VanCleave's Science Fun

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

Hypothesis

By

A hypothesis is something that everyone gives multiple times each day, but few people can explain what a hypothesis is. Hypotheses are often called “educated guesses.” This means that you have enough experiences and knowledge to figure out the answer to a problem. A hypothesis can also be defined as a prediction about the outcome […]

Forces: Balanced vs. Unbalanced

By

Have you ever played tug-of-war? Was there an oozing mud puddle separating the two teams? If so, the people at the ends of the rope wanted to win by pulling the other team into the mud, but not at much as the people next to the mud puddle. It will be these people that fall […]

Mechanical Waves

By

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

By

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

By

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

By

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

By

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

By

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 […]

Thomas Alva Edison

By

February 11, 1847 is the birth date of Tomas Alva Edison. Thomas Edison became very interested in science and inventions at an early age and spend a great deal of time experimenting. At age 10, he built his first science laboratory in the basement of the family’s home. His father did not approve of all […]