While looking for various site on the internet dealing with plant education
(no, I have not put together a list yet - if anyone has please let us all
know)I was delighted to come across: Fun with Grapes - a case study which
can be found at:
http://www.sci.tamucc.edu/~pmichaud/grape/
Here is the Abstract:
>Authors
>>Marc G. Frank, mgfrank at erebus.com>Patrick R. Michaud, pmichaud at cbi.tamucc.edu>>Abstract
>>Using only cheap, readily-available equipment, you can create a spectacular
>lightshow in the comfort of your very own kitchen, providing hours of fun
>and excitement for your family, friends, and pets!
>>Ordinary grapes, when properly prepared and microwaved, spark impressively
>in an extremely entertaining manner.
I can say that it is certainly dramatic... indeed the authors do not
comment on the reason grapes can produce such a wonderful fireshow and this
may be a good forum to ask foe ideas... (I think it has something to do
with the fact that grape sugars are combustible).
Thanks for all the others who have posted to this thread started by David
Hershey... its these sort of demos that can captivate the interest of
students I believe.
********************
Dr Dennis Bittisnich
Plant Science Centre
RSBS
Australian National University ph +61 6 249 2878
GPO Box 475 fax +61 6 247 5896
Canberra ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
********************
