Praxis: A perfect cold weather experiment in case you ever need to fake a sick day

By Medicine Hat News on March 2, 2019.

I am not sure what to blame it on – the weather? – but there are germs everywhere. I hate to admit it, but I am surrounded by people who are sick with a cold. I don’t know what I would do if I caught this terrible cold at this time of the year. All of my students are finishing up their science fair projects and I have to be there to see the final product; some are just days away from the big reveal. I am so proud of each and every one of them as they have been working so hard for months! I had better think this out a bit further though, just in case I’m ever in need of faking a sick day or a cold I thought it would be interesting to make some of my own mucus. Let’s get started!

*Remember to ask an adult before doing this experiment.

Materials

– measuring spoons

– measuring cups

– water

– pot

– stove

– plain/unflavoured gelatin

– white/clear corn syrup

– green food colouring

– stirring spoon

– adult helper

Procedure

1. You will need an adult helper as you will be using the stove in this experiment.

2. Measure 125 mL (1/2 cup) of water and pour it into the pot.

3. Add three or four drops of food colouring – really as dark or as light as you would like your mucus to be!

4. Put the pot on the stove and allow the water mixture to boil.

5. Remove the pot from the heat once it boils.

6. Sprinkle in three packages of unflavoured gelatin over the surface. Be careful, the water and pot will be hot.

7. Allow this to sit for a few minutes as we need to allow the gelatin to soften over time.

8. After a couple of minutes stir this well.

9. Measure 125 mL (1/2 cup) of corn syrup and pour it into the mixture, stirring as you pour.

10. Allow the mixture to cool.

11. Keep checking on the mixture. As it cools it may get too thick. Just add a bit of water and stir until you have the proper consistency of really good snot!

12. Lift it up and investigate further – “play” with it!

What is going on?

In this experiment you made fake mucus or snot as it is more commonly known. It is very similar to real mucus that comes out of your nose and never stops when you have a cold. Mucus is made up of sugars and proteins very similar to what you used here. The long strings that you see when you pull the mucus apart are the proteins. This is exactly why when you have a cold, you may have a long string of snot hanging out of your nose! The protein helps make it sticky too. This is great to know, right? The protein in your fake mucus comes from the gelatin you put into your mixture.

Try taking your experiment a bit farther by adding a pinch of dirt or dust to your mucus. Observe what happens. This is very similar to what happens in your nose. You have mucus to attract the dust, pollen and allergens that are floating in the air (we usually cannot see them with our eyes). If we did not have the mucus trapping these small particles, they would go into our lungs which would not be good, but a whole new experiment for another day! I hope you enjoyed experimenting this week and stay healthy.

Calling all volunteers: If you have even an hour to spare, we are in need of science fair judges for the upcoming Science Fair as well as the Regional Science Fair on April 6. Prior experience is not necessary. Call or email me to sign up today.

Patty Rooks is senior scientific consultant at 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

32
-31