Fingerprint Recording and Diet Coke & mentos!

On Monday, November 8, 2010 the students of Einstein Club took their fingerprints using a couple of colorful stamp-pads and fingerprint record charts. Examining the different types fingerprints, we learned everything there is to know about identity and fingerprints.

We finished a little early - and since the girls were being such little angels (well most the time) – Aysha and I decided it would add some extra fun to our lesson if we went outside to do the ever-so-famous-and-truly-enthralling diet-coke and mentos experiment. It went great! We got to do it twice using the same bottle of coke and a half pack of mentos. The first time the coke shot out of the bottle in a fountain – almost soaking the spectators. The second time the bottle cap was totally off and the coke came gushing out for a couple seconds like a geyser. The ground was pretty much soaked with cola after we were through with the experiment.

Forensic science...

Lots mentos were threaded and dropped through a hole on the cap of coke, for the max effect.

Initiating the experiment.

Coke spraying out about half a meter into the air the first time the experiment was tried.

The coke gushing out all at once when the cap was taken off and more mentos thrown in for the second reaction.

GOO!

On November 1, 2010, the Einstein Class made goo! On April 12, 2011, we did it once again. This Einstein Club tradition has been around since the Club's dawn, and has, as ever been, a favorite. All it takes is equal amounts of borax and glue (both diluted in water) to be mixed in a plastic bag, until the texture turns slimy and gooey. The glue was mixed with the following food colorings so that the goo turned out the same color: red, blue and red and blue together (to make purple).

Take care of your skin!

October 18, 2010

Today us girls in the Einstein Club tested our skin with lemon and cucumbers, and learned about the health elements of each. Both rich sources of nutrients, they help immensely with benefiting your skin.

Lemon’s got astringent properties which help reduce scars and acne, and give your face the fairness effect. Lemon, as a natural antiseptic, can even be used to destroy bacteria from cuts or small wounds – it can also be used as a cleanser. It should be noted however, due to lemon’s high levels acid, you should make sure whether or not your skin is sensitive to it. A test can be carried out by adding some lemon juice onto the back side of your arm. Wait 5 -10 minutes to see if it gets red and/or very itchy. If so, don’t use anywhere else and wash it off your arm. Once the ‘safe flag’ is waved, it can be applied to your face. It may feel a little tingly or slightly itchy; however this just means it’s working for your skin.

Cucumbers are helpful with reducing the puffiness and dark circles from under your eyes. Thanks to the same level of hydrogen your skin and cucumbers have, problem areas are easily masked. For this reason as well, cucumbers clean your skin. Cucumbers have a very neutral base and can be safely used on skin. It may however feel a little odd on places like under your eyes – however once finished applying, skin feels fresh and supple.

We also learned about: Exfoliators, Cleansers, Toners and Moisturizers

An exfoliator is usually a soap or a liquid/cream with small beads/amount of sand that you rub on to your face and body and wash it off (also called a scrub).

An exfoliator helps your skin because everyone has dead skin cells on their body and because of that the skin on your face is constantly regenerating itself and creating new skin cells, pushing the dead ones further and further up and off your face. In short, an exfoliator helps get rid of those skin cells. It's important to exfoliate your face once or twice a week, or if its a light exfoliator you can use it every day. It's basically lotion with sand in it, and after you gently scrub and wash it off; your skin will feel a lot smoother because it has removed dead skin cells and bacteria from your face.

A cleanser is a facial care product that is used to remove make-up, dead skin cells, oil, dirt and other types of pollutants from the skin of the face. This helps to unclog pores and prevent skin conditions such as acne. Many people use a cleanser once or more times a day as part of their skin care regimen together with a toner and moisturizer.

In cosmetics, toner refers to a lotion or wash designed to cleanse the skin and shrink pores, usually used on the face. Toner is usually a clear liquid (or slightly colored), it’s quite watery. It’s meant to be used after cleansing and before moisturizing to remove any left over cleanser and deep clean the pores. A lot of people think it’s not that necessary. Don’t buy an alcohol based one; it will dry your skin too much.

Moisturizers are complex mixtures of chemical agents specially designed to make the external layers of the skin (epidermis) softer and more pliable, by increasing its hydration (water content) by reducing evaporation.

Here are some homemade skin treats you can make!

Homemade Skin Treats

Simple, Effective and Natural Products Found In Your Kitchen

Brown Sugar-Olive Oil Scrub

Don't spend your money on pricey scrubs; make your own with brown sugar and olive oil. It exfoliates away all the dry skin, moisturizes what's underneath, increases your skin's circulation and can improve the appearance of cellulite. For gorgeously smooth skin, combine roughly three parts brown sugar with one part olive oil (e.g. 1tblspn olive oil and 3tblspns brown sugar). Before you shower, stand in your bathtub and apply the scrub with your hands to your body and rub. Be gentle, as this is quite abrasive, but you can be a bit rougher where your skin is thicker and drier (i.e. your feet). Rinse off in the shower, and you'll find there's no need to moisturize afterwards.

Yogurt Mask

Yogurt works on all skin types to soften skin, soothe redness and tighten pores while gently deep cleaning. Use a natural, unflavored, plain yogurt and apply to your face as you would a mask, avoiding the eyes and mouth. You may want to let the yogurt warm up slightly before applying it! Leave on for ten minutes and rinse off with warm water. Follow with a honey mask, or apply moisturizer as you would normally.

Honey Mask

Honey is also an ancient beauty product used alongside yogurt to soften, deep clean and soothe your skin. Honey is a natural antibiotic and will help to kill any bacteria in your pores, which in turn helps to eliminate redness. It's also gently moisturizing and full of vitamins. Simply smooth it onto your face, avoiding your eyes and mouth and let it sit for ten minutes. Rinse off with warm water and follow with your regular toning and moisturizing routine.

Olive Oil

Olive oil is an all-purpose, rich, but non-irritating moisturizer. Try rubbing it onto dry bits like your elbows, knees and heels. Try it as a nighttime moisturizer for your face during the cold months. Smooth it on your body for an extra-nourishing treat and rinse off the excess in the shower – your skin will feel amazing. Or warm it carefully and very, very slightly and use it as a heated deep-moisturizing mask.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is an all-purpose, gentle exfoliator and skin softener. To use it as an exfoliator, simply pour a quarter-sized amount of baking soda into the palm of your hand. You can add a tiny bit of your regular cleanser or some warm water to turn it into a paste. You may need to add more to get the right consistency. Apply to your skin, avoiding your eyes, and rub gently with your fingertips in a circular motion. Adjust the pressure of your fingers as you wish for a harder or lighter scrub and then rinse off the paste with warm water. Follow with your regular toner and moisturizer.


Source: suite101.com

Tie-Dye Milk: Our First Einstein Class

Monday, October 11, 2010

Today was Einstein Club’s first official activity lesson. We decided we’d start off with a simple but interesting experiment: Tie-Dye Milk. This easy experiment only called for some milk, food coloring and dishwashing liquid. The students generally found it fun. At one point during the end of their individual experiments, some club members started acting frivolous with their mixtures. However faultless entertainment conquered all, and everyone got round to cleaning up the lab and putting things in order just the way it was. Below you can read more about which experiment we did exactly, how and why it reacted this way. You can also take a look at some of our pictures executing the experiment!

Tie-Dye Milk/Color-Changing Milk

It's an explosion of color! Some very unusual things happen when you mix a little milk, food coloring, and a drop of liquid soap. Use this experiment to amaze your friends and uncover the scientific secrets of soap.

Materials

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·             <!--[endif]-->Milk

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·             <!--[endif]-->Dinner plate

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·             <!--[endif]-->Food coloring (red, yellow, green, blue)

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·             <!--[endif]-->Dish-washing soap

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·             <!--[endif]-->Cotton swabs

<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.          <!--[endif]-->Pour enough milk in the dinner plate to completely cover the bottom. Allow the milk to settle.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.          <!--[endif]-->Add one drop of each of the four colors of food coloring - red, yellow, blue, and green - to the milk. Keep the drops close together in the center of the plate of milk.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.          <!--[endif]-->Find a clean cotton swab for the next part of the experiment. Predict what will happen when you touch the tip of the cotton swab to the center of the milk. It's important not to stir the mix. Just touch it with the tip of the cotton swab. Go ahead and try it.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.          <!--[endif]-->Now place a drop of liquid dish soap on the other end of the cotton swab. Place the soapy end of the cotton swab back in the middle of the milk and hold it there for 10 to 15 seconds. Look at that burst of color! It's like the 4th of July in a bowl of milk!

<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.          <!--[endif]-->Add another drop of soap to the tip of the cotton swab and try it again. Experiment with placing the cotton swab at different places in the milk. Notice that the colors in the milk continue to move even when the cotton swab is removed. What makes the food coloring in the milk move?

Repeat the experiment using water in place of milk. Will you get the same eruption of color? Why or why not? What kind of milk produces the best swirling of color: skim, 1%, 2%, or whole milk? Why?

How does it work?

Milk is mostly water but it also contains vitamins, minerals, proteins, and tiny droplets of fat suspended in solution. Fats and proteins are sensitive to changes in the surrounding solution (the milk). 

When you add soap, the weak chemical bonds that hold the proteins in solution are altered. It becomes a free-for-all! The molecules of protein and fat bend, roll, twist, and contort in all directions. The food coloring molecules are bumped and shoved everywhere, providing an easy way to observe all the invisible activity.

At the same time, soap molecules combine to form a micelle, or cluster of soap molecules. These micelles distribute the fat in the milk. This rapidly mixing fat and soap causes swirling and churning where a micelle meets a fat droplet. When the micelles and fat droplets have dispersed throughout the milk the motion stops, but not until after you've enjoyed the show!

There's another reason the colors explode the way they do. Since milk is mostly water, it has surface tension like water. The drops of food coloring floating on the surface tend to stay put. Liquid soap wrecks the surface tension by breaking the cohesive bonds between water molecules and allowing the colors to zing throughout the milk. What a party!

Source: SteveSpanglerScience.com