VanCleave's Science Fun

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

ABOUT THE SOUND PICTURE

With mouth wide open, vibrating air coming up the throat from the vocal chords leaving the open mouth and spreading in all directions. Hi, I am Janice VanCleave, author of 50+ best-selling science experiment books for children ages 4 through high school. I taught science for 27 years and now am creating this science website.   My scream was not staged. The picture was to be of two adult cats, which I was holding. A microsecond before the camera snapped, the two cats dug their claws into my skin as they prepared to leap out of my arms. A picture like this is great for making inferences. Kids could make "guesses" as to why I am screaming. They would be drawing on facts from the photo, such as I look like I am in pain or maybe I am just pretending.

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Luminescence

By Janice VanCleave

Luminescence Is Cold Light Cold light is visible light produced by processes other than heating. Light sticks are an example of cold light, which is produced when chemicals are mixed together and the energy released is in the form of visible light. The firefly in the photo gives off light that like the light stick […]

Filed Under: Light, Physics Tagged With: bioluminescence, cold light, luminescence

Luminescence vs. Incandescence

By Janice VanCleave

Glow Stick

Cold Light vs. Hot Light Luminescence is “COLD LIGHT.”Cold light is light that usually occurs at low temperatures. Luminescence can be produced in many different ways. Follow are just a few examples: chemical reactions: One example is a Glow Stick. A glow stick contains two solutions. The stick is a flexible tube. Inside this tube […]

Filed Under: Physics Tagged With: incandescence, luminescence

Phosphors

By Janice VanCleave

The smiley face on the hand is drawn with a substance containing a phosphor, such as Vasoline (petroleum jelly). Under a black light the phosphors glow.

Phosphors that are Phosphorescent vs. Phosphors that are Fluorescent A phosphor is a chemical substance that when energized with certain types of light energy emits visible light. Some phosphors can be energized with visible light, but all phosphors can be energized with ultraviolet rays (a.k.a. ultraviolet radiation or ultraviolet light). NOTE: Phosphors may or may […]

Filed Under: Physics Tagged With: luminescence, phosphorescence, phosphors

Classification of Beads

By Janice VanCleave

Classification is a term used for organizing things, such as plants and animals, rocks and minerals, or the pony beads used in this activity. First prepare a mixture of beads for each group of 4 to 5 kids. The mixtures do not have to be exactly the same, but each group should include the following: […]

Filed Under: Biology Tagged With: classification, luminescence, phosphorescence, phosphors

Fluorescence

By Janice VanCleave

Question: What causes some objects to glow under a black light? Black lights give off  Ultraviolet A light, which is a type of high-energy invisible light (radiation). Photons are packets of light energy. UV light photons have a higher energy than do the photons for visible light. Materials that glow under a black light contain […]

Filed Under: Physics Tagged With: EMR, fluorescence, luminescence, photoluminescence, photons, UV, visible light

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Welcome to Janice’s Science Extravaganza!

The spoon hanging from the string vibrates when struck and these vibrations are transmitted through the string and the sound is amplified by the plastic cups. ABOUT ME: Hi, I am Janice VanCleave, author of 50 best-selling science experiment books for children ages 4 through high school. I taught science for 27 years. MORE.....

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