Fifth Period
First Time Here?
Go to the first strip and
see how it all started!
Join students Sophie, Tomás, Emma, and Marcus during Fifth Period! This STEM comic strip chronicles the exciting and often hilarious adventures of a close-knit group of four friends as they learn about science, technology, engineering, and math from their kooky, inspiring, off-the-wall science teacher, Mr. Kepler. When they're not in class, these kids love to explore the vast world of STEM on their own, launching weather balloons, programming computer games, and cataloging insects, sometimes with unpredictable and highly entertaining results!
Check back on the first and third Friday of every month for a new Fifth Period strip!
Tomás Has Gas…
…No…not that kind. Tomás and Marcus made carbon dioxide by adding baking soda to acetic acid (the stuff in vinegar), and what happened is known as a decomposition reaction. That's when a chemical's molecules break up into even smaller molecules. More molecules take up more volume, and with nowhere to escape, it can really build up some pressure! Just look how that balloon is expanding....
You can harness this expanding gas to do some pretty cool stuff, like make a powerful rocket! It won't get you into space, but it can shoot pretty far into the air, so be sure to GET OUT OF THE WAY.
Try it yourself!
Could you figure out how to make a baking soda/vinegar-powered car, using simple materials like a milk carton, spools, wooden dowels, and a plastic bottle? Gather your friends, and have a race!