Scientific Camping
Summer Fun
One week in July my family, family friends, and I went camping in Centreville, Michigan. We went camping with a club called Star Gazers Camping Club. My dad drove the truck and fifth-wheel, along with my godparents and two other couples. The first night we got there we had gotten a fire going and roasted marshmallows, and then every night we were there we did this and a couple of other campers joined us.
Look at Me
Centreville, Michigan
Roasted marshmallows
The science of it
Starting a fire
Creating a fire is scientific because a fire is created by a chemical reaction with oxygen and wood or gasoline. When we started a fire every night we used the oxygen in the atmosphere and wood to keep the fire burning. If a fire does not have one of the components, it will not burn. Therefore we have to keep adding a fuel to our fire.
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/geophysics/fire1.htm
Roasting Marshmallows
Roasting marshmallows is also scientific because a chemical change occurs to the marshmallow to become toasted. To make the chemical change happen you need to add very warm heat for the process to start. A marshmallow goes through a six step process to become toasted. This process starts with the swelling of the marshmallow as you start to heat it. The process then ends with the oxyinterruptus stage in which you take the marshmallow from the heat and the swelling stops to the point where the marshmallow is either done or needs to be toasted more.
http://forestscience1.blogspot.com/2013/04/marshmallows.html
I Wonder...
1. Why when you blow on a candle it goes out, but when you blow on hot coals they get hotter?
2. Why is it when you light birch bark with a spark it flames but a cramp ball just glows?
3. What is in a marshmallow that makes it expand and toast?
4. Why does a chimney make a fire burn better?