Tuesday, April 12, 2011

MALACCA PLANETARIUM'S FUN WITH DRY ICE

'Fun with dry ice' programme at Malacca Planetarium

2011/04/11




MALACCA: Students will have a chance to be a scientist for the day at Malacca Planetarium's "Fun With Dry Ice" programme.

The programme will be held on two weekends on April 23 and 24 and April 30 and May 1.

The programme will feature two main experiments using frozen carbon dioxide or dry ice.


Programme director Gomathy Ramasamy of Planetarium Melaka Sdn Bhd said the first experiment would be the classic dry ice bubble demonstration.

"In this experiment, after dry ice is added to a cylinder of coloured warm water and dish washing liquid, students can see a cascade of bubbles vanish in a puff of fog.

"This is a definite 'must-try' experiment," she said.


"There's just something extraordinary about using dry ice as science teachers call the process as solid turns into gas sublimation but for the children, they simply find it amazing."

The second experiment is for deep space object lovers.

"It would feature a 'do-it-yourself comet demonstration', also using frozen carbon dioxide and other materials which you can easily obtain from local stores.


"This activity will introduce the members of the community to the structure of comets, which are in the solar system, and learn the interaction between the comets and the Sun.

"They can make a miniature comet and watch it sublimates, just like when a real comet being heated by the Sun.

"We use dry ice to make a comet because when a comet is far away from the Sun, the carbon dioxide compound remains frozen in the form of dry ice. As it approaches the Sun, the dry ice sublimates and leaves the remains on the location of impact."

For more information, log on to the Planetarium Melaka's website at www.melakaplanetarium.com, or call 06-232 2122/2424.

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