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Surprising Sculptures with Magnetic Magic
Get creative and learn the basics of magnetism at the same time with this fun blend of art & science!
Lenz's Law: Time Warp Tube
Watch the interplay of electricity and magnetism in action, with this see-thru version of a classic physics demonstration!
Wheels and Whirlwinds: the Coriolis Effect
Learn how this mysterious force works with a trip to the playground!
Physics at the Pool: Bubble Rings
Have some summer physics fun at the pool, and learn about buoyancy & vorticity in the process!
Paper Clip Heat
Learn about the structure of metals as you use a paper clip to turn mechanical work into heat!
Gravitational Wine Glass Lens
A simple home experiment can mimic the light-bending effects of dark matter
Where's the Air?
You can't see it, but you can feel it! Play with air and air pressure in this activity.
Physics at the Breakfast Table: Getting your Fill of Iron
How would you feel about having a bowl full of nails for breakfast? Okay, the shape might be a problem - so how about eating a bowl full of iron shavings? Believe it or not, some breakfast cereals contain actual iron shavings - on purpose!
Physics at Home: Creating a Paper Trebuchet
“Hey, can you pass me a paperclip?” "Why yes, I'll send one with my paper trebuchet."
Physics in the Sky: Physics on a Plane
This week we’re taking a break from being home and heading to the skies! Now that boring plane ride can be filled with physics!
Physics in the kitchen: Sink or Swim Soda
If you ever find yourself floating in the sea with only a can of diet soda and a can of regular soda, which one could be a floatation device.
Physics in a Glass: Reversing Arrows
It went that way…I mean that way? Which way does this arrow point? Using physics to give bad directions.
Physics Over the Sink: Water Glass Magic
Defying the laws of gravity? Drinking water upside down? This must be magic… or science!
Physics by the Fire: Match Stick Rocket
This experiment is "Outta this world!" Make your own rocket ship... for ants.
Physics in the kitchen: The Magical Can Crusher
It’s not The Force, but it is caused by a force. Try this simple experiment and watch a can magically crush before your eyes.
Physics by the Fridge: Zip Magnets
Almost as confusing as an on and off relationship, these flat refrigerator magnets alternate between attraction and repulsion, but only when pulled in the right direction. Give it a try and see if you can make these magnets zip.
Physics in the Tool Shed: Toolaballoonaphone
Take an exercise ball, some fish net and some old wrenches and presto! You’ve got a music machine.
Physics in the Nursery: Baby Oil and Water
Did you know that even in a baby’s room you can find physics? Crying babies and quiet places don’t always mix and neither do baby oil and water, two common things in a nursery. But why doesn’t oil mix with water? Try this fun experiment to explore what happens when water meets oil.
Physics in a Jar: Make Your Own Ferrofluid
Is it a miniature porcupine? No! It’s ferrofluid. Follow these simple instructions to make your own.
Balloon Lung
This isn’t the iron lung, or even a human lung, but did you know that every time you take a breath you have physics to thank for keeping you alive. That’s right! Physics is responsible for filling your lungs with air. Learn how your lungs work and make a model that is bound to amaze your friends and leave them…breathless.
Physics in a Water Bottle: Ketchup Commander
Get ready to amaze your friends with this one! They will watch in awe as you use magical powers (ahem, physics) to command a packet of ketchup to rise, sink, and levitate....and it obeys you.
Physics in Your Fish Tank: Swedish Fishing
Try this experiment if you want to spear some candy fish, if you can catch them.
Physics on the Kitchen Table: Base Isolated Buildings
Explore what happens to building during an earthquake.
Physics When It’s Cold Outside: Snowflake Symmetry
Bring the beauty of snow inside, while leaving the cold outside by creating paper snowflakes and exploring symmetry.
Physics on Your Christmas Tree: Lighting up with LEDs
In the season of lights, make your own glowing creations with LEDs.
Physics in Your Wallet: Move your Money Maker with Magnets
When payday rolls around and you're wondering what to do with your money, try this simple experiment and make your money move.
Physics at the Party: Dancing Lasers
Add some light to your night. Make your party one that your friends remember, let those lasers dance, using physics! Use this simple experiment to illustrate sound waves, vibration and reflection.
Physics in the Kitchen: The Dancing Ping Pong Ball
Amaze your friends with the dancing ping pong ball. It's not magic...It's science!
Physics in the Kitchen: The Musical Turkey Baster
In the kitchen there are plenty of gadgets that illustrate numerous laws and theories of physics, but none are music to my ears like the musical turkey baster.
Laser Jell-O
If you thought Jell-O only did funny things to your tummy then you need to see what it does to light! Come explore as light changes its path when it passes through Jell-O.
Rocket Balls: Conserving Energy But Creating Fun
Will a ball bounce higher than it was dropped? You might say no, but come take a journey and allow a bug to tell you otherwise.
Singing Rod
While everyone knows that the world needs more cowbell, it is a little known fact that an aluminum rod can sing to your heart’s content.
Physics on a Swinging Tray: Greek Waiters Tray
Did you forget to pay the gravity bill this month? That's what people will think when they see your Greek Waiter's Tray defy gravity.
Physics in a Toroidal Vortex: Air Cannon
You are about to build your very own toroidal vortex generator. This device will efficiently transport air across the room in a dazzling display of fluid dynamics.
Physics in the Sink: Balloon Pop, Or Not
Normally if you put a balloon over a flame, the balloon will pop, but what happens when you put a water balloon over a flame?
Physics at Mealtime: Capillary Action
This is a fun activity to try when you're waiting for the waiter to bring you your food, but consider yourself warned that not all people think it's appropriate to play with your straw at the dinner table.
Physics in your Glass: Racing Molecules
Have you ever come in from a day of sledding or ice skating and sat down for a drink of cold chocolate? Or had a glass of hot lemonade in the summer? Probably not. We use hot water for some things and cold water for others. Have you ever thought about what makes hot water hot and cold water cold?
Physics in a Bottle: Expanding Thermometers
Knowing the temperature outside is important if you live in Washington, DC; Chicago, IL; or one of the many other places where the temperature can change by 30 degrees from one day to the next. Want to make your own thermometer?
Physics in the Snow: Snowy Colors
Most people associate Ben Franklin with electricity, but his first recorded experiment was on something totally different – color and heat. You’ve probably noticed that you heat up faster in the sunlight if you’re wearing a dark shirt.
Physics in the Microwave: Microwave Soap
What did people do before microwaves? Imagine having to use the oven to heat up your leftover pizza or an air popper to make popcorn…and how else could you make these amazing soap sculptures?
Physics in the Toy Room: Toppling Towers
Most of us played with blocks during our childhood and could hold our own at tower-building, or at least tower-toppling. Even adults get into the game Jenga® – a game where players try to add to the height of a tower without making it fall. But, have you ever really paid attention to how towers fall?
Physics in the Living Room: Remote Control Tricks
Few things are as frustrating as searching through couch cushions for a lost remote just as your favorite reality show is starting. What would we do without remotes? In addition to being essential to our TV watching, they are a great way to explore light.
Physics in the Sink: Dancing Water
The kitchen sink is a good place to wash dishes, rinse out empty soup cans and soak crusty bowls, but it’s also a great place to investigate one of the coolest forces of nature – electrostatics.
Physics at Your Desk: Drumming Fingers
Most of us hear things all the time – the click of the keys on the keyboard, the notes to our favorite songs, cracks of thunder that accompany a storm…but how does sound travel?
Physics in the Bathroom: Ripping Neatly
Have you ever gone into a bathroom to find that a child (or pet) in the house unwound toilet paper all over the floor? Next time don't blame him or her – blame inertia!
