Hooked on Science: Mexican jumping beans

Children have played with Mexican jumping beans for more than 60 years. You can learn more about these unique beans by using a heat lamp.

Materials

* Mexican jumping beans

* Heat lamp

Instructions

STEP 1: Place several of the Mexican jumping beans on a table. Go to www.hookedonscience.org to learn where you can find Mexican jumping beans.

STEP 2: Shine the heat lamp on the beans. What happens?

Explanation

The Mexican jumping beans jump because there is a tiny caterpillar larva inside each seedpod. When the temperature gets too hot, the caterpillar larva snaps its body to make the seedpod jump. Once the caterpillar larva jumps to a cooler spot it will not move as much. The basic needs of the larva are covered inside the seedpod. Few caterpillars inside the seedpods ever become moths. Most die naturally inside the seedpod.

You can discover more hands-on experiments by going to www.hookedonscience.org.

Jason Lindsey is a Science Outreach Educator with Hooked on Science. Check out his website Hooked On Science at hookedonscience.org for webcasts and experiments that might get you hooked on science. Send him your science questions at jlindseyhookedonscience.org. More science experiments can be found at www.semissourian.com.