HOOKED ON SCIENCE: Push a straw through a potato

Using a little science you can push a straw through a raw potato. Here's another experiment that might get you and your family "Hooked on Science."

Ingredients

• Plastic straw
• Raw potato
• Heavy-duty glove

Instructions

STEP 1: Place the heavy duty glove on one hand.

STEP 2: Using the hand with the glove, hold the raw potato between your thumb and index finger.

STEP 3: Using your other hand, without the glove, place your thumb over the end of the straw

STEP 4: Now stab the raw potato with the straw.

Explanation

You trapped the air inside the straw when you placed your thumb over the end. The air inside did not allow the straw to bend when you forced it through the raw potato.

Jason Lindsey is a Science Outreach Educator for the Bootheel Youth Museum. Check out his Web site "Hooked On Science" at hookedonscience.org for webcasts and experiments that might get you hooked on science. Send him your science questions at jlindsey@bootheelyouthmuseum.org. More science experiments can be found at www.semissourian.com.