In ancient Egypt, the temple priests had to perform religious rituals at certain times of the day, so accurate timekeeping was necessary. Sundials kept track of time during daylight hours and as long as the sun was out. Because accurate timekeeping during the night was also a necessity, the Egyptians developed the water clock, called …
The education of children – from early childhood to Grade 12 needs to be nimble and adjust. The children of today will have a multitude of jobs and will learn to be “renaissance” people rather than the specialists of the current adult generations. They will also function in a new, better social system, hopefully free …
Robots come in all shapes and sizes. Some move on wheels, some walk on legs, some fly with wings, some are as big as a horse, and some can fit on your fingertip! Most of them are made of hard materials. So, what if we could build soft robots that bend, squirm, expand, and contract? …
Have you ever wondered why ice cubes in your cold drink become gradually smaller, or why their surface becomes smoother as they melt? Does ice always melt this way? To answer those questions, we will run the experiment below: Materials Water balloons Water Freezer Oven mitt Small plates Cup Table Salt Water dropper or syringe …
Study of state of matter: Colorful patterns in melting ice Read More »
Materials Two modeling balloons (These are the long, skinny kind used to make balloon animals, not the round kind.) Two straws Two large binder clips Paper towel tube Fishing line or string (A fishing line will generally work better because it has lower friction.) Scissors Clear or masking tape One other person to help set …
Materials Tongue depressors, at least 50. If these are not available, large somewhat flexible craft sticks are a good alternative. Avoid the thicker, more rigid popsicle sticks. Hard floor Markers, 4 different colors Glue Optional: video camera Prep Work Make a piece to start your chain by placing three tongue depressors parallel to …
Materials 6×15-mm DC motor with 1–mm shaft Mini plastic propeller for 1–mm motor shafts 2xAAA battery holder AAA batteries (2) Toothpicks (2) Plastic beads with hole diameters about the size of the toothpick (4) Cardstock Sandpaper Electrical tape Googly eyes or other decorations Scissors Wire strippers Needle nose pliers Hot glue gun Procedure Slide one …
Materials Neodymium magnets, also called rare earth magnets, 12 mm x 3 mm each (6 pack). Note: You can also use a single larger neodymium magnet instead of a stack of smaller magnets. Regular “refrigerator” magnets (or “ceramic”) magnets will not be strong enough for this project. Magnet wire (one spool of 30 gauge wire) Alligator clip leads (2 …
Kinetic or Magic sand is actually just regular sand, with one important ingredient added – silicone oil. Silicone is a term used to refer to a group of materials that contain the elements silicon and oxygen. Silicones are polymers, or molecules made up of long chains of repeated units. Silicones are used in everything from …
Making your own kinetic sand -The power of polymers Read More »
Solar ovens use solar energy — light and heat emitted from the sun — to cook food, pasteurize water, or even sterilize instruments. How does a solar oven work? The simple answer is that it is designed to absorb more heat than it releases. The solar oven you will build in this activity is a …
Building a pizza box solar oven to do smores this summer Read More »
