Test by Fire

Test by Fire

You will need: Candle, salt, copper sulfate, boric acid, tongs.

When scientists are asked to find out what certain substances arc composed of, they are said to analyze these materials.

One of the instruments they may use is a spectroscope. This instrument records the colors of the flame a substance produces when it burns, for each element produces a definite color of its own.

You can prove this by holding various chemicals over a candle flame with tongs.

Common household salt should give off a yellow flame from the sodium which is present. Boric acid will give a greenish flame from the boron which is present.

If you can obtain a crystal of copper sulfate from a druggist you will find that it will produce a beautiful blue flame.

Children learn best through doing

Before children can understand a thing, they need experience: seeing, touching, hearing, tasting, smelling; choosing, arranging, putting things together, taking things apart. Experimenting with real things.

Old-time school teaching used only words and the teachers thought children knew something if they could repeat it. Now we know better. To reach practical understanding we do not need to use many words with young children.

Children are clever. They learn a lot, without being taught. The greatest skill - to be able to talk, to communicate is learnt outside school. In the classroom it's the children who need to talk the most. Unfortunately it is the teacher who does most of the talking!