Hooked on Science: The beating heart

Using a few items from around the house you can observe your pulse.

Materials

* Straw

* Clay

* Scissors

Instructions

STEP 1: Using the scissors, cut the straw in half.

STEP 2: Place the straw into the clay.

STEP 3: Flatten the bottom of the clay.

STEP 4: With your palm up, rest your hand on a flat surface.

STEP 5: Place the bottom of the clay on your wrist.

Explanation

You can observe your pulse by watching the straw move back and forth. This happens each time your heart pumps blood throughout your body. You can discover how many times your heart beats in a minute by counting the complete back and forth movements the straw makes in one minute.

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.