Science Buddies Blog (5 results)

Explore the process of distillation with a kitchen chemistry activity using fruit juice. What role does boiling the juice play in the process? Mixing water (a solvent) and sugar (a solute) together will give you a solution, a homogenous mixture in which the solute has completely dissolved. You can reverse the process and separate the solution back into its parts using distillation. (Note: there are some solutions for which distillation does not work!) In this week's… Read more

With the Electrolyte Challenge science kit and project, students analyze the electrolytes in various sports drinks and juices. How does simple orange juice stand up to the electrolyte boost in sports drinks? With its combination of electronics and chemistry, the Electrolyte Challenge is a popular student science project at Science Buddies. Using a simple circuit and a sensor made from a straw and a bit of bare wire, students can investigate the… Read more

Explore the physics behind a catapult with a simple DIY catapult at home. Catapults have been used throughout history as a way to launch something from point A to point B, sometimes over castle walls and sometimes into things. Experimenting with a catapult and launching objects at a target can be fun for families or classes, and a catapult activity invites discussion of both the physics and math at work in the way a catapult operates and in how… Read more

Score extra points with student sports fans with four football-focused science projects. Explore the role of "distance" in kicking a field goal. Diagram of a catapult launching a toy football through a cardboard goalpost. Diagram includes the catapult clamped to a table with football, kicking tee, cardboard box, floor, and cardboard goalposts. Super Bowl Sunday is coming up! The science behind perfect spirals and successful field goals is… Read more

Explore the science behind a carbon filter with a fun hands-on family STEM activity. Now you see the color... and now you don't! Water filters that use activated carbon can help "clean" water. You might be able to see the difference the filter makes, but not always. In this week's family science activity, families can explore the way these filters work with a colorful hands-on project that makes stripping the color from a sports drink or colored soda… Read more