If you are ever in Miami, then a visit to the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science is a MUST. Not only is it a beautiful new facility, but there are SO many cool things to see and do while you are there. I stopped by, and the folks there were kind enough to show me some really interesting science experiments. Have a look below to see how they turned out …
First up, Sasha from the Frost Museum showed me what happens when you stick a balloon in liquid nitrogen … I had no idea that this is what the reaction would be!
Next, I learned how to inflate a balloon using nothing but liquid nitrogen (and got scared in the process) …
Using the extreme temperature of liquid nitrogen at -321 degrees F – we were able to witness the process of rapid evaporation on the source material itself (as it transitioned directly from a liquid to a gas when exposed to the atmosphere of the museum). Then, we demonstrated freezing as we popped balloons and created our simulated cloud.
Finally, they showed me how fireworks are made! These aren’t exactly fireworks, but it is the same chemical process (and there was fire in jug!) …
Using rubbing alcohol, oxygen, and an ignition source (the bendable lighter), we created a combustion (i.e. fire) in the 5 gallon tube. Each time we ignited the gases inside it was smaller due to us using up the materials inside. Then, for our next experiment, we added different chemical salts which changed the color of the fire’s flames. This is a similar process to how fireworks are created.
To learn more about the Frost Museum, you can visit their website here.
Beijos xx
Camila
