Newsletter 228 BIG Little Science Centre March 2013

ISSN 1920-9932 BIG Science (Print) ISSN 1920-9940 BIG Science (Online)

Gordon Gore Photo

Japanese Visitor: Ami Mitani is from Kyoto, Japan. She and seven other Japanese students visited the BIG Little Science Centre on Wednesday March 6. The girls are part of School District 73’s International Student Program, coordinated by Marianne Hoshowski. Amy volunteered to have a science centre static electricity hairdo, and obviously was very pleased with it.

2

BBBIIIGGGSSSccciiieeennnccceee This Newsletter is a publication of BIG Little Science Centre Society Box 882 Station Main Kamloops BC V2C 5M8

Location: George Hilliard School 985 Holt Street Kamloops BC V2B 5H1 Website http://blscs.org Executive Director: Gord Stewart Phone (250) 554 2572 or (250) 554 BLSC E-Mail: gord@blscs.org

Assistant Operator: Susan Hammond Phone (250) 554 2572 or (250) 554 BLSC E-Mail: susan@blscs.org Newsletter Editor: Dr. Gordon R. Gore #200 - 760 Mayfair Street Kamloops BC V2B 0E5

Phone: (778) 470 8332 E-Mail: gordongore0@gmail.com

More than 115,000 people have enjoyed visits to or from the BIG Little Science Centre!

This Newsletter is received by more than 1,200 readers. Back issues of BIGScience can be viewed at http://www.blscs.org/Downloads/Newsletters/

The BIG Little Science Centre is open to the public at these times: Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

CLOSED SUNDAYS and HOLIDAYS Phone: 250 554 2572 E-mail Gord@blscs.org or Susan@blscs.org

A family membership is $60.00/year. An individual membership is $45.00/year. A family membership consists of five directly related people. (This includes any combination of grandparents, parents and children).!Individual day rates are:

Adults $6 Seniors $4 Youth $3 Family $15. Adults – ages 16 to 59 Seniors – ages 60+ Youth – ages 6 to 15 Visit our website blscs.org for more details on the benefits of membership.

!"#$%&'($)"*+,-"$."-/".$.*0"1,)"!233$45367$89:;<$54$=>?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!@A99$4B$5449<C!

!!"#$%&'()*!+(%,#!-.*!/0-1!!!!!!!!!!!23454!2,633!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!+784&!9!+68&34%&!78!3#4!:44;!24(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"<=!+6$83(78!<66>!!"#$%&'()*!+(%,#!/?*!/0-1!!!!!!!!!!!@%$,4!+('$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!A46B6C7,(B!D68'4%&!6E!@%737&#!F6B$>G7(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"<=!+6$83(78!<66>!"#$%&'()*!H;%7B!.*!/0-1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!H88!F#44;3#(>!!!!!!!!!!!!!F(54!+7,%6G7(B734&!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"<=!+6$83(78!<66>!"#$%&'()*!H;%7B!-?*!/0-1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!@6G!"$%84%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!IE!+6$83(78&!F6$B'!2;4(JKKK!L8!3#4!<6('!78!!! ! ! ! ! 26$3#4%8!@F!M73#!3#4!@%(8'!N4M!A46B6C7,(B!O7C#M()!+(;!!!!"<=!+6$83(78!<66>!

P6%!>6%4!78E6%>(3768*!;B4(&4!57&73!MMMKJ4CKG,K,(!

March and April Activities at BIG Little Science Centre Saturday March16 to March 23: March Break

(Closed Sunday March 17 and Monday March 18) Daily Static Shows at 11:00am and 1:30pm. Fun Static Experiments to try out all day long.

Saturday March 23: Static Show suitable for all ages at 11am Saturday March 23: Astronomy Program at 1:30pm Saturday March 30: Easter Egg Decorating all day long

Saturday April 6: Magnetism Show at 11:00am and 1:30pm Saturday April 13: Air Pressure Show at 11:00am and 1:30pm Saturday April 20: Light and Colour Show at 11:00am and 1:30pm Saturday April 27: Static Show at 11:00am and 1:30pm

Susan Hammond, Assistant Operator, BIG Little Science Centre

3

GIRLS! You are invited to join us at the ‘Girls Only’, Two-Day Robotics Camp at BIG Little Science Centre

March 19 to 21 2013, 9:00AM - 2:30PM

Do you like Robots? Would you like to build and program robots?

How about running your robot though a challenge course? If you answered yes to any of the above,

then the BIG Little Science Centre Robotics Club is for you! This camp is two days long:

Day One is Tuesday March 19 NOTE: All campers must attend Tuesday!

You choose which day you want for your second day: Day Two is either Wednesday March 20 or Thursday March 21

Quick Facts about the BLSC Robotics Camp

!Girls ages 9 and up are encouraged to join in the computer/robotic fun !The club will be using Lego NXT robots. !No prior robot construction or programing knowledge is required. Have you heard of Alfa Rex, the Scorpion, the Tribot? As skills develop, new robot designs and more advanced programing will be introduced.

Space is limited so register early.

Registration forms are on the BLSC website or at BLSC. Deliver or mail the completed registration with payment to:

BIG Little Science Centre, Box 882, Station Main, Kamloops, B.C. V2C 5M8 For more information call: 250-554-2572 OR send a message to Gord@blscs.org Thank you to our sponsors: BC Year of Science, BMO Employees Foundation,

TELUS Communications, Watson Engineering Ltd.

2013 Edition of Science Fun for Home and School is available now at the BIG Little Science Centre. This handy sourcebook contains 160 pages of ideas taken from BIGScience, this newsletter. A source of ideas for science activities and experiments you can do with your classes or with your own kids. Edited by Gordon R. Gore, Founder of the BIG Little Science Centre. Introductory Price: $11.95.

All proceeds from the sale of this book go to the BIG Little Science Centre.

4

Kamloops Symphony Science of Sound Program

Cvetozar Vutev Catharine Dochstader

Sally Arai Martin Kratky

Kamloops Symphony players instruct and entertain Arthur Stevenson Elementary students.

Kamloops Symphony Society is providing a very special experience for Grade 4 students in Kamloops. The BIG Little Science Centre presents a session on the science of sound, and members of the Kamloops Symphony provide a performance that illustrates how the science of sound applies to music. Visitors also have an opportunity to construct their own musical instruments using everyday materials. The program was developed by Kathy Humphreys, General Manager of the Kamloops Symphony, in cooperation with Dr. David McKinnon, Vice President of the BIG Little Science Centre Society, musicians from the orchestra and Lori Jane Froese, School District 73 Fine Arts Coordinator. Science of Sound presentations are by Gord Stewart, Executive Director of the BIG Little Science Centre and Susan Hammond, Assistant Operator. The program is provided free of charge to participating schools thanks to a generous grant from the TELUS Thompson-Okanagan Community Board.

5

Amber Tori

Left: Amber creates waves in a special slinky demonstrator, which shows the nature of sound waves. Right: Tori tries out the 2-string instrument called a canjo, which she constructed herself.

McKenna Thomas

Left: McKenna tries out a toy harp, during the Sound and Waves show, presented by Gord Stewart. Right: Thomas plays a straw oboe, which he constructed during the field trip.

The Kamloops Symphony Science of Sound program for Grade 4 students has been well received by Kamloops teachers and their students. Participating schools include: David Thompson Elementary (2 classes), Aberdeen Elementary School, Westmount Elementary, Summit Elementary, Lloyd George Elementary (2 classes), Dallas Elementary (2 classes), Arthur Stevenson Elementary (2 classes), A. E. Perry Elementary, Beattie Elementary (2 classes), South Sa-Hali Elementary, Kay Bingham Elementary, Stuart Wood Elementary and Haldane Elementary (2 classes).

6

Some of My Favourite Demonstrations

On CD Only at $12.00.

Some of My Favourite Science Demonstrations 2013

Gordon R. Gore

Some of My Favourite Science Demonstrations

General Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Fluids and Air Pressure 4 Chapter 2 Gravity and Centre of Gravity 12 Chapter 3 Simple Machines 18 Chapter 4 Light and Colour 24 Chapter 5 Static Electricity 32 Chapter 6 Magnetism 42 Chapter 7 Newton’s Laws 49 Chapter 8 Thermal Energy Transfer 57 Chapter 9 Physical and Chemical Changes 61 Chapter 10 Energy Converters 78 Chapter 11 Sound 91

This is a new collection of Gordon Gore’s favourite demonstrations. There are 98 pages of demonstrations suitable for general physical science and physics. Chapter 9 includes demonstrations from Ken Schroeder’s Chemistry Show at the BIG Little Science Centre. Illustrations are mostly in full colour. The book is too expensive to print, so we offer it on a CD for $12.00, and it is available at the BIG Little Science Centre.

All proceeds go to the BIG Little Science Centre.

A Birthday at the BIG Little Science Centre

Lane Elliott used science to put out the eight candles on his birthday cake. The air blaster made short work of the flames. Lane and his family and friends enjoyed a static electricity show by Gordon Gore, and then visited the hands-on rooms before digging into the beautiful cake. Susan Hammond, our Assistant Operator, coordinates birthday parties.

7

Daffy Daffodils From Science Fun for Home and School

Gordon R. Gore

Figure 1 Figure 2 [Figure 1 illustrates one way to do this experiment using test tubes in test tube racks. Be sure to add at least one test tube with plain water, so you can make a fair comparison.] You will need 5 or more daffodils scissors red, blue and green food colouring, 6 or more containers for the flowers. (Test tubes work if available. Use drinking glasses if necessary) What to Do

• Trim the bottoms off the stems so the total length if the daffodil is approximately 25 cm. • Use scissors to split the stem of one daffodil vertically from the bottom up (8-10 cm). (See Figure 2.) • Place 3 drops of red food colouring in one of the containers. Add water to a depth of 3 cm. • Place 3 drops of green food colouring in one of the containers. Add water to a depth of 3 cm. • Place 3 drops of blue food colouring in one of the containers. Add water to a depth of 3 cm. • Fill one container with plain water to a depth of 3 cm. (This is for comparison purposes.) • Place 1 daffodil in (a) the container with plain water, (b) a container with red food colouring, (c) a

container with blue food colouring, and (d) a container with green food colouring. • Put one side of the daffodil with the split stem in a container with green food colouring and the other

half in a container with red food colouring. See Figure 2. Observe after a few hours. What happens to the colour of each of the flowers? Were there any surprises?

8

Samples of Action at the BIG Little Science Centre

Tracey Epp’s Grade 8 classes at Brocklehurst Middle School made several visits to the Centre. This group is preparing to watch the Light and Colour show.

Dufferin Elementary students came to learn how to make batteries with Gord Stewart, or to watch the Sound and Waves show with Gordon Gore. In these photos they are having fun in the Hands-on rooms.

9

Japanese Visitors Witness Shocking Display at the Static Electricity Show Photos by Gord Stewart

There was a slight language barrier, but the static electricity show is so visual and action-packed, that our Japanese visitors seemed to enjoy themselves anyway. Fortunately, laughter is a universal language. These young ladies were as cheerful as anyone can be. Thank you all for visiting us!

10

Gordon Gore Photo

Making Waves: Dylan Foidart of Kay Bingham Elementary School shows what a wave in a string looks like, using a special apparatus that is part of the Sound and Waves show at the BIG Little Science Centre. Dylan and his classmates participated in a special field trip event for district Grade 4 students put on by the Kamloops Symphony, at the BIG Little Science Centre.