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You need a new student lab activity for your Physics class -- but which is the right one? Explore what Flinn Scientific has developed that is free to you to access. Or preview what is available in a lab activity before purchasing it.
Have you ever noticed the nutrition label located on the packaging of the food you buy? One of the first things listed on the label are the calories per serving. How is the calorie content of food determined? This activity will introduce the concept of calorimetry and investigate the caloric content of snack foods.
Why do water droplets bead when dropped on a waxy surface? Why can some insects walk on water? These observations can be attributed to the high surface tension of water. Surface tension is the result of attractive forces between molecules. Water’s large contribution to life on Earth depends on its unique properties. Without it, life on Earth would be impossible.
Build a dry cell battery with this fun activity! Batteries provide electricity for nearly every small electrical device in the home—from flashlights to power tools. The composition of a battery depends on the purpose for which it will be used. Some batteries, such as those in an artificial pacemaker, need to operate for a very long time. Other batteries need to be reliable and ready to supply electricity at any time, even after several years of storage.
Is there more to light than meets the eye? Does a green filter change white light into green light? What color of light is observed when blue and yellow filters are mixed? This demonstration uses a holographic diffraction grating and an overhead projector to produce a large, sharp rainbow of color. The large spectrum allows you to demonstrate the true nature of color and light and address common misconceptions related to the perception of color.
A spectroscope is a device for forming and observing the color spectrum of visible light. A spectrum is produced when light from any source is bent or dispersed. Does every type of light show the same spectrum? Turn your smartphone camera into a spectroscope to find out!
In the Spring, maple trees release multitudes of seeds into the air. They carelessly spin and drift in the wind until landing at their final destination, the ground. What causes the flight patterns the seeds follow? A twirling toy demonstrates the same careless flight and by manipulating different factors of the twirling toy, you can discover which factors are more influential.
After witnessing the ascent of a manned hot air balloon in Paris in 1783, Benjamin Franklin described the event as “a most beautiful spectacle.” Watching these airships glide across the sky still evokes a sense of awe and inspiration today. Generate the same excitement in the science classroom with model hot air balloons!
Sailing a boat calls for knowledge of Newton’s laws of motion, forces, and sailing principles such as the angle of the sails with respect to wind direction. It is easy to see how a sailboat can travel downwind, but how does a boat sail into the wind? Why do we see so many different types of sails?
Cartesian divers are great toys that can be used to teach important science concepts of density, buoyancy, and Boyle’s law. These concepts have applications in fish physiology, scuba diving, and submersibles. How can a craft be designed to retrieve an object from the ocean floor and bring it to the surface? Use Cartesian divers as models for designing and testing solutions to this and many other creative challenges.
The ability of a structure to support a load is important for both safety and economic reasons. Ensuring structural integrity and preventing failure involves both scientific inquiry and engineering design. Optimizing the design solution for an overhanging sign includes consideration of performance as well as aesthetics and cost.
Demand for alternative energy sources has led to a dramatic increase in the use of wind energy over the past decade. The design, construction, and use of wind turbines involve a wide range of career fields including mechanical, electrical, structural, civil, and computer engineering, computer programming, manufacturing, utility grid management, meteorology, environmental impact studies, and transportation logistics. How do windmills and wind turbines work?