Science Buddies Blog (Page 58)

Popsicle Trusses

July 14, 2015 4:19 PM

Does the shape beams make when they come together make a difference in their strength? Beams in civil engineering have an important role to play in ensuring a building or bridge stands up, supports the weight it should, and doesn't bend or collapse under normal use. In this week's family science project, students and families use popsicle sticks and binder clips to investigate the relationship between the shape of trusses in a building and their strength. Popsicle Stick Trusses:… Read more

Historic New Horizons Flyby of Pluto

July 14, 2015 8:33 AM

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, launched in 2006, made astronomy history today as it flew by Pluto, camera at the ready—and scientists around the world watching and waiting for early pictures of the dwarf planet and its moons. Photo: Pluto. NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute After nine years in space and having traveled more than three billion miles, New Horizons is the first spacecraft from Earth to reach Pluto. Its historic… Read more

Make a Microscope from your Cell Phone

July 13, 2015 1:35 PM

Is there a cast-off cell phone in a drawer somewhere in your house? If so, you might be able to give it new life by turning it into a handheld microscope. For inspiration, see Cellphone Microscope, part of a pair of Science-hack Your Phone posts for student science exploration. For full DIY science project details, see Picture This: Building a Cell Phone Microscope. Science, technology, engineering, and math doesn't always happen in a lab! See how you can innovate functional… Read more

Sale in the Science Buddies Store!

July 10, 2015 1:00 AM

Are you looking for fun science projects to do this summer? Science kits from the Science Buddies Store bring all the specialty items you need to your door in one convenient box. Take 25% off in the Science Buddies Store now through July 15, 2015. The time to bring science home has never been better! Check out some of our top picks for summer science exploration: Squishy Circuits Kit (see it in action) Bristlebot Kit (see it in action) Spherification Kit (see it in action) Magic… Read more

Whirly Bird Aerodynamics

July 9, 2015 12:00 PM

How does a helicopter stay in the air? In this week's aerodynamics-themed family science activity, students can learn more about helicopters by making and testing simple miniature paper helicopters or whirly birds. Paper whirly birds don't have any mechanical parts, but their structure helps kids better understand how the blades on a helicopter function. What do principles of lift and drag have to do with the spinning of a helicopter's blades? What happens if you add… Read more

Fun Frisbee Science

July 8, 2015 7:00 AM

Test different throwing techniques or compare different types of Frisbees and learn more about aerodynamics and physics at the same time. Ready, set, throw! With the right mindset—or source of inspiration—you can find ways to easily tie science into many of your family's activities and hobbies, and the things you do with your kids for fun can be a fulcrum for science-themed family conversation. Your kids don't even have to realize you are turning a routine together-time… Read more

Explore Magnification with a Drop of Water: Weekly Science Spotlight

July 2, 2015 9:00 AM

What happens when you look through water at something below it? Does the object (or image) appear larger? Does it appear smaller? How much larger or smaller? It may depend on the shape of the water. Viewing something through a drop of water may make the object or image appear larger. Viewing through a layer of water in a container like a cup, on the other hand, may have a different effect because the curvature of the water is different. (The size of the drop of water may also make a… Read more

Measuring Surface Tension with a Penny: Weekly Science Spotlight

June 29, 2015 8:00 AM

What makes drops of water on a penny appear to pool together on the top of the penny as a large drop rather than run over the sides? Attraction of the water molecules holds the surface of the water together until the amount of water is too great and spills over the edge. This attraction results in surface tension—something we can see visually in the way the droplet may seem to hold together as a jiggly whole rather than flowing freely over the edges of a surface. You can see surface… Read more

Nick and Tesla Build a Gadget Glove: Science Reading

June 26, 2015 8:00 AM

Book four in the Nick and Tesla series lands the twins in a museum mystery. To get to the bottom of the plot and save an exhibit of animatronic scientists and inventors, the kids build a clever gadget glove that introduces readers to a set of fun DIY wearable electronics projects! We are big fans of the Nick and Tesla series, and with book four, Nick and Tesla's Super-Cyborg Gadget Glove: A Mystery with a Blinking, Beeping, Voice-Recording Gadget Glove You Can Build Yourself … Read more

Splitting Ink: Marker Chromatography

June 25, 2015 8:00 AM

Use paper chromatography to explore the colors used to make different colors of marker ink! What color dyes are in your favorite marker ink? Try paper chromatography to find out! What color dye molecules are combined to make your favorite marker color? From creating with paint or colored pencils, you probably know that mixing certain colors makes predictable colors. Blue and red makes purple, for example. But what color molecules are used in a purple… Read more

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