Activities | Science Buddies Blog (Page 20)

Pinwheel Science: Weekly Science Activity

May 15, 2014 12:00 PM

In this week's spotlight: an energy-focused family science experiment that explores the relationship between the potential power of a wind turbine and the source and location of the wind. Using a pinwheel, students create their own horizontal-axis wind turbine and experiment to see how the pinwheel spins when the wind comes at it from different directions—and how this translates into how much weight the wind turbine can lift. A pinwheel is a simple example of a wind turbine, but with… Read more

Bath Bombs Chemistry: Family Science Activity Spotlight

May 8, 2014 9:10 AM

In this week's spotlight: a family science experiment that promises fizzy fun in the tub (or in a big bucket of hot water). Bath bombs are easy to make at home. You can mix up your own using your choice of additives with the core ingredients. But what makes a bath bomb "fizz" when it hits the water? In this science activity, students experiment with the recipe for making a bath bomb and investigate the role of corn starch and citric acid in the process. What is the… Read more

Ball Dribbling Science: Weekly Science Project Idea and Home Science Activity Spotlight

May 1, 2014 10:00 AM

In this week's spotlight: a sports science that looks at the physics of what is going on when you dribble a basketball. After you push the ball to the floor, the ball meets the floor or court and then returns, but it doesn't necessarily return to the same height. What does the surface of the floor have to do with how a ball bounces when dribbled, how much effort a player has to use to keep the ball dribbling uniformly, and what is going on with the energy of the ball in motion? Put it to… Read more

Ice Cream Science: Weekly Science Project Idea and Home Science Activity Spotlight

April 25, 2014 10:00 AM

In this week's spotlight: a food science family science experiment and independent student science fair project that takes a deeper look at the chilly process of making ice cream. You can make your own ice cream using one of a variety of shaking or rolling processes, including using a baggy to hold the ingredients! How does adding salt to the ice mixture used to freeze the ingredients affect the process? Make your own ice cream to find out! Chemistry of Ice-Cream Making: Lowering the… Read more

Strength of an Egg: Weekly Science Project Idea and Home Science Activity Spotlight

April 17, 2014 9:00 AM

In this week's spotlight: a materials science family experiment and science fair project that asks you to rethink what you know about eggs. Are they fragile? Or are they strong? If you've ever accidentally stuck your finger through one in the kitchen, you may think you know the answer! But the shape of an egg can support a surprising amount of mass. It is a shape, in fact, that can be found in architecture. How much mass can eggshells hold? Put it to the test with a… Read more

Floating Eggs: Weekly Science Project Idea and Home Science Activity Spotlight

April 10, 2014 9:35 AM

In this week's spotlight: an ocean sciences family experiment and science fair project. Some things float in water and some do not. Knowing the density of the object and the density of the water helps explain what is going on, and you can observe and talk about the buoyancy of an object. But adding salt can change what happens. Why? In this hands-on science experiment, you set up a series of dilutions to see at what point an egg goes from sinking to floating in salt water. How Salty… Read more

Musical Straws: Weekly Science Project Idea and Home Science Activity Spotlight

March 27, 2014 10:00 AM

In this week's spotlight: a music-themed family science experiment and science fair project. With a set of ordinary drinking straws, you can create a group straw "oboes." Can you play them? Sure! By blowing air through them, similar to the way you play a reed instrument, you can produce musical notes. At the end of the activity, you should have a set of straws, each of which will play a different note on a musical scale. What is the secret to changing the note each one plays? In this music… Read more

Home Sweet Bug Microenvironments: Weekly Science Project Idea and Home Science Activity Spotlight

March 20, 2014 9:00 AM

In this week's spotlight: a zoology family science experiment and science fair project that encourages families and students to observe pillbugs or sowbugs up close by creating cozy but different microenvironments and seeing which the bugs prefer. Although they are frequently found in the soil, pillbugs and sowbugs are not insects; instead, these bugs are crustaceans and breathe with gills.Will this have an affect on which microenvironment they choose? Put it to the test in this easy… Read more

Colorful Family Science for St. Patrick's Day

March 13, 2014 11:00 AM

What causes the food coloring to move through the milk? In this week's spotlight: a family science experiment that lets you and your children make a rainbow in keeping with St. Patrick's Day! What happens when you put drops of food coloring in milk? What happens when you add a bit of dishwashing liquid? Put it to the test in this science activity for a fun, colorful look at the role of a surfactant and how it changes the surface tension of a liquid. Family science… Read more

Carnival Game Science: Weekly Science Project Idea and Home Science Activity Spotlight

March 6, 2014 10:00 AM

In this week's spotlight: a mechanical engineering experiment and family science activity that takes a scientific look at why a popular carnival game may look easy to win but may, in fact, be really difficult. How does the distribution of mass in the way milk bottles (or plastic bottles of colored water!) are stacked affect how hard or easy it is to knock the bottles over? Put the question to the test with your own home version of a classic carnival game! Knock Your Blocks Off: The… Read more

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