Physics Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 10)

Measuring Sugar Content of a Liquid with a Laser Pointer

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Did you know that you can figure out how much sugar is in a liquid without ever tasting it? In this science fair project, you will learn how to measure the concentration of sugar dissolved in a liquid by using a laser pointer, a hollow prism, and some physics. You will discover how refraction, or the bending of light, is the key to measuring the sugar content of a liquid with a laser pointer. Read more

Perfect Pitches with a Rubber Band Guitar

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th

We are surrounded by sounds every day, ranging from unpleasant ones like traffic noise to enjoyable ones like music or singing birds. What makes these sounds different? Why are some louder or higher pitched than others? In this lesson plan, your students will investigate how the properties of a sound wave, like frequency and amplitude, affect the sounds we hear. They will do this using a sensor app than can record sound and frequency data with a mobile phone and a homemade musical… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-PS4-1. Use mathematical representations to describe a simple model for waves that includes how the amplitude of a wave is related to the energy in a wave.

Push and Pull

Lesson Plan Grade: Kindergarten

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13 reviews

Your kindergarten students are used to moving objects. They throw balls, play with toy cars, and sweep the floor, but how much do they think about these actions? In this fun, hands-on lesson, you will use a game (rolling balls) to explore how pushing and pulling affects an object's motion. This lesson can be expanded with a second lesson exploring how objects can push each other, and how weight influences motion. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

K-PS2-1. Plan and conduct an investigation to compare the effects of different strengths or different directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of an object.

Rubber Bands for Energy

STEM Activity

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If you've ever been shot with a rubber band then you know it has energy in it—enough energy to smack you in the arm and cause a sting! But have you ever wondered what the relationship is between a stretched rubber band at rest and the energy it holds? The energy the rubber band has stored is related to the distance the rubber band will fly after being released. So can you guess one way to test how much energy a stretched rubber band contains? Read more

Rubbing Up Against Static Electricity

STEM Activity

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Have you ever wondered why rubbing a balloon or a blanket—or even a winter hat—on your head makes your hair stand up? The effect is due to static electricity, but how is the static electricity made, and why does it make your hair stand on end? Static electricity is the buildup of electrical charge in an object. Sometimes static electricity can suddenly discharge, such as when a bolt of lightning flashes through the sky. Other times, static electricity can cause objects to cling… Read more

See Air Currents with Shadowgraphs and Schlieren Images

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Have you ever wondered what the air currents look like around a candle? What about cold air flowing around an ice cube, or warm air rising from your hand? What about when you sneeze? We are surrounded by air currents all the time, but these subtle movements are completely invisible to the human eye. In this science project, you will take advantage of small changes in air density to make air currents visible in regular photographs and videos, using techniques called shadowgraphy and schlieren… Read more

Separation By Distillation

STEM Activity

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Do you like cooking? If you have helped in the kitchen at home, you have probably heated up lots of liquids, like water, milk, and soup. Did you notice that once the solution boils, a lot of steam develops; and have you ever wondered what the steam is made of? What happens to all the substances, such as sugar or salt, that are dissolved in the solution you are boiling? Do they boil off, too, or do they stay behind in the solution? In this activity, you will build a distillation device that… Read more

Serve Illuminated Water

STEM Activity

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Light is fascinating! It can look like a wave or a particle; it can be red, blue or any color of the rainbow; you can even mix all the colors together to get white! It travels in straight lines and still appears to bend around objects. It can travel through air, but it does not need the air. Unlike sound, light can travel from distant stars through a vacuum and reach us years later, or it can be sent through fiber optic cables and go around the world in less than a second! Does that sound… Read more

Simple Harmonic Motion in a Spring-Mass System

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Many things in nature are periodic: the seasons of the year, the phases of the moon, the vibration of a violin string, and the beating of the human heart. In each of these cases, the events occur in repeated cycles, or periods. In this project, you will investigate the periodic motion of a spring, using a mini Slinky®. You can also measure the motion of your spring using a smartphone equipped with a sensor app. Basic physics will then allow you to determine the Hooke's Law spring constant.… Read more

Singing Wine Glasses

STEM Activity

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Is Thanksgiving one of your favorite holidays of the year? All your friends and family are getting together to celebrate. The table is full of delicious food—a big feast—and there might even be some fancy China and glassware on the table to make the celebration even more special. Who can resist the temptation to make the wine glasses sing? You have probably done this many times before, but have you ever wondered, why the wine glass makes this sound? Do this activity, and you will… Read more

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