Wanting a quick and easy experiment to excite and amaze your children?? This simple tea-bag trick will have them totally amazed. Create a flying tea-bag that transforms into a ghostly puff of smoke. Can your Brisbane Kid catch the ghost before it disappears into thin air?!
You Will Need:
- A tea-bag
- A lighter or matches
- Scissors
- Heatproof plate
How To Make Flying Ghost Bags:
Step 1
Cut the end of the tea-bag off directly below where the string is attached.
Step 2
Open out the tea-bag and tip out the tea (discard or keep for a pot later).
Step 3
Stand the empty tea-bag on a stable, flat, fire safe surface (a heat proof plate is ideal) and light the end of the tea-bag that is facing upwards.
As the flame descends down the tea-bag, it sends the tea-bag floating into the air and disappears into a puff of ghostly ash.
Challenge your Brisbane Kid to try and capture the ghost once the bag has dissolved into a puff of ash. This will have them running and jumping wildly around trying to seize the ghost before it vanishes. Beware, this experiment is highly addictive and you may end up with no tea bags for pots of tea very quickly!
CAUTION: This experiment should only be performed by an adult and under adult supervision. Children should only attempt to catch the ‘ghosts’ once the flame has extinguished.
*TIP* If your tea-bag falls over easily check that the bottom is cut straight. If it is and it is still falling over, ensure there are no draughts causing the light tube to fall.
Extended Learning: What is happening and why does it do this??
Warm air rises. When the tea bag is burned, it fills with warm air. When the warm air rises it carries the tea bag with it. This is similar to how a hot air balloon works. The density of the tea-bag is just right to create lift as it burns to a light ash, which flies with the force of the warm air.
For more Craft and Fun Ideas with a science theme, your Brisbane Kids may enjoy making our Groovy DIY Lava Lamp or our Exploding Dino Eggs.
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