Alpha science classroom： DIY Straw Heart Monitor

Kids find the heart-thumping diligently inside your chest and feel your pulse great, but seeing it really makes you stop and wonder. Today, the Alpha science classroom teaches kids the DIY Straw Heart Monitor, a simple kids' bioscience experiment activity that kids can find the materials for in their kitchens at home, and I'm sure this kids' science experiment will open your eyes to the power of the pulse and muscles that keep you alive.

Alpha Science Classroom: DIY Straw Heart Monitor, Materials Needed

A straw

A decent-sized piece of poster hanging putty or plastic glue

Alpha Science Classroom: DIY Straw Heart Monitor, Making Steps

Step 1: First, children need a straw and a decent-sized pile of poster hanging putty or plastic glue.

Step 2: Children poke the straw into the putty.

Step 3: Okay, it doesn't look anything like an expensive EKG, but just wait until you see what this thing can do.

Step 4: Lie on your back and find the pulse on your neck. Place the putty in this position so that the tip of the straw is just above your eyes. Now see what happens ...... This is kind of weird.

Alpha science classroom: DIY Straw Heart Monitor, Science Principles

alpha science toys show kids when the straw moves in time with their heartbeat. Each contraction sends a pressure wave through your arteries, causing the straw to vibrate like a metronome. The tip of the straw amplifies the tiny movements in the putty, so you can see your pulse right in front of your eyes

You may have noticed that there are actually two thumps for every heartbeat. It makes lab-DUP, lub-DUP, and lub-DUP. these sounds are made by the heart valves thumping shut, not by the heart's muscles contracting. These valves prevent blood from flowing backward in the wrong direction.

Your heart is essentially two pumps in one organ. It consists of four chambers - two atria and two ventricles, the former receiving blood and the latter expelling it from the heart. The right atrium and right ventricle make up one-half of the pump. The right atrium receives oxygen-depleted blood from your body and squirts it into the right ventricle. The right ventricle then pumps it into the lungs, where it expels carbon dioxide and collects fresh oxygen. After exiting the lungs, the blood returns directly to the second part of the pumping system. The left atrium receives the oxygen-rich blood and squirts it into the left ventricle. The left ventricle then pumps this blood out of your heart, supplying fresh oxygen and glucose to about ten trillion of your cells. After this life-sustaining journey, the blood returns to the right atrium and the cycle begins again.

Both atria contract at the same time, followed by contraction of both ventricles. The period of cardiac contraction is known as the systolic phase. The slightly longer period of relaxation is called diastole.

At the beginning of systole, both atria contract and eject their contents (blood) into the neighboring ventricles. Shortly thereafter, both ventricles also begin to contract. The resulting rise in pressure causes the valves to the adjacent atria to slam shut. This stops the backflow from the ventricles to the atria and causes a "lubrication" sound. Both ventricles are now completely closed, but they continue to contract, causing the pressure to rise further until the valves leading out of the heart suddenly open. As they open, blood rushes out rapidly and the pressure in the ventricles begins to drop. When the pressure in the ventricles drops sufficiently, those two open valves close again, producing a slightly loud "DUP" sound. As the heart relaxes, blood collects in the two atria and the whole cycle begins again.

An average, healthy human heart completes about 70 to 80 such cycles per minute. It will be slightly more during exercise, excitement, or stress, and less during sleep. It doesn't require any action on your part. When you're relaxed, you hardly know it's happening, which makes watching your straw heart monitor seem almost surreal.

I believe that the children have learned through this interesting children's biological science experiment activity, the law of the pulse beat, which is the ability of our heart to work, so that we always maintain a healthy state of life, this interesting kid's science experiment activity, has proved for children that the human body contains many scientific mysteries, want to know more about the mysteries of the human body, the children will more Follow Alpha science classroom!

Alpha science toys have prepared many interesting science experiment kits for children to help them unlock the mysteries of science, learn the magic knowledge and explore more scientific treasures, that's our aim, we hope every child can grow up to be a smart scientist.