to observe sublimation and approach the triple point if you control the pressure. A sealed pressure chamber with temperature control (e.g., a strong, transparent pressure vessel) could bring CO₂ to its triple point. Achieving 5.2 atm is challenging but possible with pressure-rated containers (note: a soda bottle can hold around 3 atm, so do NOT put it in a soda bottle because it will burst). This is best done by a chemist or other professional.

Answer:  Measuring Heat

Please don't put a flammable liquid inside the balloon, if it bursts, you'll have a liquid fire that is very dangerous.

Question: from 2015ebwebb about the Triple Point experiment :

Is there a compound that its critical or triple point could be at something close enough to standard conditions that we would be able to do it at home.

Question: from 2015ebwebb about the Measuring Heat experiment :

what would happen if we put alcohol in the balloon. Does alcohol have a low heat capacity?

Question: from bethcarwile about the Balloon Gymnastics experiment :

does any bottle work

Question: from amyelizabeth_imbody about the Measuring a Molecule experiment :

Hi! At around 11:36 in the video when D is being computed, are we to use r-squared in the denominator of the equation? If so, wouldn't that be (2.625)squared? I may be missing something, though.

Answer:  Star Wobble

Astronomers use the concept of center of mass to detect exoplanets through the "wobble" of stars. This is based on the idea that a planet and its star orbit a shared center of mass, causing the star to shift slightly in position. This is covered in depth in the high school physics course (sections 1 & 2) that we have. If you're in the K-8 part of the program, just fill out the first data table, and that's enough.

Question: from tandtmcd72 about the Star Wobble experiment :

Where can I find the video on explaining the formula and how to work the problems?

Question: from Aurora Lipper about the Universal Troubleshooting Process (UTP): Going Beyond the Scientific Method experiment :

No, there isn't really a printable version of this, but it would be best to write it out. By writing all of this down, it will help you to remember!

Question: from amyreese1981 about the Universal Troubleshooting Process (UTP): Going Beyond the Scientific Method experiment :

This is a very helpful resource. Is there a printable version of this page?

Question: from Aurora Lipper about the Solar Boat experiment :

It is possible to use a LASER to power a solar cell, but I don't recommend trying it. This requires special setups and most lasers will reflect off the solar call and can cause eye damage.

Question: from Aurora Lipper about the Football Ice Cream experiment :

That's a stock picture but it does look delicious, doesn't it!

Question: from elaineeng208 about the Football Ice Cream experiment :

Is the ice cream on the last slide of the video the ice cream that you have made or just a picture online? It looks REALLY delicious!!! If you did make that, then I hope mine turns out as amazing as yours! I'm thinking of putting frozen blueberries or strawberries.

Question: from redwineh about the Solar Boat experiment :

Can I use a super duper strong LAZER to make the solar panel work?

Answer:  Which way is North?

Yep that's right! We talked about this during our November live class in Magnetism (if you'd like more details). Great job understanding the concept!!

Question: from susan_northington about the Black Light Treasure Hunt experiment :

I heard that really ripe bananas glow under black light too! - Gloria 12

Question: from karena_gacek about the Which way is North? experiment :

My dad told me that the point that points north is actually a south magnet that they painted with a N.

Answer:  Salt & Vinegar Crystals

In the salt and vinegar crystal experiment, the vinegar is really important because it helps the salt dissolve better in water and makes the solution a little more acidic. This allows more salt to be in the water at first, which is important for forming crystals as the water dries up. The vinegar isn’t needed in the rock candy or borax experiments because those materials (sugar and borax) already dissolve well in water without help. Rock candy forms crystals from sugar, and borax crystals grow just by heating and cooling the water. The sponge is another important part of the salt and vinegar experiment. Its tiny holes, or pores, give the salt crystals lots of places to stick to and start forming. The sponge also soaks up the liquid and spreads it out, which helps the water evaporate faster and lets the crystals grow more quickly. In the other experiments, things like strings or pipe cleaners are used for crystals to grow on, but they don’t absorb liquid the way a sponge does. If there’s leftover salt in the pot for this experiment, it’s actually a good thing! It shows the water is fully loaded with as much salt as it can hold, which is perfect for crystal-making. In the rock candy and borax experiments, leftover sugar or borax isn’t okay because it can mess up how smoothly the crystals grow. Those experiments need the solution to be completely clear, with everything dissolved. So, vinegar helps the salt dissolve and makes the water better for crystals. The sponge gives the crystals a place to grow and helps the water dry faster. And leftover salt in the pot just means there’s plenty of salt ready to form crystals when the water dries.

Answer:  Calibrated Spectrometer

Sorry about that - we updated all the players, but somehow this one snuck past us! It should be working now.

Question: from laura_black about the Calibrated Spectrometer experiment :

The video for this lesson looks like it got removed. Is that just me or is the lesson truly missing?

Question: from shz_bz about the Salt & Vinegar Crystals experiment :

why did we need the weak acid (vinegar) in this experiment and not the rock candy or borax experiment to form crystals? How does the porous sponge effect the experiment? And why was it okay to have left over salt in the pot and not in the other crystal experiments?

Question: from Aurora Lipper about the Moon Sand experiment :

Moon Sand is a nickname. It isn't technically dirt or sand.

Question: from marlenalucas about the Moon Sand experiment :

Is it dirt or sand? There's a difference

Answer:  Helpful Hints

Yes, you need to use vectors, and if you're not familiar with how to break down a vector into its x and y components using trigonometry yet, there's an introduction to them here a few lessons back: https://www.sciencelearningspace2.com/2014/10/using-trigonometry-with-physics/

Question: from Aurora Lipper about the Hovercraft experiment :

Yep, this is related to maglev. However, the concept of combining air cushions with maglev is a newer concept.

Question: from Aurora Lipper about the Lava Lamp experiment :

The video is there. Please be sure that you are logged into your account. If you still can't see it, please try a different web browser.

Question: from khansamahmood1 about the Lava Lamp experiment :

where is the video

Question: from ammonwil about the Helpful Hints experiment :

Problem number 5 on the worksheet is giving us trouble. We didn't understand how to split the Velocity into the X and Y components. So we initially got the answer wrong and then looked at your answer. We understand that you split the 73ft/s into X and Y by taking the 73sin45 and 73cos45. However, you say that those equal each other. We understand that they seem like they should equal each other since both are 45deg from the X and Y axis. However, when we type that into our calculators we don't get the same thing and also we don't get the same answer that you did. We can't figure out how you got the 51.6ft/s. None of the calculations we can see in your answer give us the 51.6. We understand the rest of the problem, just not this very important initial step. Can you help?

Question: from blackhole_rider1 about the Hovercraft experiment :

"Scientists are already planning future ACVs to use magnetic levitation in addition to the air power… but it’s still on the drawing board." Is that different from Maglev that has been in use since 1984? If different how?

Question: from Aurora Lipper about the Crystal Radio experiment :

The magnet wire, resistor, and diode are available from https://www.jameco.com/

Question: from Aurora Lipper about the Galvanometers experiment :

Jewelry wire won't work for this project. You'll need to use magnet wire because it has a thin epoxy coating that projects from short circuits. It isn't practical to coat regular wire with nail polish, because you could have spots where the wire remains bare.

Question: from tashsmithjbt about the Turning Copper into Silver into Gold experiment :

this is so amazing

Question: from Tatiana about the Galvanometers experiment :

I have jewelry wire (0.4 mm) that is labeled 'special copper wire for jewelry'. Can I use it instead of magnetic wire? I have five colors, silver, gold, copper color, black, and reddish. For the black and red wires, it looks like a black or red coating over some silver wire, but it is really thin and I'm not sure if it is actually silver, or the orangey copper color. I'm not sure if it is real copper. Is there a way to test it for copper? Would copper work? Would I need to coat it in clear nail polish first?

Question: from mgonzalez1226 about the Crystal Radio experiment :

Were can I find the materials?

Question: from redwineh about the MIT Leg Lab experiment :

Can I make a three legged robot with my lego mindstorms kit?

Question: from cultureofjoyfilledlearning about the Flying Over the Earth at Night experiment :

cool!

Question: from marlenalucas about the Penny Crystal Structure experiment :

I noticed that between each triangle gap there were zigzags.

Question: from Aurora Lipper about the Flying Over the Earth at Night experiment :

Yes indeed! That was a sunrise as seen from orbit.

Question: from cultureofjoyfilledlearning about the Flying Over the Earth at Night experiment :

At the end of the video, there was a really bright strip of light that kept getting bigger. what was that??? was it the sun?

Question: from Aurora Lipper about the Remote Controls I experiment :

Please email a nice, well-focused picture of your connections to [email protected] and we'll take a look.

Question: from sunnysolace about the Remote Controls I experiment :

my switch didn't work even after i switched the leads

Question: from Aurora Lipper about the Alkali Metals experiment :

There is actually only one video on this page. One other video was discontinued and removed.

Question: from rebecca_thomas about the Alkali Metals experiment :

Where should I look for the video referenced in the second lesson above about the periodic table?

Answer:  Laundry Soap Crystals

Actually, calcium carbonate is added to sugar to increase the rate, size and shape that sugar crystals form! You can try both calcium carbonate and also sugar on their own, and also mix together a third solution with both to see what kinds of results you get with all three. As a scientist, you get to do the experiments once you have great questions like these to work with!

Question: from marlenalucas about the Laundry Soap Crystals experiment :

Can I also make the laundry soap crystals out of calcium carbonate?

Answer:  Inertia and the Second and Third Law

I am sorry for the error on the worksheet! I've updated the answer page to include solutions for all three. Here's the direct answers to your questions: To calculate the distance the frog has traveled in the horizontal direction, use the formula Distance= speed * time where the speed in the x-direction is 7 m/s and time is 0.5 seconds to get the frog travels 3.5 meters horizontally. For problem 2, the initial vertical velocity is 2 m/s and acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 m/s^2 so using the equation for max height: h = (vertical velocity)^2 ÷ (2g) gives 0.204 m (20.4 cm)

Answer:  Laundry Soap Crystals

Give it a try and see how it goes!

Question: from marlenalucas about the Laundry Soap Crystals experiment :

Can I make the Landry soap crystals out of baking soda?

Question: from Aurora Lipper about the Kaleidoscopes experiment :

Mylar is available through hobby stores, hardware stores, and even Amazon.

Question: from katherinefarrow about the Kaleidoscopes experiment :

Where can I find Mylar?

Answer:  Special Science Teleclass: Renewable & Alternative Energy

Yes you leave them in there 4-6 hours until baked. Yum!

Answer:  Solar Cookies

Any box about the size of mine will do fine!

Question: from stanleycstoll about the Solar Cookies experiment :

I do not have a pizza box. Can I use something else?

Question: from stanleycstoll about the Special Science Teleclass: Renewable & Alternative Energy experiment :

The video did not tell me how to make the cookies. Do I roast just them?

Question: from ammonwil about the Inertia and the Second and Third Law experiment :

On problem 1 in the Advanced Pop Rocket Lab worksheet: Wouldn't the x displacement be solved separately from the Y displacement? Assuming this is correct, I solved for the X direction with D=V*t. This is what I got: D=(7m/s) * (.5s) D=3.5m On problem 2: Now I'm considering the y axis. Using your equation from the lab Yf=Yi-(Vyi^2)/2a. Yf=0-(2^2)/(2(-9.81)) Yf=.204 These aren't the answers on the answer sheet. Did I do something wrong? My answer on number 3 was the same as your answer on the sheet, and I used the same equations and technique. This mystifies me :)

Question: from shz_bz about the Laundry Soap Crystals experiment :

i made a very cool crystal that turned White

Question: from shz_bz about the Lava Lamp experiment :

I used avocado oil

Question: from Aurora Lipper about the Carnivorous Greenhouse experiment :

Yes, beach sand by fresh water should be fine.

Question: from Aurora Lipper about the Building Speakers experiment :

If everything is the same, all the speakers would have the same volume.

Question: from Aurora Lipper about the Laundry Soap Crystals experiment :

Sure, you can add coloring to the solution.

Question: from Aurora Lipper about the Color Streak experiment :

Please take a look at the shopping list for Unit 20. It provides sources for rock kits about halfway down the list.

Question: from davidfischr about the Carnivorous Greenhouse experiment :

would beach sand by a fresh water lake be ok?

Question: from amberdawnbook about the Building Speakers experiment :

Which speaker would be the loudest if they all had the same number of magnets, the same type of magnets, and the same wire gage, and the same number of turns?

Question: from elaineeng208 about the Laundry Soap Crystals experiment :

Can we add food coloring in the supersaturated solid solution?

Question: from Aurora Lipper about the Scientific Method Made Easy: Introduction experiment :

To see responses to your questions, just click on the "Questions" link at the top of the website. Also, feel free to email your question directly to me via [email protected]. If you email, please be sure to let me know what lesson you're working on. A great way to let me know the lesson is to copy the web page link and paste it with your question.

Question: from jessicakling2031 about the Scientific Method Made Easy: Introduction experiment :

If I ask a question here, how will I know when someone answers my question?

Question: from barrnun36 about the Color Streak experiment :

Hi I can't find a geology rock bag that has all the rocks we need, we only have 3 of the rocks. Do you have any links to bring me to what we need.? Thanks

Answer:  Mohs’ Hardness

Of course! You'll find material lists that include order links when we need specific items. Otherwise, you can use the rocks you have in the backyard or in a personal collection if you'd like. The important thing is to learn about the testing techniques. We have several sets we recommend depending on which experiments you'd like to do. Here's the 4th grade shopping list: https://www.sciencelearningspace2.com/standardcontent/docs/4th-earth-science-shoplist.pdf - do you see the link in the PDF for the kit?

Answer:  Instant Ice

Those are great questions! I would test different amounts of each to see which works best!

Question: from elizabethorders2626 about the Instant Ice experiment :

Hi, How much salt should be used? What’s the salt to crushed ice ratio? Thanks!

Question: from shz_bz about the Plasma Grape experiment :

SOOO COOL What makes this happen?

Question: from barrnun36 about the Mohs’ Hardness experiment :

I'm trying to find the rocks and minerals to order. Not having much luck finding everything. It would be really nice to have a link to help with that. It’s really frustrating to find everything we need. I have no knowledge of rocks and minerals so it's taking us a to long to get started. Thanks Amy

Answer:  Rock Candy Crystals

Yes, in the Live Class / Recordings section - you'll find them listed each week near the end of each student handout worksheet. You'll also find them in the monthly review sessions we do for each topic in the live classes.

Answer:  Jupiter’s Jolts

Yes absolutely!

Question: from nikkisjoyfulheart about the Rock Candy Crystals experiment :

Hi Aurora! We are enjoying all the science experiments and videos. My son and I are both learning a lot, lol! I was wondering if there are vocabulary words available for the lessons. It just occurred to me to ask, in case I've missed them. If not, I can certainly make vocabulary lists to use. I wanted to check with you before I did that though. Thank you for this amazing science curriculum, and the math too! Our family and friends cannot believe how much Ian is learning!

Question: from sunnysolace about the Jupiter’s Jolts experiment :

can I use a Styrofoam carryout containers instead of a plate? we have some unused ones.

Question: from nikki_wankum about the Force-full Cereal experiment :

We had some Neodymium magnets (Stronger than normal magnets)and although they didn't move very much, he was able to get some movement. COOL!