What's Happening In Primary

Can We Smash It?

This week's Monday Assembly was filled with excitement, learning, and plenty of surprises as Miss Shurley, supported by her fantastic assistants Mrs Overton and Mr Sturges, presented a spectacular Liquid Nitrogen Show for our students as part of Science Week.

The presentation began with an introduction to nitrogen, one of the most common gases around us. Students learned that approximately 75% of the air we breathe is nitrogen, before discovering how liquid nitrogen can be used in a range of fascinating science demonstrations. Throughout the show, the importance of safety was highlighted, with all presenters wearing the appropriate protective equipment while handling the extremely cold liquid nitrogen.

One of the first demonstrations involved balloons. Students watched in amazement as balloons placed into liquid nitrogen dramatically shrank and appeared to deflate. Even more surprising was seeing them return to their original size and reinflate once they were removed and warmed back up.

The most anticipated part of the show was the "Can We Smash It?" challenge. A variety of everyday objects were cooled in liquid nitrogen before being tested to see whether they would shatter.

Items that smashed included:

• Marshmallows

• Gummy bears

• Mini basketballs

• Wet serviettes

• Gloves

• Leaves

• Flowers

Items that did not smash included:

• Donuts

• Bananas

• Ooshies

• Squishies

• Dry serviettes

• Wool

• Feathers

The lettuce provided an interesting result, becoming only partially smashed, showing that different materials react in different ways when exposed to extreme temperatures.

To finish the show, Miss Shurley delivered an unforgettable finale. Liquid nitrogen was poured onto boiling water, creating a huge cloud of fog that quickly spread throughout the entire undercover Jiloa space. Students watched in awe as the area filled with swirling white "smoke", providing a spectacular end to a memorable science experience.

A huge thank you to Miss Shurley, Mrs Overton, and Mr Sturges for bringing science to life in such an engaging and entertaining way. The assembly sparked curiosity, encouraged scientific thinking, and left students talking about the wonders of liquid nitrogen long after the show had ended.