Physics@Home
Physics in the Sink: Balloon Pop, Or Not
Normally if you put a balloon over a flame, the balloon will pop. But what happens when you put a water balloon over a flame?
Physics at Mealtime: Capillary Action
This is a fun activity to try when you're waiting for the waiter to bring you your food, but consider yourself warned that not all people think it's appropriate to play with your straw at the dinner table…
Physics in your Glass: Racing Molecules
Have you ever come in from a day of sledding or ice skating and sat down for a drink of cold chocolate? Or had a glass of hot lemonade in the summer? Probably not. We use hot water for some things and cold water for others. Have you ever thought about what makes hot water hot and cold water cold?
Physics in a Bottle: Expanding Thermometers
Knowing the temperature outside is important if you live in Washington, DC; Chicago, IL; or one of the many other places where the temperature can change by 30 degrees from one day to the next. Want to make your own thermometer?
Physics in the Microwave: Microwave Soap
What did people do before microwaves? Imagine having to use the oven to heat up your leftover pizza or an air popper to make popcorn…and how else could you make these amazing soap sculptures??
Physics in the Snow: Snowy Colors
Most people associate Ben Franklin with electricity, but his first recorded experiment was on something totally different – color and heat. You’ve probably noticed that you heat up faster in the sunlight if you’re wearing a dark shirt.
Physics in the Toy Room: Toppling Towers
Most of us played with blocks during our childhood and could hold our own at tower-building, or at least tower-toppling. Even adults get into the game Jenga® – a game where players try to add to the height of a tower without making it fall. But have you ever really paid attention to how towers fall?
Physics at the Breakfast Table: Getting your Fill of Iron
How would you feel about having a bowl full of nails for breakfast? Okay, the shape might be a problem - so how about eating a bowl full of iron shavings? Believe it or not, some breakfast cereals contain actual iron shavings - on purpose!
Physics in the Living Room: Remote Control Tricks
Few things are as frustrating as searching through couch cushions for a lost remote just as your favorite reality show is starting. What would we do without remotes? In addition to being essential to our TV watching, they are a great way to explore light.
Physics in the Sink: Dancing Water
The kitchen sink is a good place to wash dishes, rinse out empty soup cans and soak crusty bowls, but it’s also a great place to investigate one of the coolest forces of nature – electrostatics.
Physics at Your Desk: Drumming Fingers
Most of us hear things all the time – the click of the keys on the keyboard, the notes to our favorite songs, cracks of thunder that accompany a storm…but how does sound travel?
Physics in the Bathroom: Ripping Neatly
Have you ever gone into a bathroom to find that a child (or pet) in the house unwound toilet paper all over the floor? Next time don't blame him or her – blame inertia!