Drink from a straw. Make a whirlpool in a swimming pool. Turn on a light. Spin a top. Physics is the most basic science - the study of things like gravity, motion, matter, energy and machines. This page will provide a list of projects for exploring physics and related sciences.
- Create a drawing or model showing the structure of an atom. Did you know that atoms bond to each other? Electrons from one atom hop into the orbit of a neighboring atom, creating a bond.
- Use water experiments to demonstrate that water molecules form bonds... also known as surface tension.
- How many drops of water can you put on top of a coin?
- Can you fill a glass with water over the top without spilling?
- Can you create a siphon that empties water from a container of water?
- Can you create a motor for a toy boat out of soap? (1)
- Make an electrical circuit. Test different materials to see if they will conduct electricity ... a paper clip, aluminum foil, paper, rubber, plastic, etc.
- Create an electromagnet. (2)
- Use an electromagnet or regular magnet in a simple invention (a door latch? a lift for a crane?)
- Create an experiment that tests to see whether light or heavy objects fall more quickly. (Hint: have the objects go down a ramp.)
- Create an experiment that shows that friction causes objects to go more slowly down a ramp.
- Use a building set to create an invention that uses pulleys or gears.
- Filtering experiment: Dissolve some Play-Doh(TM) in warm water in a 2-liter soda bottle. Experiment with different filtering systems to see if you can filter the Play-Doh out of the water. Tape paper coffee filters loosely over several different clear plastic or glass containers. Put dirt in one filter; oatmeal in another; sand in another; soap flakes in another. Pour the mixture through and see which filters work best. (By Mary L.)
(1) Soap motor. Put clean water in the sink or in a bowl. Make a boat out of paper or wood and drop it into the water. The boat won't move very much. Remove the boat and put a small piece of soap onto the back of the boat. Drop the boat into the water again and watch it go! (Why: the soap breaks the surface tension of the water.)
(2) Electromagnet. Wrap plastic-coated wire around a nail about 15-20 times. Connect the ends of the wire to a battery. The nail becomes an electromagnet ... try it! (Why: the electrical current from the battery gets the electons in the nail moving, creating a magnet.)
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