This experiment kit is intended for children over 8
years of age. Select the experiments that you think
are appropriate for your child. Before starting,
please read through these instructions, the safety
rules, and the first aid information, follow them,
and keep them on hand for reference. The incorrect
use of chemicals can lead to injury or other health
risks. Only carry out experiments that are described
in the instruction manual. The area around your
work place should be kept free of all obstructions,
and it should be sufficiently far from food storage
areas. It should be well lit and well ventilated, and
equipped with a water tap. There should be a solid
table with a rugged, fire-resistant surface that you
can wipe off. During all experiments, the safety
glasses should be worn to protect the eyes.
Rule for Safe Experimentation
1. Read the experiment manual before starting the
experiments, follow its instructions and keep it on hand
2. Thoroughly prepare your work area. Clear off the table
and make sure that all the things you will need are ready.
3. Only perform the experiments described in this manual.
If safety precautions are mentioned, be sure to follow
4. Always wear the safety glasses when performing the
experiments. If something gets into your eye by mistake,
such as a squirt of citric acid solution, rinse your eye
thoroughly with water. Let an adult help you.
5. When you are done, cleaned all the equipment that you
used and always leave your work area clean. Any leftover
solid substances can be thrown into the garbage, and
liquids can be rinsed down the drain with plenty of water.
6. Any investigated foods must be disposed of afterwards.
7. Do not eat or drink while performing experiments.
8. Provide necessary fire protection when experimenting
with candles. Set the candle on a fireproof base. Never
leave burning candles unattended, and extinguish them
9. If you spill anything, wipe it up immediately with a
10. When performing experiments, wear old clothes that
you don’t mind getting dirty.
11. Wash your hands thoroughly after completing your
General First Aid Information
In case of contact with eyes and in case of injury: Rinse the
affected area with plenty of water and in case of injury
always seek medical help. In case of swallowing: Rinse
mouth with water and drink fresh water. Do not induce
vomiting. Seek medical help without delay. In case of
inhalation of dust: Bring the individual into fresh air.
As a chemistry detective, you should try to get
to know as many different substances as possible
from your environment — particularly the common
chemicals found around the house.
You will need: measuring spoon, 16 small name
cards, paper, 16 test substances from the Addi-
tional Items section on the Contents panel
Take one sample of each substance with the mea-
suring spoon and place the samples on a piece of
paper. You will have to crush up the glucose tablet
into a powder. Ideally, lay your sheet of samples on
a rigid piece of cardboard or a tray to support it.
Set the matching name card next to each sam-
ple. Conduct a visual inspection. Carefully observe
It’s a little harder to tell the white substances apart.
In such cases, a chemistry detective first investigates
whether the substance dissolves in water.
You will need: measuring cup, measuring spoon,
pipette, table salt, flour, baking soda, citric acid,
sugar, glucose powder, borax, baking powder,
flavored sugar, washing soda, laundry detergent
Advice for Parents and Adults
Warning! — This set contains chemicals
that may be harmful if misused. Read cau-
tions on individual containers carefully. Not
to be used by children except under adult
Only for use by children 8 years of age and
older. Use only under careful supervision
of adults who have familiarized themselves
with the kit’s written safety precautions.
Caution! — Contains some chemicals cat-
egorized as hazardous to health. Read the
instructions before use, follow them, and
keep them on hand for reference.
Individual parts may have sharp points, corners,
or edges. Do not injure yourself!
Never bring the chemicals into contact with any
part of your body, especially mouth and eyes.
Keep small children and animals away from the
Store the kit out of the reach of small children.
Eye protection for adults not included.
1st Edition © 2010 Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart, Germany
This work, including all its parts, is copyright protected. Any use outside the
specific limits of the copyright law is prohibited and punishable by law without the
consent of the publisher. This applies specifically to reproductions, translations and
microfilming and the storage and processing in electronic systems and networks.
We do not guarantee that all material in this work is free from other copyright or
Manual and packaging layout: Peschke Grafik-Design, komuniki – Michael Schlegel;
Text: Rainer Köthe, Ruth Schildhauer; Product development: Annette Büchele, Petra
2nd English Edition © 2013 Thames & Kosmos, LLC, Providence, RI
® Thames & Kosmos is a registered trademark of Thames & Kosmos, LLC.
Translation: David Gamon; Editing: Ted McGuire; Additional Graphics and Layout:
Distributed in North America by Thames & Kosmos, LLC. Providence, RI 02903
Phone: 800-587-2872; Email: support@thamesandkosmos.com
Printed in Germany / Imprimé en Allemagne
2 Stoppers for test tubes
2 Measuring spoon (with two
You will need these 16 test substances:
When a scientist finds an unidentified substance,
he or she uses precise examinations and chemical
tests to determine the composition of the unknown
substance. This process is called chemical analysis.
In this kit, you will use simple tools to
investigate a whole range of common household
substances. You will use a few different chemical
investigation methods, along with your eyes and
nose. Of course, you are not allowed to use your
tongue, since some of the materials might be
harmful to your health. Now, let’s get started.
Instructions for Using the Safety
Goggles (Item No. 052279)
Use: The safety goggles are only to
be used with the experiment kit.
Any other type of application is not
permitted. Wear the goggles in such
a way that the eye area is protected.
If necessary, adjust the elastic band
to the child’s head circumference.
The safety goggles can be used with
contact lenses. Wearers of corrective
eyeglasses need special safety goggles
for people who wear glasses.
Duration of Use: Always wear the
safety goggles when performing
your experiments. Not intended for
long-term use. The duration of wear
should not exceed the time of the
Storage: Store safety goggles at room
temperature in a dry room. After
the experiment, return them to their
place in the kit box, to keep them
Cleaning: Do not clean the safety
goggles when they are dry. Rinse
them with clean water and, if neces-
sary, with a mild household liquid
detergent, and dry them with a soft
Maintenance: In case of defective
safety goggles or scratched lenses,
exchange them for an equivalently
Inspection: Check the safety goggles
to make sure they are in good condi-
tion, and replace them if they are
Warning: Some extremely sensitive
individuals may experience an allergic
reaction after skin contact with some
materials under some circumstances.
Replacement: These safety goggles
are available as a replacement part.
The safety goggles are tested per EC guideline
89/686/EWG (personal protective equipment)
and EN 166, as well as EC guideline 88/378/EWG
and EN 71-4. Test center per EC guideline 89/686/
EWG and EN 166 Certification Center 0196: DIN
CERTO, Westliche 56, Pforzheim, Germany. Test
center per EC guideline 88/378/EWG and EN 71-4
Certification Center 0197: TÜV Rheinland Product
Safety GmbH, Am Grauen Stein, Köln, Germany
You will also need a tea light candle, paper tow-
els, paper plates, and glass jars.
Many substances from the kitchen have very differ-
ent appearances. With some white powders, you
can see that they are made of very small crystals,
while you see no crystals in baking soda, glucose
powder, or powdered sugar. Rice comes in little
grains. Flavored sugar, laundry detergent, coffee,
cocoa, and ground pepper have a particularly no-
ticeable aroma. Observe the appearance and aroma
of each substance. That alone will be enough to
identify pepper, tea, coffee, cocoa, and rice.
Place a small measuring spoonful of table salt in
the measuring cup, add two pipettes of warm
water, and stir with the measuring spoon. Wait a
few minutes to see if the salt dissolves. Thoroughly
rinse the measuring cup and repeat the experiment
with each of the other substances. What can you
determine? What does the laundry detergent do?
And what happens to the baking powder when you
You will use the dropper pipettes
to add liquids drop by drop.
Squeeze the upper part of the
pipette with your thumb and
index finger and dip the tip of the
pipette into the liquid. As soon as
you release pressure on the bulb,
the liquid will rise up the pipette.
Then, with a light squeeze, you
can add the liquid drop by drop.
After each use, rinse the pipette
thoroughly (fill with water, shake,
and squeeze empty several times).
All of the materials here except flour dissolve in
water. In the process, baking powder forms gas
bubbles and laundry detergent forms foam. You can
use this as a simple test to tell flour, baking powder,
and laundry powder apart from the other white
As you know, vinegar tastes sour — chemists call
it an . Citric acid is also a kind of acid. On the acid
other hand, there are other substances that are, in a
manner of speaking, the counterparts or opposites
of acids. They are called . Chemists are able bases
to determine the level of acidity of a solution (its
so-called pH value) without having to use their
tongues. That’s what the strips of paper are for.
They are called pH indicator strips, and they will
change color to reveal the acidity of a solution.
You will need: 2 measuring cups, pipette,
measuring spoon, pH indicator strips, citric acid,
table salt, granulated sugar, flavored sugar,
washing soda, baking soda, borax, glucose
In one measuring cup, dissolve a
spoonful of citric acid in water. Fil
the other cup with only water.
Cut each pH indicator strip into
four pieces. Briefly dip a piece
into each liquid. Compare the
colors to the pH color scale on
the other side of this instruction
sheet. Repeat the experiment
with each of the seven other
Keep the pH indicator strips in their sealed bag
until you are ready to use one, because even the
moisture in the air can alter the indicator strip’s
color slightly. The indicator strip can also stain
your fingers, so wash them thoroughly after
experimentation. Put the used strips on a piece of
scrap paper so they don’t stain your work surface.
You can use the test strips to determine the degree
of acidity of a solution, and thereby differentiate
citric acid, borax, and washing soda from the other
