Halloween is full of opportunities to delight and excite with science.

Here are directions and tips for making your Halloween experience fun.  Kids, remember to always ask for help from an adult before doing these fun science experiments at home.

FLASH PAPER
Flash paper is a form of nitrocellulose, or combustable fibers, used by stage magicians.    You can buy this at magic shops or science supply stores.

WARNING:  It easily catches fire, so be careful if you use it.  It's best lit outside and away from people.

PLASMA SKULL OR LIGHTNING GLOBES
Containers like these are filled with different gases at a low pressure compared to what it outside the container.  Electricity is passed through the gases which excites the electrons and gives off a colored light.  When you place your hand on the outside of the container, the electric field changes and the beams move toward your hand, but the glass keeps the current inside the container.  It's not hard to find objects with electrified plasma in them in Halloween stoes right now. 

MELTING WITCH HEAD
Finding a styrofoam head is easiest at beauty supply stores.  And the formula for "Witch-be-gone" is more simply known as acetone, or fingernail polish remover.  Place your witch head on a tray or plate, then slowly pour the "Witch-be-gone" over the styrofoam head.  You should see a gruesome, but scientific melting of your wicked witch.

WARNING: Since acetone also removes other paints and finishes, make sure you use the chemical carefully and keep it away from your eyes and mouth.

DECORATING WITH DRY ICE
Dry ice and hot water are two of the easiest decorating tricks with the greatest spooky-return for the money.

Just about any grocery store will stock dry ice near the front of the business.  But be careful!  Dry ice is really frozen carbon-dioxide and will "burn" you if you're not careful  Use gloves at all times.

Break the dry ice into pieces and place into open containers (not closed!) like beakers, bowls, and large cups.  Add very hot water.  The hotter the better.  You will instantly see the effect of the carbon dioxide solid sublimating to a gas.

Since carbon dioxide, the gas our bodies exhales when breathing, is heavier than air... it sinks to the lowest possible level and adds a nice, spooky effects to the inside and outside of your haunt.

Put a chunk of dry ice in the bottom of your jack-o-lantern then add some hot water.  A smoking pumpkin will result.

Adding food coloring or dye to the bubbling containers gives the appearance of potions brewing. 

Need more?  If you put liquid soap into your container with the dry ice and hot water, a mad and furious bubbling brew will form.

You can even cool your party punch bowl with dry ice to make it bubble and smoke... just be sure the dry ice is gone and not in your party-goers cups before drinking. 

And what about adding some bone-chilling noise to your setup?  Try putting a piece of dry ice in a metal mixing bowl.  If you're not a fan of fingernails on a chalkboad, then this isn't for you.  But if you want to send chills up the spines of your trick-or-treaters... this will be the cat's meow. 

WARNING: Allow the dry ice to melt away before disposing it down the drain.  Otherwise a ruptured pipe or even an explosion may result.  Be careful at all times.

SPOOKY SLIME
Kids know it as "gak"... but for Halloween, it's most definitely known as "slime". 

Combine 1 cup of school glue with 1 cup of liquid starch.  Add some food coloring for fun. 

Join us again soon for more mad science on KY3!