Primary School Science Experiments

Science can be a fun and exciting subject for students if the activities are engaging. Teachers must develop science experiments and projects that give children the opportunity to have fun and research things they find interesting. Experimentation allows students to inquire about science using methods and topics they have learned.

Reaction Explosion

This experiment requires a large bottle of diet soda and a package of mint-flavored Mentos. Engage the students by having them help with the steps of this experiment. First, remove the lid from the diet cola. Empty the Mentos from the package, but keep the tube-like package intact. Put 4 Mentos back into the tube, and place upside down over the bottle, squeezing the tube so the Mentos fall into the bottle. Maintain a distance because the reaction is quite fast. Students will be amazed by the strong reaction and eruption of diet cola foam. This experiment can be used for all ages to show the reaction between two substances. Older grades can look at the effect of carbon dioxide and the air pockets on the Mentos candies to draw conclusions.

Buoyancy Experiment

This buoyancy experiment needs the following materials for each pair of students: table salt, two bowls, a tablespoon, warm tap water, and two eggs. Working in pairs, students fill the two bowls with warm tap water then add a tablespoon of salt to one bowl and stir until all the salt dissolves. Students then place an egg in each bowl and record which egg floats and which egg sinks. The students can determine salt water is heavier than fresh water, so the egg does not have to push as hard on the salt water and will float. Students can record their findings in a chart.

"Gravity Free Water"

The "gravity free water" experiment can be directed toward upper primary students who are studying a unit on gravity. As described on the Science Kids website, students will need a glass filled to the top with water and a piece of cardboard. This experiment can be performed outside to prevent a mess. First, students put the cardboard over the top of the glass, keeping air bubbles out of the water, then turn the glass upside down and take away their hand. The cardboard should stay in place upside-down. Students can write their observations in a book, drawing conclusions that the air pressure is greater outside of the glass because there is no air inside the glass.