“An object in motion will remain in motion and an object at rest will remain at rest, unless acted upon by an unbalanced force” Newton’s first law is often thought of as basic and obvious. But is it really so? In this discussion I use two toys, a ramp walker and gravity walker to explore. I have had the walking camel since my Year 1 year (so it is rated as antique!) and I still find it an engaging demo!
In this simple, effective demonstration, we use a long string of beads and a beaker to prove gravity is always “on” and spectacularly show inertia and momentum. Easy to prepare, you can do this demo in your class tomorrow.
The phenomenon of air pressure is hard to visualise. But here is a fun and exciting way to demonstrate the effect of air pressure. We use a vacuum cleaner to remove only 10% of air from a bin liner. The result is a bag that is firmly squashed and stretched around the body due to external air pressure.
The instant measurement of the average speed of a projectile or object can be very useful in the physics lab. Students often need to implement project design changes, and the average speed can be a great measure of the success of the upgrade. And the best – no special equipment is required. Most students own a mobile phone that comes packed with valuable sensors.
Our 7 Science Box toys are perfect for primary school level, but how about Middle and High School classes? Be ready to be amazed at what you can teach with simple toys . . .
Photoluminescence is the production of light using photons (light particles). No heat or electrical current is involved. This means we can produce light by simply bombarding a workable compound with energetic light particles!
There are numerous oscillating objects, electromagnetic waves and flickering lights out there that cannot be observed by human sight. Our sense of sight is just not able to perceive and detect these fast changing images. In this snippet I will show you an easy way to expose this “secret world” to your students using a solar panel and speaker.
A hovercraft adds exciting options to your physics classroom and is lots of fun to ride on. It provides fun frictionless motion so students can get a better grasp of the practical implications of Newton’s Laws.
The Cartesian Diver is an age-old toy that demonstrates the principles of density and buoyancy. Students use soy sauce fishes and soft drink bottles filled with water. By changing the water pressure, they manipulate the motion of the fish.