Week of March 18, 2007

Homemade Chemistry

ChemShorts for Kids at http://chicagoacs.net/CS_home.
html is the place to go for cool chemistry you can test in your own home. You can find all kinds of experiments from turning pennies green to using a potato to power a digital clock. Ever wonder why orange juice tastes gross and bitter after brushing your teeth? Click on “The 'Bad' Taste of O.J.” to find out why your taste buds recoil! Learn even more cool facts about food when you go to “JELL-O: Chemistry in a Box” or “Ripening Fruit.” Be sure to check back every month for new insight into the world of everyday chemistry!

Nominate a cool Web site at 4Kids.org/nominations

Now It Makes Sense

Welcome to the 21st century, at Explain It with Molecules, www.edinformatics.com/
interactive_molecules. Cool 3-D images of various molecules are available for young scientists who want to expand their minds. Select the molecule that interests you, maybe water or carbon monoxide, and get ready for an interactive adventure. Use your mouse to rotate and alter the diagram and see everyday elements in new ways. and then do a little research to discover why ice floats. New technologies are heavily reliant on future science brains like yours, so step up to the challenge and succeed. (Disclaimer: This site now contains advertisements.)

Wondrous Splendor

Create, discover and imagine in the Art Room at www.arts.
ufl.edu/art/rt_room/index.html. If you need inspiration, spark and stir your imagination into a frenzy with 15 cool ideas to get you started. Famous artists and their works are on display in @rtifacts, where you are cordially invited to take part in an online treasure hunt. Design a thinking cap or discover how your dreams may hold the key to masterful expressions in @rtrageous Thinking. Then head on over to the Gallery to view wonders that your peers designed. This brilliant site is not one to pass up, so maximize your artistic potential. (This site is no longer available.)

	Dear Amy: In space, how do space shuttles move from one place to another without air? - Sharan, Tamil Nadu, India Dear Sharan: This is a simple case of Newton's Third Law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The thrusters on the space shuttle expel exhaust, which is the “action.” An equal and opposite reaction occurs, and the shuttle moves away from the exhaust as the “reaction.” For an example you can see yourself, try blowing up a balloon and hold it closed. When you let go of the balloon, it flies around the room due to the air escaping. You can learn more about how rocket flight works at www.lpi.usra.edu/ education/explore/rockets/background. Dear Amy: What categories are there for the Nobel Prize? - John, Honolulu Dear John: Every year there are winners in six different categories of the Nobel Prize. We most often hear about the winners from the Peace or the Physics category. The four other categories include: Chemistry, Literature, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics. To read about the winners from 2006, go to http://nobelprize.org /nobel_prizes/lists/2006.html.   Ask Amy a Question

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