Photo Gallery

Teresa MacDonald and Dawn Kirchner use vinegar, water and baking soda to make a plastic baggie pop open.

Rubbing wool and plastic together causes static electricity, which makes bits of rice cereal “dance.”

Dawn Kirchner and Teresa MacDonald, left, will be on hand at the Natural History Museum during spring break to guide thousands of visitors through the “Playing With Your Food” exhibit. MacDonald is director of education at the museum. Here, they use Jello to show how light is absorbed or refracted.

Each station will include explanations on how to conduct the experiment and what scientific principles are being demonstrated.

Using a lit candle, a plastic container and cornstarch, Dawn Kirchner, museum educator, creates a fireball and a loud popping sound. The experiment shows what happens during grain elevator fires, said Kirchner.

Because pickles contain a lot of sodium, they react strongly to electricity. Here, Dawn Kirchner uses an electric current to excite sodium molecules, which makes the pickle glow with bright orange heat.