Praxis: Spread Christmas cheer with recycled snow globes

By Patty Rooks on December 14, 2019.

praxis@praxismh.ca@PraxisMedHat

I have been searching high and low this year for some of the best Christmas science activities for you to do at home or in the classroom. It has been quite a task, but I am up for it! I came across a great project, that brings me back to my childhood and uses recyclable materials. What more could you ask for? Let’s get started!

Materials

– recycled jar with a tight fitting lid (a mason size works well)

– styrofoam

– small Christmas themed toys, animals or plants (that will fit into the jar)

– purified/distilled water

– glue

– measuring spoon

– glycerin

– ecofriendly glitter

– glue/glue gun/epoxy

Procedure

1. Arrange all of your plants or animals how you would like them on the lid of the jar.

2. Using the glue, glue the figures firmly in place.

3. Allow the figures to dry completely before moving on.

4. Fill the jar almost to the top with distilled water.

5. Add a couple pinches of glitter to the jar. This step is up to you as you can add as much or as little as you wish. Personally I love to see a LOT of glitter falling like the snow gently falling outside in the winter.

6. Put the lid on the jar.

7. Flip the jar upside down.

8. What happens?

9. Now, measure and pour into four tablespoons of glycerin into the jar.

10. Put the lid on the jar.

11. Flip the jar upside down.

12. What happens this time?

13. After the addition of the glycerin you should have observed your glitter falling much more slowly in the snow globe. Let me help you understand the science behind this!

What is going on?

I am sure many of you are thinking a snow globe, what does that have to do with science? Well, the science is all about what is in the jar and how it happens. Let me explain. You did not simply add water to your snow globe and there was a reason for that. When we added the glycerin to the water, it increased the viscosity. Viscosity is the measure of friction in liquid. In simple terms, it describes how fast a liquid moves. By adding glycerin, you increased the viscosity which allowed the glitter to float around more freely in the snow globe and fall just like it is snowing outside!

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. NOTE our NEW address: #12 826 11 Street S. E., Medicine Hat, Alberta, T1A 1T7 Phone: 403.527.5365, email: praxis@praxismh.ca.

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