Science Smarts: It may be Thanksgiving but Halloween prep requires a spooky suggestion

By Patty Rooks on October 12, 2024.

I am still preparing for Halloween this week. It is important to have the spookiest, scariest things to do for all those little goblins and ghosts. I hope this science activity will bring a smile to their faces!

*Remember to ask an adult before doing this experiment.

Materials

– Liquid dishwashing detergent (I prefer the blue Ultra Joy®)

– Water

– Large pail

– Glycerine

– Large wooden spoon

– Thin wire or wire coat hanger

– Flat container (cake pan)

– Highlighter

– Small plastic container

– Black light

Procedure

1. Have an adult take the highlighter apart. You want JUST the “cartridge” in the back of the highlighter (the material that has all of the colour).

2. Place the highlighter cartridge in a plastic container and cover it with water – not too much, JUST enough to cover it.

3. Allow this to sit overnight.

4. Make the bubble mixture.

5. Measure approximately 1.5 L (6 cups) of water. Pour into the pail.

6. Slowly add 500 mL (2 cups) liquid dish soap.

7. Add 125 mL (1/2 cup) of glycerine.

8. Take a spoon and gently mix together. You do not want to shake it up very vigorously as it will make too many bubbles.

9. Pour in your highlighter solution.

10. Fill the cake pan about ½ full of the bubble mixture and set aside.

11. Take the wire and shape it into a large rectangle

12. Dip the rectangle in the bubble mixture in the pan.

13. Make a bubble and observe.

14. Turn on the black light.

15. Mak another bubble.

16. Now hold it up to the black light.

17. What do you see?

18. Now have some fun blowing bubbles!

19. Dip the wire into the mixture then hold up to your mouth and gently blow.

20. You may want to twist the wire into different shapes.

What is going on?

Bubbles are a great science experiment. For instance, when you held the bubble up to the light, you should have been able to see a rainbow of colours. This is due to the light that hits the different soapy layers. This soapy film can contain as many as 150 different layers. They are so thin, that you cannot see them all. As the light passes through a soapy film, it is reflected from the top and bottom layers of the film. This reflection creates many colours. You should have been able to see red and violet most often, as well as an entire rainbow of colours.

The highlighter mixture with the use of the black light allowed you to make glow in the dark bubbles. Highlighter ink can glow under a special light like a black light because it fluoresces. This means that the highlighter ink absorbs UV rays from the black light and emits them as visible waves. I know it is a bit complicated BUT pretty COOL, too!

Our annual Family Science Olympics is coming up on Saturday, Oct. 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Medicine Hat College (main foyer). I hope to see you there!

Patty Rooks, senior scientific consultant PRAXIS, “Connecting Science To The Community.” Contact Praxis at praxis@praxismh.ca, http://www.praxismh.ca, Tweet or follow us @PraxisMedHat, or friend us on Facebook. Address: 12 826 11th Street SE, Medicine Hat, AB, T1A 1T7 Phone: 403-527-5365, email: praxis@praxismh.ca.

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