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Spicy Riddles (Smart Spice Essential Oil & Aroma Tester)

Source: Stemoto Original

Identify Indian spices (Cardamom, Clove, Turmeric, Cumin, Black Pepper) using an NFC spice card reader. Test clove oil (Eugenol) antibacterial properties and extract spice aroma using steam distillation.

Categorisation

Stage 2: Builder (8-10)Pattern Recognition & Data AnalysisTabletop & Physical PropsSTEM Experiment

Props & Materials Required

  • Spice samples (Clove, Cardamom, Turmeric, Black Pepper, Cumin)
  • Mini steam distillation extraction kit / glass flask
  • PN532 NFC reader + NFC spice cards
  • ESP32 controller board
  • 0.96-inch OLED display screen
  • DFPlayer Mini MP3 module + 3W speaker

Step-by-Step Instructions

1

Solve Spice Riddle

Speaker: 'I look like a nail, but I soothe toothaches! What am I?'

2

Tap Clove NFC Card

Child picks Clove and taps NFC card. Speaker: 'CORRECT! CLOVE! Contains Eugenol oil which deadens tooth pain!'

3

Steam Distillation Demonstration

Heat crushed cloves in water flask. Steam carries essential oil vapor into condenser tube.

4

Collect Clove Oil Drops

Observe golden clove essential oil floating on distilled water droplets in collection vial!

Why It Works & Notes

Spicy Riddles explores Indian spices, their medicinal properties, and culinary uses. Extracting clove oil (eugenol) via steam distillation shows how spices are processed into medicines and perfumes.

Parent Note:

Looking Around Chapter 24: Spicy Riddles | STEM Tech: Essential Oil Steam Distillation & Phytochemical NFC Identification — ayurvedic medicine extraction plants.