An Eye on Radiation and Radioactive Decay
Building and using a cloud chamber
Two new
physics
Project Ideas help students investigate background radiation and
radioactive particles, particles that are too small to reflect
light and too small to see.
The
"Particles in the Mist: See Radioactive Particles Decay with Your Own Cloud Chamber!"
Project Idea guides students in isolating a safe radioactive source and
building and using a cloud chamber to observe the process of
radioactive decay. As particles move through the chamber, they leave a
trail of ions in their wake, a trail students can observe, chart, and
test. One of the radioactive sources that may be used in this experiment
involves dismantling an
ionizing smoke detector.
Support for these Project Ideas was provided by PG&E.
Arduino: Giving New Life to Robotics Explorations
Putting 'Brains' Behind Your Inventions
For students interested in robotics and
computer programming, Arduino may open up exciting new terrain--in a
small and accessible form factor. Using solderless breadboard
techniques, the open source microprocessor can be used to control
switches and LEDs in engineering and robotics projects. Science Buddies'
new
"Getting Started with Arduino" resource helps students take first steps with Arduino, from buying parts to testing the
Blink program (or "sketch").
Students ready for an advanced engineering design or robotics
project might use Arduino to create innovative solutions to the
challenges in these abbreviated Project Ideas:
Science Buddies resources for Robotics are sponsored by
Northrop Grumman and Symantec Corporation.
Real-world Science Connections
"Blasting" Flu Statistics
This year's flu season is proving to be a bad one, epidemic in some
areas. Using an online bioinformatics tool, students can analyze flu
data to see how effective the flu vaccine is compared to the strains of
flu circulating this year.
(Continue reading "BLASTing Flu Season Frenzy.")
Science Buddies' Project Ideas in Medical Biotechnology are sponsored by the Amgen Foundation.
Wintering ButterfliesParts
of California play host each year to migrating masses of monarch
butterflies that pass a number of months in protected groves before
returning to milkweed breeding grounds. Students intrigued by the
monarchs' annual movement can explore similar science in projects
related to bird migration, food sources, and habitat changes.
(Continue reading "Yearly Migration of the Monarchs.")
The following Project Ideas were recently added to the