My three-year-old son is always on the hunt for “treasure” and often fills his pockets and school bag with leaves, stones and all sorts of interesting bits and pieces he finds on his adventures. For instance, this week he stuffed his bag full of pine cones which he found on the grounds of his school, and then brought them home in triumph. While the messy pine needles and traces of sand that landed on the floor and lined his bag didn’t thrill me, I did have a brainwave of a fun activity we could do together (one of many where pine cones can be used). 

This experiment is actually so simple but can also be adapted to suit and challenge kids of all ages. If you are looking for a science demonstration that would help students to grasp concepts like absorption, expansion and contraction, then this one’s for you!

Image Source

WHY DO PINE COMES OPEN AND CLOSE?

I’m not sure if you have noticed, but pine cones do not always look the same, sometimes their wood-like leaves are open and sometimes they are closed. Let’s find out why!

To start, head on outside and collect some pine cones from the ground. This means that the activity begins with some fresh air and the release of some good energy, before you head off back indoors. Please note however that the rest of the experiment will take some time, hours even. You might need to have a few other distractions on hand.

For this experiment you will need the following apparatus and materials:

• A variety of opened and closed pine cones
• 2 large glass beakers or glass bowls
• Water at room temperature
• Air Heater

The experiment:

1. Fill your glass beakers with water.
2. Place an already closed pine cone in one dish of water, and an opened one in the other.
3. Connect and switch on the air heater and place a closed pine cone as well as an opened one in front of it.
4. Wait a bit until you see some changes happen.

Observation:

The pine cones in the water – you will see that the closed pine cone remains closed, but the one that was opened will start to close its “leaves”.

The pine cones in front of the heater: The pine cone that is open will remain open, the closed pine cone will however start to open up.

Image Source

Image Source

THE SCIENCE BIT

The Science Behind Opening and Closing Pine Cones. The scales of seed-bearing pine cones move in response to changes in humidity. When warm and dry the pine cone opens up to release the cone's seeds. When it is damp or cold, the scales close up. 

Source link: http://parentingchaos.com/why-do-pine-cones-open-and-close/

To sum the experiment up: the pine cones contract when they are wet or cold, and then expand when they are hot or dry.

This super cool experiment can be adapted for any age group, with my preschooler I kept it simple and used terms he would understand. With older kids you could ask them to write down their predictions of what they think will happen in each situation. You could also go more in depth of how expansion and contraction work. Whatever you do, make it fun, that’s how we learn best!

Much love - @sweetpea

(bringing you original content)

Join us @steemitbloggers

^{Animation By @zord189}