Search Results
Showing results (1 to 10 of 10)
How Thick is Your Hair?
American Physical SocietyAdd to list DetailsIn this activity on page 13 of the PDF, learners use a laser pointer (with known wavelength of light) to measure the thickness of a human hair. By shining the laser on a hair, analyzing the...
Our Sense of Sight: Color Vision
University of WashingtonAdd to list DetailsIn this activity, learners investigate color vision as well as plan and conduct their own experiments. In "CLASS EXPERIMENT," learners discover that afterimages occur because of...
Watch It Fly
American Physical SocietyAdd to list DetailsLearners observe projectile motion by launching wooden balls off of a table top. They set up a rubber-band launcher so that each ball experiences a consistent amount of force. Learners vary the...
Cardboard Opaque Projector
Community Science Workshop NetworkAdd to list DetailsIn this activity, learners construct a projector out of cardboard to view their favorite images (such as storybook illustrations) on the wall. Use this activity to introduce learners to concepts...
Glow in the Dark
American Physical SocietyAdd to list DetailsLearners experiment to see which colors of light will cause a phosphorescent (glow-in-the-dark) material to glow. Different colors of light have different wavelengths, and different amounts of...
Light and Dark
American Physical SocietyAdd to list DetailsLearners examine the properties of light by experimenting with an LED-flashlight and polarizing filters. When two polarizers are used, they block all light when they are placed at right angles....
Spots, Lines and Lasers
American Physical SocietyAdd to list DetailsLearners shine the light of a laser pointer through sheets of fabric that all have a different number of threads per inch. By looking at the patterns created, learners calculate the wavelength of...
Swinging Yo-Yo
American Physical SocietyAdd to list DetailsLearners build a pendulum from a yo-yo, and then design their own experiment to determine what affects the pendulum's period of swing. They can alter the mass of the yo-yo by adding play dough...
Doughy Physics
American Physical SocietyAdd to list DetailsLearners drop two different masses of play dough and observe how long it takes them to hit the ground. Learners also drop two pieces of paper of the same material and size, one crumpled and one...
Twist & Shout
American Physical SocietyAdd to list DetailsLearners examine what happens when a tube spins in two directions at once. They push on a cardboard tube causing it to spin along its length while at the same time turning from end-to-end. Markings...