This activity invites K–5 students, in both English and Spanish, to explore the phenomena of rolling objects down a ramp and investigate the question, “What happens to a roller when you change the ...

One of our light sources in action during a Light Play experience. I think it’s great to think so deeply about the things that we use in our tinkering activities however, the specificity of what we ...

Iron filings trace out the lines of a magnetic field in three dimensions. Iron filings will line up parallel to a magnetic field, making the pattern of the field visible. This is a simple Snack to ...

Polarizing sunglasses cut road glare better in some positions than in others. When light reflects from water, asphalt, or other nonmetallic surfaces, it becomes polarized—that is, the reflected light ...

Make the turntable: Slide the pencil through the center hole of the record so the tip extends an inch or so (a few cm) beyond the other side. A ngle the pencil so it is perpendicular to the record, ...

Make a simple mini-motor. Give the coil a spin to start it turning. If it doesn’t keep spinning on its own, check to make sure that the coil assembly is well balanced when spinning, that the enamel ...

Dark-colored materials both absorb and emit energy more readily than light-colored materials. Using a card or strip made of temperature-sensitive liquid crystal material, you can monitor temperature ...

When we think about objects that respond to magnets, fruit usually doesn't come to mind. Watch a rare-earth magnet repel a grape and discover different kinds of magnetism. A note on magnets: Only ...

Current flowing through a wire heats the wire. The length of a wire affects its resistance, which determines how much current flows in the wire and how hot the wire gets. Note: Electricity can really ...

You’ve probably seen an ice skater spinning on the tip of one skate suddenly start to spin dramatically faster. A diver or gymnast may also suddenly flip or twist much faster. This speeded-up rotation ...

The art of natural dyeing utilizes dyes and substrates that are both derived from plant or animal sources. Dyes are typically organic compounds that contain double bonds where electrons can be ...

The distribution of the mass of an object determines the position of its center of gravity, its angular momentum, and your ability to balance it. Place a lump of clay about the size of your fist ...