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	Magnifying Glass - A Natural Fire Lighter Magnifying glasses have two basic uses today. Firstly, they allow the user to see a larger image when held between the object and the eye, and secondly as a concentrator of the suns rays for heating and fire lighting purposes. It is the second benefit that is outlined in this article - lighting a fire. A note of caution, build fires where they are safe and not likely to get out of control and do not use the magnifying glass to concentrate the suns rays onto your skin - it will burn severely. Find a place where the fire can be lit and used safely, this may mean that the area immediately adjacent to the fire place (up to one meter) is cleaned of all dry matter. It is also a good idea to mark that actual fire-place with a circle of stones. Make sure that the magnifying glass is clean, so that all the light is concentrated. 1. Collect some very dry leaves (a couple of handfuls) and crush them to almost a powder. Some people will use soft paper, but if you are out in the bush, collect the leaves. 2. Collect some dry grass, a few handfuls will be sufficient to start. 3. Collect some small twigs, branches and other timber, sufficient for the needs of this time. 4. Make a small pile with about half of the grass and place the crushed dry leaves on top of the grass. 5. Hold the magnifying glass over the dry leaves so that the bright shiny circle of light is at its smallest, at the bottom of the pile of dry leaves. (Incidentally, the distance from the dot to the glass is its focal length) 6. The dry leaves will begin to smolder and smoke, which will heat the other dry leaves until combustion takes place. This may take some time, particularly if the leaves are not tinder dry. Sometimes, it is necessary to fan the glowing fire to make it flame – use your hat or blow onto the smoldering fire. 7. Place the other dry grass over the flames, as well as the twigs and as they burn add larger pieces of wood until the fire is sufficient for the need that it was intended. If the above procedure is followed, fire can be created, and enjoyed. A fire has been created without a match! Any magnifying glass can produce this result, but it stand to reason that a larger magnifying glass will probably make the job a little easier, if it concentrates more sunlight. There is no reason that a one and a half inch diameter plastic magnifying glass will create fire – it may take a little longer, be patient! Magnifying Glasses are sometimes a little difficult to obtain. For more information about magnifying glasses and different configurations go to http://groovyideas.googlepages.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Nivala   Bread Mold Science Fair Projects Ideas If you're looking for an interesting science fair project, then you may want to read more about bread mold science fair projects that you can do. They are easy and inexpensive to do but also allow you to follow all the steps of the scientific method. It helps to first understand a little about mold. Mold is another word for fungi whose bodies gather and congeal together to form cottony vegetative bodies. Not all mold is cottony, however. Types of slimy mold are more like amoeba than their cottony cousins and leave a moister, slicker mass on the molded surface. However when it comes to bread, you will most always see the drier, threadlike mold. Mold commonly grows on bread faster in warm, dark, moist conditions. However, mold can grow in light, and some molds can even grow on frozen foods. Molds grow in varying conditions, at varying speeds, in every color you can think of. Not just a disgusting addition to old food, mold can be beneficial in many ways. One of the most common ways mold is used positively is to make antibiotics such as penicillin. In 1928, Alexander Fleming accidentally discovered penicillin when he found mold growing on a discarded petri dish. The mold itself was not the miracle. Fleming discovered that the mold that had grown had killed the Staphylococcus aureus that he'd been growing in that particular petri dish. The rest is history! Now that you know a little more about bread mold, you can use the ideas below to help you find potential bread mold science fair projects. Does sodium have an effect on the growth of bread mold? How and why does mold form on bread? Is bread mold harmful to the human body if consumed? Why? What are the optimal conditions for growing bread mold? Why? Does light have an effect on the growth of bread mold? If so, what kind? Do certain types of breads mold faster than others? How to grow bread mold... Take a cotton swab and collect some dust. Wipe the dust over the bread slices you want to experiment with. Place them in a bag with a few drops of water and seal the bag so the slices don't dry out. Now you know a little more about bread mold and the types of experiments you can do. You may have an idea of what you would like to try as a project. Simply by asking questions about things that interest you, you can come up with great bread mold science fair projects that can be fun to do! Doug Nicholson is a nuclear engineering technician, science hobbyist, and amateur inventor. Visit his site http://www.science-projects-resources.com for lots more Science Fair Projects ideas and articles. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Doug_Nicholson