Steve Spangler is honored to have been chosen as the 2008 National Spokesperson for the 4-H Youth Science Day.  Together with his experiment-ologists, the Spangler Science team developed this experiment just for the 2008 4-H National Science Experiment!

Water is everywhere – in the sky, in the ground, and in our homes. However, caring for this vital resource is often a challenge for each of us. Conservation means using water wisely. Protecting our groundwater is important because it is a source for drinking and irrigation. Consequently, scientists and engineers have developed amazing, superabsorbent polymers, called hydrogels, that can help.

In this series of investigations, you will start by looking for a particular polymer at work. Once you discover what this type of polymer can do, you will experiment with other uses for the same polymer. A final step can be taken to consider solutions for water conservation and groundwater contamination. Consult our safety section for additional information.