5. Mine
Why it works
Our team might rely on a spot of luck, a splash of inspiration, and their determination. But there's something else that helps them meet the challenges. You can't beat a bit of knowledge. Join us to go inside the science.
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Will they snap?
As the team prepare to leave Colorado, one last challenge: can they create a memento of their trip with a perfect photograph?
Related programme
A summary of the Mine challenge, part of the BBC/OU's programme website for Rough Science 6
Hermione decides to make a cloud chamber using a jam jar. She hopes to see the trail of destruction caused by radioactive particles. First, though, she'll need to make some frozen carbon dioxide which involves a bit of help from Mike. But not all goes to plan...
Mike and Ellen work on a safety lamp to detect flammable gases, which surprisingly needs a flame. Ellen sets off to make a beeswax candle using a local hive. Meanwhile Mike finds an ingenious way to use the candle flame as a gas detector using kitchen implements. Will two artfully put together sieves and some homemade beeswax candles really detect flammable gas?
Meanwhile Jonathan sets to work on making a generator to power his rugged torch. With hundreds of coils of wire and some strong magnets, Jonathan can light a dim bulb by turning the magnets constantly. But when Jonathan tries to store energy in his torch, he runs into problems. What seemed simple becomes more and more tricky as the deadline approaches. Will Jonathan be able to get his lamp to illuminate the mine? And when they get there, what will the team find?
Content last updated: 06/10/2005
