Fairfield Elementary School first graders in Barbara Welsh’s class were intrigued by science when classmate Madisen Rosso’s father visited the class to conduct some experiments.
Richard Rosso, a chemistry professor at St. John’s University, brought in dry ice and liquid nitrogen, and demonstrated to the class how dry ice turns into a gas as it melts. He also “froze” a flower, a rubber ball and a banana in liquid nitrogen.
“The class was fascinated to see how quickly these items became frozen and brittle from the intense cold,” said Welsh.
Rosso further captivated his audience by changing the color of water by adding certain chemicals. He also made “elephant toothpaste,” by creating a thick stream of foam with hydrogen peroxide.
—Submitted by Massapequa Public Schools
