Great Balls and Fire! Smashing Steel Spheres with Video

June 13, 2010

Tami O'Connor, Educational Innovationsby:  Tami O’Connor

When two 1-pound, 2-inch diameter, chrome steel spheres are smashed together, enough heat is generated at the point of contact to burn a hole in ordinary paper!  This dramatic demonstration has been a favorite of students in every grade for as long as I have been teaching!

Smashing Steel Sphere Demo KitThere are a few considerations when allowing students (especially younger ones) to conduct this activity on their own…  First, the spheres are pretty heavy, so if they were either dropped on a foot or onto a nice tile floor, the result would not be good.  Also, be sure that the only thing between the spheres is paper or aluminum foil.  Fingers caught between the colliding spheres would not  be happy.  Finally, all participants should wear safety glasses, as it is not unusual for a small piece of paper to fly off after the spheres collide.

Read the rest of this entry »

2 Comments | College level, Elementary level, energy, experiments, High School level, Middle School level, Physics | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Tami O'Connor

Seeing a 3D Magnetic Field

June 12, 2010

Marty Sagendorfby: Martin Sagendorf

This 3D Magnetic Field demonstration is actually quite easy to do.  It clearly illustrates that magnetic fields are not flat (as too frequently demonstrated in the classroom).

Demonstrating a 3D Magnetic Field

This easy-to-make construction requires only four components:

  1. A clear plastic bottle (about 1-3/4” in one dimension) – the one illustrated below is a 12.6 fl oz ultra concentrated Joy ® dishwashing soap bottle – Note that any bottle originally containing soap or detergent will require repeated rinses to completely remove all of its original contents.

    Seeing a 3D Magnetic Field | Educational Innovations

  2. Six 17 mm x 3 mm Neodymium ring magnets Read the rest of this entry »

Leave a Comment » | Elementary level, experiments, magnetism, Middle School level, Physics | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Tami O'Connor

Iron Filings Exploration

June 11, 2010

by:  Michelle Bertke

Simple iron filings can be used for a variety of interesting experiments and demonstrations.  Magnetism is a mysterious concept that can be difficult for students to grasp.  Magnetic fields are the forces surrounding a magnet that are identified by how they interact with adjacent magnets and other metal objects.  While magnetic fields are ‘invisible’ they can be observed by sprinkling iron filings on a white paper with magnets beneath.

Read the rest of this entry »

Leave a Comment » | Elementary level, experiments, magnetism | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Tami O'Connor

Earth’s Magnetic Field

June 1, 2010

Marty Sagendorfby:  Martin Sagendorf

We recognize heat & cold, dry & damp, light & dark, and sound & silence.  However… I find it absolutely fascinating to consider that we also live within something that we can’t see, hear, touch, or taste.

We all Know:

Our planet has a giant magnet near its core and that its field extends over the whole of the Earth’s surface.  But, do we ever really think about this field that passes through soil, rocks, buildings… and us? Granted, relatively speaking this ‘field’ isn’t particularly strong.  In fact, it’s a rather weak field when compared to those of a horseshoe magnet or, particularly, a modern Rare Earth magnet.

A Great Demo to show Earth’s Magnetic Field:

Read the rest of this entry »

Leave a Comment » | Earth Science, Elementary level, experiments, High School level, magnetism, Middle School level, Physics | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Tami O'Connor

Science Never Sucks | Milk Bottle and Egg

May 27, 2010

Tami O'Connor, Educational Innovationsby: Tami O’Connor

One of my all time favorite air pressure activities is an oldie and a goodie!  It involves getting an egg into a classic, hard-to-find milk bottle, like the ones delivered to grandma’s door.  Unfortunately, some students (and some teachers) still think an egg can actually be sucked into a bottle.  As you probably know because the air pressure is greater outside of the bottle than inside, the better explanation is that the egg is literally pushed into the milk bottle.

Here is the explanation… The milk bottle and egg demo begins by placing two or three burning matches or a burning strip of paper into the empty bottle.  Then a shelled, moistened hard-boiled egg is placed on the mouth of the bottle.  The egg is clearly larger than the opening in the bottle.  The air inside the bottle begins to heat up and subsequently expands.  It is easy to notice the egg dancing around a bit as the air inside the bottle escapes around it.

Read the rest of this entry »

3 Comments | Chemistry, Elementary level, experiments, High School level, Middle School level, Physics | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Tami O'Connor

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »