By: Tom Wickersham

Each and every one of us, whether we realize it or not, is involved with science. We may call ourselves a teacher, a mechanic, or a broker, but science is still part of our lives everyday.

You don't need a lab coat or a fancy microscope for everyday science. Just observe carefully and think critically.

While you're thinking about science in the world around you, think about this. Once a month, on the fourth Saturday, Explorit Science Center waives their admission fees to let everyone enjoy hands-on science for free. That means tomorrow, January 23, you'll have the chance to visit What's the Matter? Solids, Liquids and Gases at Explorit free of charge.

Currently at Explorit, there are various exhibits dealing with solids, liquids and gases. We're usually pretty aware of the solids and liquids around us, but how often are we consciously aware of the gases around us? Sure we see the wind blowing through the trees, but we don't often "see" gas as part of the matter around us. If you stop by Explorit, you'll have plenty of opportunities to experience solids, liquids AND gases.

Compare balloons filled with your breath (containing carbon dioxide) to balloons filled with argon. Argon is a gas, like helium or carbon dioxide. But does a balloon filled with argon float like a balloon filled with helium? Do balloons filled with argon and carbon dioxide react similarly when released? You do the testing.

Also at Explorit you'll have the chance to be part of an on-going experiment measuring what happens to gases as they change temperature. Or you can try your hand at the glove station where pushing and pulling rubber gloves from containers may not be as easy as you expect. The reason? Gases.

Scientists are engaged in making sense of the world around us. But whether they are launching probes into space, counting the number of gorillas in a forest or identifying the changes in bacteria, they are all doing at least two things in common: observing carefully and thinking critically.

Observation is something we do, too. We observe the gauges in our car as we drive to work. We observe the smells of the foods in our favorite restaurant. We observe the looks on the faces of those we just told a joke. Observation, fundamental to our everyday lives, is also a necessary ingredient in a scientist's work.

If you want to do some more observations with gases after your visit to Explorit, try the Invisible Candle Snuffer experiment (from Robert Krampf who can be reached at krampf@aol.com). To do this, you'll need 2 large bowls or pots (3 quarts or larger), a short candle, vinegar, baking soda and some newspapers.

First, prepare a work area by spreading out the newspapers on a table or counter away from fans or blowers. Set the candle in the center of the bottom of one of the bowls (you may need a small candle holder or some aluminum foil to hold the candle in place). In the other bowl, pour in about a cup of vinegar and then measure out about a half a cup of baking soda. Next, place the bowls side by side and light the candle.

Now pour the baking soda into the vinegar. Do not stir. It will bubble and foam quite a bit. Wait for the foam to die down. Now, carefully lift the bowl and hold it over the candle. Act as if you were pouring from the bowl with the vinegar into the bowl with the candle, but do not pour any of the liquid. After a few seconds, the candle will go out.

What happened? When you mixed vinegar and baking soda, it produced carbon dioxide gas. That is what formed the bubbles. Since carbon dioxide is heavier than the air around you, it stayed in the bowl. As you poured the heavy gas into the bowl with the candle, the level of carbon dioxide rose and smothered the candle flame.

Now that you know more about gases, try some of your own observations on anything else that matters to you.

------------------------------------------------------

Explorit Science Center is located at 3141 5th Street in East Davis. The current exhibition is What's the Matter? Solids, Liquids and Gases. Public hours are Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Sunday from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m., and Tuesday through Friday from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m. Regular admission is $3; members, teachers (with school ID) and children under 4 are free.