I-Cube Science Club

27/12/2015

'India-Afghanistan Science Education Action Conclave'
Developing scientific temper in schools through science education.
Venue: Faridabad, Haryana, India

06/01/2015

The year ahead in science

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/technology/sci-tech/the-year-ahead-in-science-20150104-12hjfm.html

Some serious groundwork has been laid. Some amazing instruments are turning on. Some incredible destinations are in sight. If you ask us, 2015 is going to be an awesome year in science. From solar system exploration to new adventures in particle physics to the possible defeat of a microscopic foe, h…

05/01/2015

Knowledge of making aeroplanes existed between 6 and 7000 BC

The Indian Science Congress made history on Sunday with a symposium on “Ancient Sciences through Sanskrit” that included a paper on the existence of interplanetary aircraft in India around 9,000 years ago, references to “cosmic connection” and a phenomenon explained as “fusion of science and spirituality due to inter-penetration law”.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/science-congress-lauds-feats-of-ancient-india/article6754106.ece

Paper claims knowledge of making aeroplanes existed between 6 and 7000 BC

10/12/2014

Now smartphones have become SMARTER!!!!
Read this interesting report....

http://goo.gl/PiInDl

Some MIT eggheads invented a very impressive and very inexpensive sensor that stands to protect you against anything from a bomb to a bad pack of beef. And

08/12/2014

Rainbow in a Glass(Yes!...in a glass)

Density is anything but dense - take advantage of this physical concept by making a rainbow in a glass. You will need:

1. 5 glasses

2. Sugar

3. Water

4. Different coloured food colouring

5. Tablespoon

6. Epic patience and a steady hand - this will take some practice!

What to Do: Line up the glasses and put 3 tablespoons of water into the first four glasses. Add one tablespoon of sugar to glass one, two to glass two, three to glass three, four to glass four. Stir thoroughly to dissolve the sugar. Now add a different colour foodcolouring to each glass. Pour 1/4 of glass four into glass five. That was the easy bit.

This is the tricky bit. You must pour the next layer (glass three) so gently that it doesnt mix with the first layer. You can put a teaspoon just above the first layer and pour the mixture gently over the back of the spoon to minimise splash. The more slowly you do this, the better the results. When you have filled the glass to about the same width as the last layer, repeat with glass two, and then with glass one. If you have done this right you should get something like the picture.

What's Happening? The different amounts of sugar in water create different densities of water. As you are layering them with the heaviest at the bottom, the different layers will 'sit' on top of each other. Eventually, due to particle dynamics, the layers will mix. The greater the difference in density, the longer the effect lasts. Unlike water and oil, however, once you mix the layers, they will not settle back.

04/12/2014

A new milestone in science could soon lead to new ways of developing drugs and medical treatments.
http://goo.gl/i73Qiq

In a major breakthrough, scientists have for the first time made synthetic enzymes — the vital ingredients needed for life — from artificial genetic material that does not exist outside the laboratory.

03/12/2014

The Magic Ketchup Experiment!

You can make a pack of ketchup float and sink
at your command while it's sealed inside a bottle!

You will need :

* A 1 liter plastic bottle
* Ketchup pack from a fast food restaurant
* Salt

What to do :
1. Remove any labels from the bottle and fill it all the way to the top with water.
2. Add a ketchup pack to the bottle.
3. If the ketchup floats, you're all set - go to step 4. If the ketchup sinks in the bottle, go to step 5.
4. For the floating ketchup pack simply screw the cap on the bottle and squeeze the sides of the bottle hard. If the ketchup sinks when you squeeze it, and floats when you release it, congratulations, you're ready to show it off. If it does not sink when you squeeze it, try a different kind of ketchup pack or try a mustard or soy sauce pack.
5. If the ketchup pack sinks, add about 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of salt to the bottle. Cap it and shake it up until the salt dissolves.
6. Continue adding salt, a few tablespoons at a time until the ketchup is just barely floating to the top of the bottle.
7. Once it is consistently floating, make sure the bottle is filled to the top with water, and then cap it tightly.
8. Now squeeze the bottle. The magic ketchup should sink when you squeeze the bottle and float up when you release it. With some practice you can get it to stop in the middle of the bottle.

How does it work ?

This experiment is all about buoyancy and density. Buoyancy describes whether objects float or sink. This usually describes how things float in liquids, but it can also describe how things float or sink in and various gasses.
Density deals with the amount of mass an object has. Adding salt to the water adjusted the water's density to get the ketchup to float. Sound complicated? It is, but here's the basics on the ketchup demo...there is a little bubble inside of the ketchup packet. As we know bubbles float, and the bubble in the ketchup sometimes keeps the heavy packet from sinking. When you squeeze the bottle hard enough, you put pressure on the packet. That causes the bubble to get smaller and the entire packet to become MORE DENSE than the water around it and the packet sinks. When you release the pressure, the bubble expands, making the packet less dense (and more buoyant) and, alas, it floats back up. This demonstration is sometimes known as a CARTESIAN DIVER.

17/11/2014

What Absorbs More Heat?

When you're out in the sun on a hot summers day it pays to wear some light colored clothes, but why is that? Experiment with light, color, heat and some water to find out.



What you'll need:

-2 identical drinking glasses or jars
Water
-Thermometer
-2 elastic bands or some sellotape
-White paper
-Black paper


Instructions:

Wrap the white paper around one of the glasses using an elastic band or sellotape to hold it on.
Do the same with the black paper and the other glass.
Fill the glasses with the exact same amount of water.
Leave the glasses out in the sun for a couple of hours before returning to measure the temperature of the water in each.


What's happening?

Dark surfaces such as the black paper absorb more light and heat than the lighter ones such as the white paper. After measuring the temperatures of the water, the glass with the black paper around it should be hotter than the other. Lighter surfaces reflect more light, that's why people where lighter colored clothes in the summer, it keeps them cooler.

17/11/2014

Make a Big Dry Ice Bubble

Have fun making a dry ice bubble that will grow and grow as it fills with fog. This experiment is a great one for Kids to do under adult's supervision. Add water to the dry ice, cover it with a layer of soapy water and watch your bubble grow, how big will it get before it bursts? Give it a try and find out!

What you'll need:

-Water
-A large bowl with a lip around the top (a smaller bowl or cup will work too)
-A strip of material or cloth
-Soapy mixture for making bubbles (water and some dishwashing liquid should do the trick)
-Dry ice - one piece for a cup, more for a bowl. Places where adults can buy dry ice include large grocery stores. Butchers and ice cream stores might have some too.
-Safety first! Be careful with dry ice as it can cause skin damage if not used safely. Adults should handle dry ice with gloves and avoid directly breathing in the v***r.



Instructions:

-Place your dry ice in the bowl and add some water (it should start looking like a spooky cauldron).
-Soak the material in your soapy mixture and run it around the lip of the bowl before dragging it across the top of the bowl to form a bubble layer over the dry ice.
-Stand back and watch your bubble grow!


What's happening?

Dry ice is carbon dioxide (CO2) in its solid form. At temperatures above -56.4 °C (-69.5 °F), dry ice changes directly from a solid to a gas, without ever being a liquid. This process is called sublimation. When dry ice is put in water it accelerates the sublimation process, creating clouds of fog that fill up your dry ice bubble until the pressure becomes too much and the bubble explodes, spilling fog over the edge of the bowl. Dry ice is sometimes used as part of theater productions and performances to create a dense foggy effect. It is also used to preserve food, freeze lab samples and even to make ice cream!

20/10/2014

i - Cube is all about innovations, a quest for discovering new and exciting ways to learn science. We now do it with more panache - the new logo says it all.

18/10/2014

Want to celebrate Diwali with a twist? Why not blow bubbles instead of bursting crackers.

You need

1. A CD Or DVD

2. Lighter

3. A pair of scissors, knife, or a razor Blade

Step1. Cut the CD or DVD along its radius.

Step 2. Separate the transparent and printed layers of CD or DVD.

Step 3. Heat up the transparent layer with the lighter.

Step:4 Blow on it to create a magical bubble.

Enjoy!