Hooked on Science: Mother's Day science - crystal hearts

Did you know the driving force behind Mother's Day was Anna Jarvis, who organized observances in Grafton, W.Va., and Philadelphia on May 10, 1908? Jarvis asked members of Congress to set aside a day to honor mothers. She finally succeeded in 1914, when Congress designated the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. Give mom an unforgettable gift by adding a little science to your Mother's Day celebration.

Materials

* Pipe cleaners

* Thread

* Water

* Borax

* Ruler

* Container for boiling water

Instructions

STEP 1: Twist a pipe cleaner into the shape of a heart.

STEP 2: Using the thread, tie your pipe cleaner heart to the ruler. Place the ruler on the top of the container to see if the heart floats freely inside the container.

STEP 3: Remove the ruler with the heart attached and add several cups of boiling water into the container. Add about 1/4 cup of borax for every 2 cups of boiling water. Stir the mixture until most of the borax is dissolved.

STEP 4: Place the ruler back on the top of the container, allowing the heart to float in the borax solution. Leave the heart in the borax solution overnight.

Explanation

Borax is a crystal. When water is heated, the molecules move farther apart. This makes a lot of room for borax crystals to form. As the water evaporates, the crystals deposit on the pipe cleaner.

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 jlindsey@hookedonscience.org. More science experiments can be found at www.semissourian.com.