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Physics

Science activity to investigate the color of water
A Splash of Color
Is pure water colorless?
Science activity that demonstrates the afterimage phenomenon
Afterimage
A flash of light prints a lingering image in your eye.
Science activity that demonstrates the chemistry of batteries
Aluminum-Air Battery
Foiled again!
Anti-Gravity Mirror
Learn how to fly with this neat mirror trick.
Science activity that explores how waves travel and interact
Anti-Sound Spring
Send waves down a spring to watch them travel and interact.
Science activity that demonstrates the angle of repose
Avalanche
Find order in well-mixed chaos.
Science activity using a balancing ball to demonstrate the Bernoulli principle
Balancing Ball
Suspend a ball in a stream of air.
Science activity demonstrating balance and the center of gravity
Balancing Stick
Does it matter which end is up?
Science activity to create a toy that sounds like a swarm of buzzing bees
Bee Hummer
Make a stick, rubber band, and index card sound like a swarm of bees.
Science activity demonstrating the Bernoulli principle
Bernoulli Levitator
Suspend an object in the air by blowing down on it.
Science activity demonstrating angular momentum
Bicycle Wheel Gyro
A bicycle wheel acts like a giant gyroscope.
Science activity demonstrating color afterimage phenomenon
Bird in a Cage
Stare at one color—but see another.
Science activity demonstrating the phenomenon of light scattering
Blue Sky
Discover why the sky is blue and the sunset is red.
Science activity demonstrating light polarization and stress patterns
Bone Stress
Polarized light reveals stress patterns in clear plastic.
Science activity that experiments with rocket designs and a PVC launcher
Bottle Blast Off
Ready for liftoff? Build your own rocket launcher!
Science activity to build a rubber-band-powered rolling plastic water bottle
Bottle Racer
Here’s a new “spin” on an old toy.
Science activity that demonstrates how some light sources flash on and off many times a second
Bronx-Cheer Bulb
Give a light source the raspberry and watch it wiggle—but the only thing wiggling is you.
Science activity demonstrating the physics of bubbles
Bubble Tray
Create giant bubbles!
Science activity investigating spectroscopy
CD Spectroscope
Make a truth teller for light.
Science activity that demonstrates center of gravity
Center of Gravity
Balance a checkbook using the physics method.
Science activity that demonstrates electrostatic charge
Charge and Carry
Store up an electric charge, then make sparks.
Science activity that demonstrates a magnetic field created by electromagnet
Circles of Magnetism
Make a magnetic field that's stronger than Earth's.
Science activity that demonstrates the dominant eye phenomena
Circles or Ovals?
Your brain combines information from your eyes in surprising ways.
Science activity that explores series and parallel circuits
Circuit Workbench
Circuits so interesting you can’t possibly get board.
Science activity to build a musical instrument that uses vibrations
Coffee-Can Cuíca
Make a homemade version of a traditional instrument.
Science activity that demonstrates temperature perception
Cold Metal
"Cold" metal and "warm" wood may be the same temperature.
Science activity that demonstrates effect of color filters on perception
Color Table
Color your perception.
Science activity that demonstrates perception of additive color mixtures
Colored Shadows
Not all shadows are black.
Science activity that demonstrates fluid pressure and buoyancy
Condiment Diver
To paraphrase French philosopher René Descartes: "I sink, therefore I am."
Science activity that demonstrates conductivity of solutions
Conductivity Meter
Let your electrolytes shine.
Science activity that demonstrates convection
Convection Currents
Make your own heat waves in an aquarium.
Science activity that demontrates the movement of a fluid undergoing convection
Convection Detection
Create a convection cell inside a CD case.
Science activity that demonstrates the effect of air density on sound
Conversation Piece
A balloon acts as a lens to focus sound.
Science activity that demonstrates effect of temperature on density
Cool Hot Rod
Objects change size when heated or cooled.
Science activity demonstrating paths of light reflection
Corner Reflector
See yourself as others see you.
Science activity that demonstrates resonance in a pendulum
Coupled Resonant Pendulums
These pendulums trade swings back and forth.
Science activity that demonstrates resonance in pendulums
Coupled Resonant Pendulums 2
Take advantage of resonance.
Science activity that demonstrates the critical angle phenomenon
Critical Angle
Discover why your favorite cat videos don't leak out of optical fibers.
Science activity that uses a coil of wire, a paper cup and a magnet to create a radio speaker
Cup Speaker
Make a speaker that turns changing electric current into sound.
Science activity that demonstrates the Curie point phenomenon
Curie Point
When a piece of iron gets too hot, it loses its attraction to a magnet.
Science activity to demonstrate the Magnus effect by launching cups with rubber bands
Curveball Demonstrator
Give flight a spin with the Magnus effect.
Cylindrical Mirror
See yourself as others see you in this cylindrical mirror.
Science activity to explore underwater color perception
Deep Blue
Underwater, what you see is not what you get.
Science activity that demonstrates diffraction using a candle or flashlight bulb and two pencils
Diffraction
Light can bend around edges.
Science activity that demonstrates a heat engine
Dipping Bird
A dipping bird seems to go forever—but it's not perpetual motion.
Science activity that demonstrates the index of refraction
Disappearing Glass Rods
You can make glass objects disappear.
Science activity that demonstrates neuroplasticity
Distortion Goggles
Retrain your brain.
Science activity that demonstrates the Doppler effect
Doppler Effect
The Doppler effect causes the “neeeeeoowwm” sound of a speeding car passing by.
Science activity that demonstrates linear and rotational kinetic energy
Downhill Race
Two cylinders that look the same may roll down a hill at different rates.
Science activity that uses a pendulum and a marker to create beautiful designs
Drawing Board
A pendulum moving in two directions creates beautiful designs.
Science activity that demonstrates reflections in a kaleidoscope
Duck Into Kaleidoscope
Make multiple images of yourself.
Science activity that demonstrates the eddy current phenomenon
Eddy Currents
A magnet falls more slowly through a metallic tube than it does through a nonmetallic tube.
Science activity that models the motion of electrons
Electric Current Model
Use magnets to model the motion of electrons.
Science activity demonstrating static electricity
Electrical Fleas
Start your own electric flea circus.
Science activity to change the measured weight of an object without touching it
Electromagnetic Antigravity
Change the measured weight of an object—without touching it.
Science activity detecting electric charge
Electroscope
What's your (electrical) sign?
Everyone Is You and Me
Falling Feather
Prove to yourself that Galileo was right.
Science activity that demonstrates calculating the acceleration of gravity using simple materials
Falling for Gravity
“g,” that’s interesting!
Science activity creating music with gravity
Falling Rhythm
Listen to the rhythm of falling weights.
Science activity that demonstrates action-reaction pairs described in Newton’s Third Law
Fan Cart
Can a fan save your sailboat from the doldrums?
Science activity demonstrating how changes in atmospheric pressure feel
Feeling Pressured
Get into air pressure—literally.
Science activity that demonstrates levitation with electrostatics
Flying Tinsel
Hone your electrostatic levitation skills and fly some tinsel.
Science activity that demonstrates the kinetic behavior of gas
Gas Model
Caged molecules do their thing.
Science activity that explores the properties of gases and the anatomy of an egg
Gassy Eggs
Eggsplore gas properties while making a Snack.
Science activity that demonstrates how geysers work
Geyser
Just spew it—build your own cyclic hot water fountain.
Science activity that demonstrates an image formed by a lens
Giant Lens
A lens creates an image that hangs in midair.
Giant Sieve Sorter
Boundaries are the gift that keeps on sifting.
Science activity that explores heat absorption by different-colored materials
Give and Take
Dark-colored materials both absorb and emit energy more readily than light-colored materials.
Science activity that demonstrates luminescence and flourescence
Glow Up
You light up my life.
Science activity that demonstrates light scattering in the atmosphere
Glue-Stick Sunset
Why is the sky blue? That's a sticky question.
Science activity that demonstrates lateral inhibition in perception of boundaries
Gray Step
Without a boundary, it’s hard to distinguish different shades of gray.
Science and engineering activity to make a record player
Groovy Sounds
Build a paper-pencil-pin phonograph.
Science activity that demonstrates charge in a battery
Hand Battery
Your skin and two different metals create a battery.
Science activity that shows the effect of temperature on pressure
Hand-Held Heat Engine
Make the liquid in this toy rise and fall in a cycle.
Science activity that uses electricity to break water into its elemental components
Having a Gas with Water
Use electricity to break water into its elemental components.
Science activity to play music by wrapping a string around your head
Head Harp
Learn a little string theory.
Science activity that demonstrates static electricity
Holding Charge
Make it stick with static.
Science activity that demonstrates an optical illusion
Hole in Your Hand
What happened to your whole hand?
Science activity that explores infrared radiation through a parabolic mirror
Hot Spot
Focus the invisible light from an electric heater.
Science activity that examines fluid pressure, force, mechanical work, and biomechanics
Hydraulic Arm
You’ll feel the pressure to do some heavy lifting.
Science activity to explore hydraulics with a pair of dueling syringes
Hydraulic Battle
Plunge into hydraulics with a pair of dueling syringes.
Science activity demonstrating electrolysis of water
Indicating Electrolysis
Breaking up (water) isn't hard to do.
Science activity to investigate infrared electromagnetic radiation
Infrared Remote
Science activity that explores the relationship between light, area, and distance
Inverse-Square Law
Why the world gets dark so fast outside the circle of the campfire.
Science activity to investigate convection
Inverted Bottles
Watch the rise and fall of hot and cold fluids.
Science activity that demonstrates differences in density
Klutz-Proof Density Column
Gravity doesn’t care if you trip.
Science activity that uses gelatin to demonstrate behavior of filters and lenses
Laser Jello
Gelatin can do much more than just wiggle and jiggle.
Science activity to investigate patterns in laser light
Laser Speckle
Test your vision—just by moving your head.
Science activity that demonstrates lateral inhibition in visual perception
Lateral Inhibition
Which is in control, your eye or your brain?
Science activity that uses a spectroscope to explore white light through leaf material
Leaf Filter
Even plants have their favorite colors.
Science activity that explores the behavior of common night-lights controlled by photocell sensors
Light Conversation
The talk is simple, but illuminating.
Science activity that demonstrates a simple wind generator
Light Wind
Build a simple wind generator.
Science activity that investigates reflections
Look into Infinity
Images of images of images can repeat forever.
Science activity that investigates the perception of projected moving images
Magic Wand
See pictures in thin air.
Science activity using levitating magnets to model Earth’s atmosphere
Magnetic Atmosphere Model
Levitating magnets show how Earth’s atmosphere stacks up.
Science activity to model how the arrangement of domains in a magnet affects its overall strength
Magnetic Chains
For magnets, strength isn’t necessarily in numbers.
Science activity that demonstrates magnetic and gravitational forces
Magnetic Free Fall
The parts just snap together.
Science activity that demonstrates diamagnetism
Magnetic Fruit
Push me a grape.
A science activity that makes the patterns of a magnetic field visible
Magnetic Lines of Force
Iron filings trace out the lines of a magnetic field in three dimensions.
Science activity that shows how electricity and magnetism interact
Magnetic Pendulums
Copper coils become electromagnetic swings.
Science activity that explores magnetic lines of force
Magnetic Shielding
Magnetic lines stop here.
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Attribution: Exploratorium Teacher Institute