Soap Science: A Science Book Bubbling With 36 Experiments

Includes experiments involving various kinds of soap and soap bubbles to demonstrate how soap works and to help explore electricity, light, and other science topics

Gr. 3-6. With appealing ink-and-watercolor illustrations on every page, this paperback combines good science with good fun. Beginning with soap, Bell explains its makeup, its properties, and how it interacts with water, salty water, surface tension, dirt, and oil, as he leads readers through activities well designed to investigate the subject ("With your parent's permission, microwave a bar of moisturizing soap. . . . Is it slimier than floating soap?"). Next the book turns to bubbles, with instructions for making them form geometric shapes from trapezoids to pyramids to cubes as well as making a bubble fountain, a bubble thermometer, helium bubbles, and frozen bubbles. The last section shows the power of a sliver of soap to fuel a toy boat, contribute to a bathtub ring, or demonstrate why the sky is blue. Varied in content, upbeat in tone, and informative every step of the way, this book will motivate readers to play around with soap at home or at the science fair. Carolyn Phelan