This teacher-directed demonstration provides a conceptual understanding of latent heat. Using the example of a chemical hand warmer, students learn about phase changes from liquid to solid and from solid to liquid and observe that one of these phase changes releases heat while the other requires heat to be added. These concepts are then reinforced in a demonstration which involves heating water and ... Full description.

In this activity, students conduct experiments using an egg and a graduated cylinder filled with liquids of different densities. By observing how different densities affect the egg's position in the cylinder, they can draw important connections to the Earth's lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. Full description.

In this activity, students measure volume, mass, and calculate density for pennies of different ages as well as for a copper sample. They will answer questions about their measurements, and use internet resources to write paragraphs about the cause of the pattern they observed in their measurements of mass, and pose and answer a question about what they have discovered. Full description.

In this activity, students construct a magnetometer. A materials list and instructions are provided. Full description.

Students study magnetic field by using a classroom-made magnetometer. They use iron filings to reveal the magnetic field lines and record their observations on a sketch map. Full description.

This activity consists of two parts in which students investigate heat transfer by radiation and by conduction. In the first part, students design and conduct an experiment to test the effect of color on an object's ability to radiate energy (heat). In the second part, they investigate the transfer of energy from a hotter object to a cooler one, in this case, containers of hot and cold water. In both ... Full description.

In this experiment, students explore the diffraction of light into different wavelengths (colors) by using a diffraction grating and shoe box to create and measure a visible spectrum. The concepts of diffraction, electromagnetic waves, wavelength, and the electromagnetic spectrum are introduced. The activity also includes a discussion of red shift, blue shift, and the Doppler effect. Information about ... Full description.

This lab activity uses the internal structure of newspaper (its fibers) to explore the ways in which the internal structure of a material can affect how it behaves. The findings can be related to the physical and chemical properties of minerals, which are influenced by their own internal molecular structures. Full description.

Students learn how Newton's Law of Gravitation can be used to determine the mass of the Earth. By calculating mass and volume, they can then determine the Earth's density, and compare that result with the densities of other solar system bodies. Knowledge of Earth's density can also provide information about the planet's interior. Full description.

In this activity, students investigate the mass, pressure, and temperature of air. They will measure and record the mass and temperature of a bottle of air as they increase its pressure by pumping in more air, record their observations, and answer some questions about what they have seen. Full description.