Pond Animals, Paper Tube Kazoo and more

S5 E2: POND ANIMALS - Mr. Wizard explore micro pond life through a microscope with Tarek. Flat worms swimming in a small tank are projected onto a TV screen by Mr Wizard’s microscope set up. IRON IN CEREAL - Shan reads the list of vitamins and minerals on the side of cereal box. Mr. Wizard stops her at iron which this cereal supplies 100% of the daily recommended amount. They proceed to perform an experiment to see if in fact there really are iron particles in cereal. BALLOON IN BOTTLE TRICK - Mr. Wizard gives Chris a bottle & balloon, identical to his and tells him to repeat his action. They insert balloons in the mouths of the bottles and blow into them. Mr. Wizard’s balloon inflates, but Chris’s doesn’t. Mr. Wizard then shares his trick with Chris! NUT LIGHT - Jeffrey is challenged to make an emergency light out of Brazil nuts. He is puzzled on what to do. Mr. Wizard shows him a nut supported vertically by three pins. When started with a match, it burns readily. STALACTITES - In a photo inside a cave a man shows an estimate of the size of stalactites and stalagmites. Mr.Wizard shows Vanessa homemade examples made by dissolv­ing Epson salts in two glasses of water and placing a piece of string between them. She sees the string act as a wick drawing the solution out of the glasses. The salt attaches to the string like stalactites. LIGHT IN MICROWAVE - A circular fluorescent bulb has no wires attached to it. Mr. Wizard directs Eliana to put it into the microwave oven. She is hesitant but does it and turns on the oven. The fluorescent bulb glows! When she asks why it glows, Mr. Wizard points out that there are two possible explanations. The bulb has mercury vapor inside which is agitated by the microwaves and hits the inside of the bulb which is coated with material that glows. Or the microwaves agitate the coating directly and make it glow. Mr. Wizard explains the instructions suggest having at least 50 cc of water to prevent the oven from overheating. When she turns on the oven, the broken pieces do not glow. Mr. Wizard explains very carefully that this experiment must be performed with a responsible adult at all times!! PAPER TUBE KAZOO - With simple materials, Kellie can make a musical instrument! Using the inside of a roll of paper toweling, a pencil, a sheet of wax paper, and a rubber band she follows Mr. Wizard’s instructions: make a hole in the center of the tube with the pencil; place the wax paper over the end of the tube holding it in place with the rubber band. She is now instructed to hum into the other end. She hums Happy Birthday. She wants to know where the fuzzy sound comes from. Mr. Wizard explain her humming into one end vibrates the air inside the tube which in turn vibrates the tissue paper to create the sound of a kazoo. STEAM BURNS PAPER - A spout of steam and water vapor is coming from a copper tube connected to a tea kettle. Erin knows that the steam is 100° C. She holds a sheet of paper in the steam and then a kitchen match. The steam is not hot enough to effect either one. Mr. Wizard now heats the coil in the middle of the tube with a torch to produce superheated steam which is hot enough to char a hole in the paper and to light the match. This experiment must be performed with a responsible adult at all times!