Frying eggs outside? Experiments to try during the heat wave

School is out and summer break is in full swing, but with temperatures expected to hit the record high of 117 degrees this week — and possibly exceed it — it’s doubtful many kids will be playing outside.

The heat wave is hitting early this year. The last time the Las Vegas Valley hit the 117-degree record was July 19, 2005. Before that it was July 24, 1942.

Cooling stations have opened, and NV Energy and air-conditioning companies are already busy. The National Weather Service predicts the record-tying temperatures today and Monday.

Humidity from thunderstorms — though it’s unlikely any rain will actually reach the ground — will also add to what should be a rough week weather-wise.

So what can we do for kids who are bored and sluggish from the heat?

Here are some fun experiments that will exercise their out-of-school brains and help them have fun with heat.

1. Balloon over candle: Blow up a balloon, tie it off and hold it several feet above a lit candle. Slowly and carefully, bring the balloon down toward the flame until it pops.

Take another balloon and fill it partially with water. Repeat the same lowering motion as with the first balloon. This time, you should be able to actually touch the balloon to the flame.

Why doesn’t it pop? The American Physical Society illustrated this experiment and explained that “heat conduction” is the key. The water in the balloon pulls the heat from the candle straight through the rubber balloon surface. This leaves the balloon strong enough to withstand the flame.

2. Make your own lunch outside using solar heat energy: Most people have heard the myth that if it’s hot enough outside, it’s possible to fry an egg on the sidewalk.

On its own, the sidewalk won’t get hot enough to actually cook an egg. But if you put the egg on something metal, such as a frying pan or the hood of a car, it will work.

Here’s something else to try. Cover the outside of a shoebox with black construction paper and the inside with aluminum foil. Cut a hole in the top of the box to let sunlight in. Put a hot dog or two inside the box and set it outside in direct sunlight.

The foil will become hot enough to reflect heat onto the hot dog and cook it.

3. Hot water, air pressure and eggs: Here’s another one involving a snack.

Find a plastic or glass bottle with an opening that’s a little smaller than the circumference of a peeled, boiled egg.

Take the lid off and set the bottle in a bowl of very hot water for five minutes. Then move the bottle to a bowl of ice water. Wet the egg and set it on the opening, with the slimmer side facing down.

Even though the egg is bigger than the opening, it will be sucked inside the bottle. National Geographic Kids explains that the heat from the water changes the air pressure inside the bottle.

An alternate method without a bowl of water is to drop a lit match inside a glass bottle just before setting the egg on top.

4. Hot air balloons: Take the lid off a plastic bottle and stretch the end of a balloon over the opening. Put the bottle in a pan or bowl of very hot water and wait a few minutes.

As heat causes the air in the bottle to expand, the balloon will begin to inflate.

Discovery’s TLC does this experiment with a twist: put one cup of water into the bottle at the beginning of the experiment, along with one spoonful of baking soda.

Work quickly on the next part — pour in a splash of vinegar and stretch the end of a balloon over the top. This will give different results than using just air.

These aren’t the only things to do in the heat. Run through your lawn sprinklers, hop in the pool or have a water balloon fight. Just remember to layer on the sunscreen, drink plenty of water, and don’t go out on the streets or sidewalks without shoes!

Contact reporter Annalise Porter at
aporter@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0264.