Ready For Science!
Let's have some more fun with science this month with several new science projects. These projects are brought to you from Robert Krampf and are for all ages and stages of learning. Today we will hit upon topics such as taste and smell and floating water drops. If you would like to be put on the Experiment of the Week list... just email Robert Krampf at krampf@aol.com and asked to be put on his list.
Think back to the last time you had a cold. (Hopefully, it was long ago.) Do you remember that while your head was stopped up, none of your food tasted very good? Lets find out why. You will need:
an apple a potato a carrot any other firm fruits or vegetables that you have available a knife
Wash the fruits and vegetables. Carefully, cut two 1/2 an inch cubes from the inside of the apple. Cut 2 cubes the same size from the inside of the potato, the carrot and any other fruits or vegetables that you use. Label each pair of cubes, so you will know which is which.
You will need a friend to help you. Close your eyes and hold your nose. This will block out any smells. Breath in and out through your mouth a few times, keeping your eyes closed. If you can't keep from peeking, use a towel as a blindfold. Have your friend place one of the cubes into your mouth.
KEEP HOLDING YOUR NOSE. Chew the cube and notice the taste. See if you can identify which food it is. Your friend should write down your answer, but not tell you if you are correct. Still holding your nose, try one of each kind of cube.
Once you have tried them all, you may release your nose and breath normally. Still keeping your eyes closed, taste the second cube of each kind. Again, have your friend write down your answers. Keep careful notes. Instead of just having your friend write down "apple," have them write down a description of what you taste. Remember that this is not a contest to see if you can get it right. Instead, it is test to see which flavors you can taste and which ones you can't. The apple may taste a bit sweet, but does it taste like an apple? The carrot may be crunchier than the apple, but how different is the taste? Once you are done, you may take off the blindfold and compare your answers.
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