1: Alien Blood and Messy Volcanoes

You are going to make some 'blood' of the type you might see oozing from an injured alien creature in a space fiction film. Dr Malcolm Armstrong is a British chemist who creates special chemical effects like this for many action films.

You may like to finish off by making a messy volcano.

What you will need (Alien Blood)

spatulas
10cm³measuring cylinder
dropping pipette
pestle and mortar to grind up chalk
stirring rod
eye protection
disposable gloves for clearing up afterwards

orange chalk (ground up) or curry powder
liquid detergent
pieces of expanded polystyrene tiles or packaging chips
dimethylbenzene (xylene)
'liver salts' powder

What you do

1. Eye protection
Mix the ground up orange chalk or curry powder with a few spatula measures of 'liver salts' powder.

2. Add a few drops of liquid detergent and mix well.
3. Harmful Flammable
Stir 10cm³ of dimethylbenzene into your mixture.

4. Soak the polystyrene in water.

5. Drip a few drops of the dye mix on to the damp polystyrene and observe the alien's blood in action!

eye protection must be worn

HARMFUL
dimethylbenzene (xylene)

FLAMMABLE
dimethylbenzene (xylene)

What you need (Messy Volcano)

sodium hydrogencarbonate (baking soda)
red food colour dye
flour or other packing material
ethanoic acid or table vinegar

What you do (Messy Volcano)

1. Set up your volcano as in the diagram. Pour in 10cm³ of vinegar. When the vinegar meets the sodium hydrogencarbonate (baking soda) it reacts and produces carbon dioxide gas which makes it fizz.

Diagram for Messy Volcano

eye protection must be worn

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