Physics

Demo Preparations
Decide which activities you will be using for todays demo, choose 3-4 activities.
Read over the outline of each activity.
ather the appropriate materials !cabinet "" in #nventors $or%shop& for each
activity and set up in correct location, either #nventors $or%shop or 'he
(aturalist )enter.
Demo *utline
#ntroduction
ive a brief summary of todays activities.
Do activities
+t the end of all activities, than% everyone for coming and invite them to ma%e a
paper airplane and fly it using our airplane machine. 'ell everyone that they can
have more fun with physics by visiting ,nergy +venue on the ground level.
#ntroduction-
.- $hat is Physics/
+- Physics is the study of energy and matter and the relationship between them.
0tudying physics, li%e studying all sciences, is a way of solving problems and
discovering why things happen the way they do
Bubbler
Purpose- 'o determine why bubbles rise in water.
Materials- large-mouthed 1ar, " gallon
clear plastic tubing
small balloon
Procedure-
2ill the 1ar with water.
Place one end of the tubing in the water at the bottom of the 1ar.
#nflate the balloon and twist the nec% to prevent the air from escaping.
0lip the mouth of the balloon over the end of the tube. 3old securely with your
fingers.
4ntwist the balloon and allow the air to escape slowly through the tube.
$atch the end of the tube in the water and notice the movement of the air as it
e5its the tube.
Results- 6ubbles are formed at the end of the tube. 'he bubbles rise to the top o the
waters surface and escape into the air.
Why? 'he gas bubbles push water out of their way as they emerge from the end of the
a7uarium tube. 'he weight of the water pushed aside e7uals the amount of upward force
on the bubbles. 'his force is called the buoyancy force. 'he gas bubbles are so light that
they 7uic%ly push to the top of the water where they brea% through the waters surface
and mi5 with the air surrounding the 1ug.
Risers
Purpose- 'o determine how the buoyancy of a substance can be changed.
Materials- drin%ing glass
club soda
modeling clay
Procedure-
2ill the drin%ing glass three-7uarters full with soda.
#mmediately add 8 tiny balls of clay one at a time. 'he clay pieces must be about
the si9e of a rice grain.
$ait and watch.
Results- 6ubbles collect on the clay. 'he clay pieces rise to the surface, spin over, and
fall to the bottom of the glass, where more bubbles start to stic% to them again.
Why? 'he soda contains carbon dio5ide, which forms bubbles that stic% to the clay. 'he
clay balls initially sin% because their weight is greater than the upward buoyant force.
'he gas bubbles act li%e tiny balloons that ma%e the balls light enough to float to the
surface. 'he carbon dio5ide bubbles are %noc%ed off at the surface, and the balls again
sin% to the bottom until more bubbles stic% to them.
Balancing Act
Purpose- 'o determine the center of gravity point.
Materials- : metal for%s
drin%ing glass or wide-mouthed 1ar
modeling clay
" flat toothpic%
Procedure-
;a%e a ball of clay about the si9e of a large marble.
#nsert the tip of one of the for%s into the clay ball.
#nsert the second for% at about a 48-degree angle from the first for%.
#nsert the pointed end of the toothpic% in the clay between the for%s.
Place the end of the toothpic% on the edge of the glass. ;ove it further over the
glass until the for%s balance.
(ote- Decrease the angle between the for%s if they will not balance.
Results- 'here is one point at which the toothpic% supports the weight of both for%s and
the clay.
Why? 'he angle of the for%s spreads their weight so that there is one place on the
toothpic% where all of weight is evenly distributed. 'his spot is called the center of
gravity.
Weakling
Purpose- 'o demonstrate a second-class lever.
Materials- : round toothpic%s
Procedure-
Place a toothpic% across the bac% of your middle finger at the first %nuc%le and
under the first and third finger.
'ry to brea% the toothpic% by pressing down with your first and third fingers.
;ove the toothpic% closer to the tips of your fingers.
+gain push down with your fingers to try to brea% the toothpic%.
Results- #t is very difficult or impossible to brea% the toothpic% when it is at the ends of
your fingers.
Why? <our fingers act as a second-class lever similar to a nut crac%er. 'he point of
rotation or fulcrum is where the fingers 1oin the hand. $hen the toothpic% is placed
furthest from the fulcrum, the force needed to brea% the toothpic% is greatest. Placing the
toothpic% close to the fulcrum re7uires less effort-force-to brea% the wood.
Crash
Purpose- 'o demonstrate that moving ob1ects have inertia.
Materials- piece of modeling clay, si9e of a walnut
: rulers
small toy car that can roll on the ruler
pencil
: boo%s about " in. thic%
Procedure-
Raise one end of the ruler and place it on one of the boo%s.
'ape the other end of the ruler to a table.
'ape the pencil perpendicular to and about two car lengths from the end of the
ruler.
;a%e a clay figure similar to a snowman.
2latten the bottom of the clay figure and gently sit it on the hood of the toy car.
<ou want the clay figure to fall off the car easily, so do not press the clay against
the car.
Position the car with its clay figure at the top of the raised ruler.
Release the car and allow it to roll down the ruler and collide into the pencil.
4se the second ruler to measure how far the clay figure falls from the car.
=eep a record of how far the clay figure falls from the car.
Results- 'he car with the clay figure moves down the ruler. 'he car stops when it hits the
pencil, but the clay figure continues to move forward. Raising the ruler causes the clay
figure to fall farther from the car.
Why? +s the car rolls down the ruler, its speed increases. 'he clay figure has the same
speed as the car. $hen the car hits the pencil, the force of impact stops the car, but the
clay figure is free to continue moving forward until some force stops it. Raising the
height of the ruler causes the car to reach a higher speed before it hits the pencil, and so
the clay figure also moves at a higher speed. 'he faster the clay figure moves, the farther
it flies before the forces of gravity and the air molecules bring it to a stop.
'he car and clay figure both have inertia, a resistance to a change in motion. *nce
started, both continue to move until some outside force acts against them, causing them to
stop. 'he pencil stopped the cars motion, and the air molecules slowed the clay figures
forward motion as gravity pulled the clay figure down.
Balloon Rocket
Purpose- 'he demonstrate how unbalanced forces produce motion
Materials- yardstic%
drin%ing straw
scissors
string
balloon, > in.
: chairs
mas%ing tape
Procedure-
)ut a 4-in. piece from the drin%ing straw.
)ut about 3 ? ft. of string.
'hread the end of the string through the straw piece.
Position the chairs about 4 ft. apart.
'ie the string to the bac%s of the chairs. ;a%e the string as tight as possible.
#nflate the balloon and twist the open end.
;ove the straw to one end of the string.
'ape the inflated balloon to the straw.
Release the balloon.
Results- 'he straw with the attached balloon 1ets across the string. 'he movement stops
at the end of the string or when the balloon totally deflates.
Why? Newtons Law of Action and Reaction states that when an ob1ect is pushed, it
pushes bac%. $hen the balloon was opened, the walls of the balloon pushed the air out.
$hen the balloon pushed against the air, the air pushed bac% and the balloon moved
forward, dragging the straw with it. 'he string and straw %eep the balloon roc%et on a
straight course.
Swirls of Color
Purpose- 'o separate light into colors.
Materials- bowl of water, " 7t.
bottle of clear fingernail polish
Procedure-
Place the bowl of water on a table away from direct lighting.
3old the brush from the polish bottle over the bowl of water and allow one drop
of li7uid polish to fall into the bowl.
$atch the surface of the water. ;ove your head so that you see the surface from
different angles.
Results- + rainbow of colors is seen in the thin layer of fingernail polish on the surface
of the water.
Why? 'he nail polish forms a thin film across the water. $hen light rays stri%e the film,
part of each ray is reflected from the surface. Part of the ray goes through and is reflected
off the bottom of the film. #f the reflected rays overlap as they leave the film, color is
seen. 'he timing has to be 1ust fright for the reflected rays from the surface and bottom of
the film to meet as they leave the film@ if this does not happen, areas without colors are
seen. 'his rainbow of colors is called a spectrum.
Hot Band
Purpose- 'o demonstrate energy changes.
Materials- rubber band
Procedure-
Place the rubber band on your forehead and note the rubber bands temperature.
(ote- <our forehead is sensitive to heat and can therefore be your sensing device.
3old the rubber band between your thumbs and inde5 fingers with your thumbs
touching.
0tretch the rubber band.
.uic%ly touch the stretched band to your forehead. 'he more you stretch the
band, the warmer it gets.
Results- 'he stretched rubber band feels warm.
Why? 'he rubber band is made of molecules coiled li%e a spring. 0tretching the rubber
band straightens the coils@ they recoil when the band is released. <ou used mechanical
energy-energy of moving things- to pull the coils of molecules apart, and the rubber band
used energy to pull the coils bac% together. 0ome of the mechanical energy was changed
into heat energy. ,nergy was needed to stretch the rubber band, and energy was needed
to restore it to its original shape. #f there were no changes in the molecular structure of
the rubber band, the amounts of energy used to stretch and to recoil the rubber band
would be the same. 'he energy changed from one form to another, but it was not lost.
'his is called conservation of energy.
Bottle rgan
Purpose- 'o demonstrate how fre7uency affects the pitch of sound.
Materials- A small-mouthed bottles of comparable si9e
metal spoon
Procedure-
Pour different amounts of water in each bottle.
ently tap each bottle with the metal spoon.
(ote the difference in the pitch produced.
Results- 'he bottle with the most water has the lowest pitch.
Why? 0ounds are made by vibrating the ob1ects. 'he number of times the ob1ect
vibrates-moves bac% and forth-is called the frequency of the sound. +s the fre7uency
increases, the pitch of the sound gets higher. 'apping on the bottles causes the bottles to
vibrate. +s the height of the water increases, the pitch of the sound gets lower.