VanCleave's Science Fun

Your Guide to Science Projects, Fun Experiments, and Science Research

Archives for 2010

Atom Timeline

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In searching for information about the history of ATOMS, I  found several good timelines. First is a list of names and their contributions to the Atomic Theory. Timeline for Atomic History   Second is an interactive list of contributors with more information about each person and what they contributed. Atomic Theory Timeline

Snow Globes

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I love snow globes. Have you ever wondered what makes the glittery stuff  inside the globe drift down slowly? It really does look like falling snow? 1.One factor is the viscosity (thickness) of the liquid. Viscosity is a fancy scientific name for describing the resistance of a fluid (gas or liquid) to flow. It could […]

Cosmic Rays

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Question: What are cosmic rays? Answer: Cosmic rays sound like something from a science fiction movie. They are a type of radiation that originates in outer space, but are not rays. Instead, a more correct name would be “cosmic particles.” Sometimes common names continue to be used even though they are incorrect. Cosmic rays can […]

Vision: Optical Illusion

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I love optical illusions. For example, the two curved pieces of paper in the diagram are exactly the same size. I know that because I cut them with the same pattern. I find it fascinating that my brain seems to have a “mind of its own.” What I know and what I see are different. […]

Persistance of Vision: Coins

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Question: What is persistence of vision? Answer: The retention of an image on the retina after the object has moved. Discover for Yourself: 1. Hold two identical coins together between your thumb and index finger. (One coin on top of the other.) 2. Quickly rub the coins against each other so that they slide back […]

Atomic Theory

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I like reading about the history of science. Some of the ideas of scientist of the past seems so silly. How could such smart people have such dumb ideas? But, then I wonder if the scientific facts we are learning today will seem silly to people in the future. Maybe! But for now let’s have […]

Atomic Model

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The best part about writing on a blog/website is the interaction with other educators. For example, I recently posted an investigation about rolling a marble toward an object and observing the path of the marble before and after it hit the object. The investigation models how scientists discovered the parts of an atom without being […]

Atomic Models

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I am a visual learner and often make models so that I can understand a concept. Since I seem to be challenged when it comes to spacial orientation, I need models for things that are three dimensional. For example, atoms and their parts and especially how scientists find out about the parts of atoms without […]