👉 Watch the video of Sarah’s science experiment at Collier Elementary here!
Hello parents, teachers and students! It’s a German Christmas tradition: candle carousels! Today’s experiment explores how heat rises.
Be sure to check out GMSA@9 on Wednesdays when Meteorologist Sarah Spivey does the demonstrations and explains the science behind it.
HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED
- Two disposable aluminum pie tins (8 to 10 inches in diameter)
- Tape
- Scissors
- A straw
- A skewer
- Hot glue gun
- Modeling clay
- 4 tea lights
- Long lighter
- Colorful permanent markers (optional)
DO THE EXPERIMENT
- STEP 1: Print and cut out the template below:
- STEP 2: Make a windmill by taping this template onto one of the aluminum pie tins and cutting it out
- STEP 3: Then, cut along the solid lines
- STEP 4: Fold down along the dotted lines, at 30° to 40° angles. Be careful not to cut yourself on the sharp aluminum! If you’d like to decorate your windmill with colorful sharpies, do so now.
- STEP 5: Cut a small piece of straw as straight as possible. Flip your windmill over. Using the hot glue gun, glue the outside of the straw to the middle of the pie tin. Make sure there is no hot glue inside of the straw, or else your windmill may not spin as easily. Make sure your straw is as vertical as possible.
- STEP 6: Cut off a 6 inch section of the skewer
- STEP 7: With the pointy side of the skewer up, use modeling clay to secure the skewer to the center of the other aluminum pie tin. This will be the base of your carousel
- STEP 8: Place your windmill on top of the pointy skewer
- STEP 9: Place 4 tea lights evenly around the base of the carousel
- STEP 10: Using adult supervision, light the candles. The windmill should start spinning.
IF YOUR CAROUSEL IS NOT SPINNING...
- Make sure the windmill is as straight as possible
- Make sure that the windmill can spin smoothly.
- Try to fan out the wings of your windmill
- Concentrate the heat to one side of the windmill
SCIENCE WITH SARAH
If you’d like Sarah and David to come to your school and conduct a science experiment live on KSAT, fill out this form. “Winners” are selected at random.