Education:Science Projects: Oil Spill
It is very important to protect our environment.
It is also important to protect an animal's habitat.
For example, we sometimes hear about oil spills. They sound terrible,
and they are. Here is an experiment that you can do at home to show
one of the effects of an oil spill.
What you need
• A feather (available at most craft stores)
• Water in a spray bottle
• Vegetable oil
• Soapy water
• Toothbrush
What you do
1. Test the feather by spraying water on it. See how the feather repels the water? That’s a healthy feather.
2. Now dip the feather in the oil. What happens to the feather? It starts to droop from the weight of the oil.
3. Spray water on the oily feather to see what happens. It is unable to repel the water. The bird can’t protect itself from the elements.
4. Now try washing the feather with the soapy water. Scrub it with the toothbrush. What happens? Does the feather ever go back to normal?
Now you know why it is important to protect our environment and the animal's habitat.
