ATOMIC SPECTACULAR
COMES TO GOONDIWINDI
23rd August 2025
Goondiwindi Cinema 3 pm Saturday 23rd August 2025
Adults $19 Children $12
Book now at the kiosk or online https://goondiwindicinema.com.au/
Special Offers for Families
See here for details.
Prepare for an adventure into the heart of science with Atomic Spectacular! This all-ages show combines jawdropping demonstrations with captivating storytelling to make science unforgettable. It showcases science's Biggest Ideas- from the tiny building blocks of matter to the vastness of the Universe- as the elements of the Periodic Table burst to life revealing their mind-blowing properties.
Witness a hydrogen balloon ignite in a spectacular explosion, or marvel at liquid nitrogen’s subzero magic. Feel the excitement as stage fog morphs into a toroidal vortex, then fired toward the audience for an interactive thrill bringing science to life!
Led by Ian Stuart, Atomic School’s founder and a celebrated science educator, this 60-minute show is perfect for families, students, and science enthusiasts.
Theme 1: Atoms
Your child will discover that just 92 different kinds of atoms make up their entire world These invisibly tiny particles, each with a one- or two-letter symbol and an Atomic Number indicating its place from lightest to heaviest, are the universe’s building blocks. Through engaging explanations and hands-on demos, the show will captivate kids from primary to secondary school.
Wonder at the Universe’s lightest atoms, hydrogen (Atomic Number 1) and helium (Atomic Number 2), formed in the first few minutes after the Big Bang, 13.8 billion years ago. In fact, their bodies (and yours) are made of the same hydrogen atoms that formed at that time, making them (and you) as old as the Universe itself. This show is teeming with ideas and demonstrations that will leave a lasting impression.
Just over a hundred years ago, scientists discovered that atoms were themselves made of smaller particles called protons, electrons and neutrons. When they figured out how to count the protons, they discovered that their number was the same as the Atomic Number of the atom. Wow!
Theme 2: Elements
Discover the elements—substances made of only one type of atom. An example is a lump of shiny gold which is made of only gold atoms.
However, normally, things are made of more than one kind, like water, H2O.
Imagine splitting water into its atoms: you’d get the element hydrogen, which ignites explosively, and another oxygen, which makes glowing splints burst into flame. Our thrilling live demonstrations will showcase these dramatic properties, captivating your kids with the raw power of these elements.
Theme 3: Metals and Nonmetals
Learn the key distinction between metals and nonmetals. Metals, like the shiny aluminium in alfoil, can carry electricity, while nonmetals, like oxygen, do cannot. Your child will see this in action through an electric circuit test! The first two elements are nonmetals, hydrogen and helium, which jump dramatically to metals lithium and beryllium.
Metals conduct electricity
Then the elements trend back to nonmetals until neon, followed by another dramatic jump to metals sodium, magnesium, and aluminium. The elements again trend back to nonmetal until argon, before jumping again to metal potassium. This metal-nonmetal cycle repeats seven times across the list of 92 elements, each forming seven repeating segments.
Theme 4: The Periodic Table
Another word for ‘repeating’ is ‘periodic’ so scientists stacked the seven repeating rows on top of each other and called it the Periodic Table. The table cleverly groups similar elements in columns, revealing trends that make science logical and exciting. Through vibrant visuals and thrilling demos, your kids will explore this elegant structure, sparking a love for science.
Your kids will explore this structure, seeing how it connects each group of elements’ behaviours, from their physical and chemical properties to their roles in nature, fostering a deeper understanding of chemistry’s elegance.
Theme 5: Light Spectra
Witness the wonder of white light consisting of all the colours of the rainbow ROYGBIV. We can see this when we pass white light through a prism which 'splits' the light into its separate colours, making a continuous spectrum. However, light from a single kind of atom (an element) consists of just a few colours that are unique to it. This combination of colours is like its 'fingerprint' and is called its 'line spectrum'.
The distinctive green colour of the Aurora Australis is caused by of oxygen atoms in the atmosphere emitting light after being hit by the solar wind (protons) from the sun. The purple light, on the other hand, come from nitrogen atoms. This means we can identify which atom is it from its light spectrum allowing scientists to identify atoms in distant stars
In the show you will look through a diffraction grating which also splits the spectrum into its various colours. Be amazed!
Parents, You're Invited
What better way for parents to support their child's learning than to join them? You might even have some "ah ha" moments when you remember long-lost science concepts, or discover new ones that blow your mind. Some parents get as much out of it as their kids.
Special Offers
Adult $19
Child (under 12) $12
2 or more Children $10 each
1 Adult + 1 Child $22
1 Adult + 2 Children $28
1 Adult + 3 Children $35
Goondiwindi Cinema 3 pm Saturday 23rd August 2025
Book now at the kiosk or online https://goondiwindicinema.com.au/
Our workshops are run by knowledgeable and experienced science communicator, Ian Stuart, who are skilled in making advanced concepts easy to understand to kids (and adults) Our expert instruction builds understanding of fundamental science concepts. This is reinforced by carefully designed hands-on activities that reinforce their understanding. Finally, we do fun and spectacular demonstrations that have that WOW factor which kids will remember and talk about with their friends.
