Science research » Household Items

Fun Science Projects

admin — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 05:23:33 +0000

Hello, I have prepared a couple really fun science projects that any student can do at home with household items.

These Fun science projects should be done with adult supervision.

The first fun science project is called “The Balloon Inflater”

MATERIALS:

A carbonated soft drink in a bottle, a balloon, and a twist tie from a bread or a garbage bag.

WHAT TO DO: 1. Place the balloon over the mouth of the bottle and securing it to the bottle with the twist tie. 2. Have the adult hold the bottle and place their thumb over the mouth of the bottle covered by the balloon. 3. Now shake the bottle for five seconds and release your thumb. 4. The balloon fills with carbon dioxide that was dissolved in the soda pop. That’s why they are called carbonated drinks.

This is a great fun science project that can give you that A you want in science class! Here is another great science experiment that anyone can do .

THE BALLOON ROCKET

MATERIALS: A balloon

WHAT TO DO: Simply blow up the balloon. Then, holding it between you thumb and forefinger, let it go and watch it fly.

EXPLANATION: You already know that the air escaped from the opening in which you blew up the balloon. You also noticed that the balloon flew in the opposite direction – this is action and reaction. The first force, air escaping, is the action. The balloon moving in the opposite direction of the air is the reaction.

We use this principle everyday. We push down on a chair to get up. We push our feet to the back to walk forward. A basketball pushes down onto the floor just before it bounces. You can probably think of many other examples.

I hope you have enjoyed these fun science projects. Please remember that these science experiments should be done with adult supervision.

By: Tyler Horvath

Top 5 Secrets to Easy Science Fair Projects

admin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:50:30 +0000

Finding quality scientific easy science fair projects doesn’t have to be a big research chore. Just keep in mind that you will be in competition with every other family who is looking for that special science project to win the fairs with. It is also well to keep in mind that the end goal of all of this is to promote science education and participation. This article will focus primarily on the top 5 secrets to choosing easy science fair projects.

Science Fair Project Secret #1

Project selection is one of the most important activities for science fair success. Confirm that the project you choose is a good match for your child’s grade level and age group. If this is done correctly then your child should be able to complete the project with little or no help from you.

Science Fair Project Secret #2

Confirm that the project you choose has distinct and clear directions.This keeps your child from getting confused about what comes next and allows them a set of mini-successes along the way. For younger kids it will be easier on all involved if the instructions are visual.

Science Fair Project Secret #3

Keep it simple. Choose a project that will allow you to use items found around the house and/or in nature. This will usually mean a project that involves biology, physics and/or space. The reasons for this are to keep the costs down for the project and to allow your child to use items that they would be familiar with (i.e. household items like projectors). This will allow you to minimize or eliminate the frustration element and keep your child excited about participating.

Science Fair Project Secret #4

Confirm project uniqueness. Have you ever been to a science fair and it seems like you have seen the same project with little or no variation again and again? That’s because these tend to be the same projects that you will find on websites and in books that are repeated often. It’s a good sign if you don’t see the one you choose all over the internet.

Science Fair Project Secret #5

Use your library. In today’s world of readily accessible internet and digital downloads there is a lot of information that can be found. You can circumvent all of that by actually going to the library and looking through real books for ideas and projects to use. Your ideal easy science fair projects may all exist in the old well worn book that has been overlooked by others.

This article has attempted to deliver the top 5 secrets to easy science fair projects in a format that should be readily accessible to you the reader. Don’t forget that the most important thing here is that your child learn and have fun doing it. Choosing easy science fair projects is something the whole family can be a part of.

By: Esther Hoover

Kids’ Science – Gravity For Beginners

admin — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:58:49 +0000

Here’s a science activity for kids that offers basic exposure to density and the law of gravity. It also gives your child an opportunity to engage in the trial and error method of problem solving. It’s very simple and lots of fun.

You’ll be making a miniature version of hot air balloons. Each balloon should take about one minute to make. Your child will love helping to put the hot air balloons together.

Here’s what to do:

Pick up helium balloons from your community party supply store. You’ll need one balloon for each participant.

For the basket part of the hot air balloon, use a paper cup or 12″ x 12″ felt square. If you use a paper cup, tape three pieces of string to the top of the cup, and then tie the string to the base of the balloon. If you use a felt square, tie each of the four corners and attach those to the base of the balloon. (If you want to go a step further, for a more realistic looking basket cut off the bottom four inches of an empty bag of specialty coffee and rinse it out-the material is perfectly suited for this activity.)

Your living room is the perfect location to get started.

The objective: fill the basket with just enough household items to cause the balloon to hover for ten seconds without touching the ceiling. The items might include marbles, buttons, bottle caps and Q-Tips. Put these items in a bowl for selection. Keep a pair of scissors handy–as your child fine tunes the density it may become necessary to cut a Q-Tip in half.

Consider the following variation: put all the items in a line for selection. Take turns selecting one item until each person has ten. Place items into balloon baskets and launch the balloons. The objective is to have your balloon float slowest to the ceiling. In order to improve results, each person may exchange one of their items for a new item. Re-launch the balloons. Continue the process of exchanging one item after each launch. Keep experimenting until one player causes a balloon to hover for ten seconds.

There are many other variations to this science activity that you can pursue on your own (–for example, log the difference in items used from one day to the next as the balloons lose helium). Regardless of how you go about it, this activity will give your child an opportunity to engage in trial and error problem solving while gaining basic exposure to density and the law of gravity. You may also find it surprisingly adept at bringing out the fidget and tinker nature of parents. Have fun!

By: Anthony Vecchioni