Star in the Jar

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And watch the space experiment magic with your little scientist! Do you have a favorite space activity you love to do with your little kids? So what exactly is sonoluminescence? The short answer is as the name suggests: a release of light caused by sound. In [Justin]’s case, he used an ultrasonic transducer to set up a standing wave at the resonant frequency of a flask of water. A drop of water is used to entrain a small air bubble, which is held in a stable position in the flask in much the same way as styrofoam beads are in an acoustic levitator. Turn off the lights and you’ll see that the bubble glows with a ghostly blue light. So I thought it would be fun to try a little space science experiment in a jar and make our own shooting stars with the kids. Shooting Stars in a Jar Space Experiment for Kids

Fusion occurs when two nuclei of atoms join. This fusing creates a great deal of energy – about 3-4x more than that created by fission and one million times more than chemical reactions. Fusion is the process by which the sun and other stars work. In stars, immense gravity causes hydrogen and other ions to fuse. Several detractors have compared the new Science report to the infamous “cold fusion” announcement made in 1989 (SN: 4/1/89, p. 196). Two electrochemists claimed then to have sparked fusion at room temperature by passing electric current through a bath of water in which ordinary hydrogen is replaced by deuterium, a heavier isotope. However, neither the original pair nor anyone else could reproduce those findings, which have since largely been discredited as a case study of mistaken science (SN: 6/22/91, p. 392).My kids love science experiments! And they also love outer space and stars. So what better idea then a shooting stars in a jar space experiment activity for kids? ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor): 35 nations and five lead members ( China, the European Union, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the United States) have combined to work on the ITER – the largest prototype fusion reactor. This prototype is being built in France and is a “Tokamak” style reactor which uses a doughnut shaped chamber and a magnetic field to contain the superhot plasma. More on ITER here.

As soon as I opened this book and began to read, my eyes lit up and my heart warmed at the sight of these beautifully-drawn illustrations that help to really set itself apart from many of its contemporaries. This story is both preciously told in word and beautifully depicted in picture which combine to make it an absolute joy and pleasure to behold. Bringing plenty of warmth and light, it really does give us the little lift we all need!

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However, he adds, mathematical models of the process suggest that much greater energy production may be possible. Of more immediate concern to him and his colleagues is the task of convincing other scientists that their evidence of fusion is sound. Under extreme pressure and at temperatures of millions of degrees, such as at the center of the sun, deuterium atoms fuse in a reaction whose products include tritium–hydrogen’s radioactive heavy isotope–and neutrons. Reward charts for autistic children can help them to understand how their behaviour can have positive consequences or help them achieve simple aims. This would make a great science project for kids learning about the solar system and working on space themes in preschool and kindergarten too.

For Maisie who isn’t even 2 yet it was about building strength while she used her pincer grasp to squeeze out some drops. Super hot plasma cannot be contained by any known material. In a fusion reactor, a magnetic field is used to contain the plasma. Following the success of Pied Piper Theatre’s Burglar Billlast year, this new two hander for very young children follows a similar format. There is little dialogue in Hare and Tortoise, lots of physicality and gentle joking, a neat narrative shape and some catchy songs. And it all sits very happily in the Yvonne Arnaud’s child-friendly studio space.However, sonoluminescence flashes typically occur at temperatures of thousands of degrees, not millions. “Such high temperatures are unlikely to occur” in the bubbles of the Oak Ridge setup, notes Lawrence A. Crum of the University of Washington in Seattle. Thus far, nuclear fusion has been achieved for short periods of time in experiments. The big obstacle is that thus far the amount of energy necessary to super-heat the plasma and run the strong magnetic fields is 2x or more greater than the amount of energy produced by the fusion reaction. Theoretically, however, a fusion reaction should be able to output much more energy than is is necessary as an input. In terms of the big-picture goal, Gates said that nuclear fusion reactors, if properly developed and deployed, would provide the planet with safe, clean and virtually inexhaustible energy. There is a potential second approach. According to the New York Times: “A second approach uses large, intense lasers to bombard a frozen pellet of fusion fuel (deuterium and tritium nuclei) to heat the pellet and cause fusion to occur in a billionth of a second. Whereas magnetic fusion holds a hot plasma indefinitely, like a sun, the second approach resembles an internal combustion engine, with multiple mini-explosions (about five per second).” Some Potential Amazing Benefits of Fusion