SID'S GUIDE TO ... HALLOWEEN!
SHRUNKEN HEADS
Halloween can be spooky and scary but it can also be SCIENTRIFFIC!

These horrible heads make hideous table decorations for a Halloween party ...
Stuff you need ...
Apple
Lemon juice
Potato Peeler
Grown Up to supervise
What to do ...
Ask your grown up to help you peel the apple.

Then ask the adult to carve a face into the apple using the end of the peeler or a small knife. They will need to carve holes for the eyes, nose and mouth. Don’t worry too much about small details, as this will be lost when the apples start to shrink.

Now you can soak your apple in lemon juice, making sure that the entire apple is covered.

Ask your grown up to stick a pencil through the apple and then stand the pencil across a jar or cup so that the apple can dry without touching anything.

Leave your apple in a warm place for about 2-3 weeks.
You will notice ...
Every day, your apple head changes shape and becomes more and more creepy. It really does look like a shrunken head!
Why?
Freshly cut apples turn brown when iron-containing chemicals inside apple cells react with oxygen in the air. The chemical reaction is called oxidation, and it is similar to the rusting of iron.