VanCleave's Science Fun

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

Archives for 2010

Mixtures:Snow Ice Cream

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1. I am always amazed when a person announces that they don’t like science, and chemistry was not their favorite class in school. The problem is that they just don’t see the whole picture. Fist of all, chemistry is about everything that most people love and enjoy way too often–FOOD! Let’s have a bit of […]

Analyzing Data: Graphing

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The diagram shows the set up for a science investigation in which the temperature of two containers is to be compared. The two jars are identical, except the one on the left is covered with plastic food wrap. Readings from the thermometers in each jar will be recorded every ten minutes for a total of […]

Mechanical Waves

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A mechanical wave is the transfer of energy through a medium (any material through a wave can travel). Please note that it is energy that is moving and not the material through which the energy travels. For example, the diagram shows how one wave of energy moves though water. Each colored dot represent one water […]

Converstion Factors

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I’ve had to really dust off a few brain cells lately. Well maybe I should say that My few brain cells needed much dusting. When I taught physics,  stuff about conversion factors was easy for me, but I’ve been working on basic experiments for kids for some time now. Young learners are not ready for […]

Mechanical Wave: Transverse

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There are two types of mechanical waves: transverse and longitudinal. A type of mechanical wave energy that causes the medium (material) through which is travels to be disturbed. The movement of the medium is in a direction that is perpendicular (at right angle) to the direction of the wave. In other words, if the energy […]

Elastic Potential Energy

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The best way to learn is from experience, and the more of your senses that are stimulated the longer  lasting is the memory. I have a vivid memory of doing an exercise with a strong elastic rubber rope that had loops on each end. Note that one end of an elastic rope in the diagram […]

Mechanical Wave Energy

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A mechanical wave is a type of energy that disturbs the medium through which it travels. This means that something physically moves. Transverse Wave: A type of mechanical wave energy that causes the medium (material) through which is travels to be disturbed. The movement of the medium is in a direction that is perpendicular (at […]

Jesus Lizard

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Question: How fast can the Jesus Lizard run on water? Answer: The lizard is called a  “Jesus Lizard” because it can run across the top of water. This is because the lizard has large hind feet with scaly fringes on the sides of the third, fourth, and fifth toes. As you can see in the […]

Density

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Density is a comparison of mass and volume. In other words, density relates two types of units, mass and volume. For example, water has a density of 1 g/ml. This means that 1 milliliter of water has a mass of 1 gram. This is a density that you need to memorize, but, given enough information, […]