Make a simple mini-motor. A coil of wire becomes an electromagnet when current passes through it. The electromagnet interacts with a permanent magnet, causing the coil to spin. Voilà! You’ve created ...

With polarized light, you can make a stained glass window without glass. Using transparent tape and polarizing material, you can make and project beautifully colored patterns reminiscent of abstract ...

Make the turntable: Slide the pencil through the center hole of the record so the tip extends an inch or so (a few cm) beyond the other side. A ngle the pencil so it is perpendicular to the record, ...

Store up an electric charge, then make sparks. Tired of electrostatic experiments that just won’t work? This experiment will produce a spark that you can feel, see, and hear. Rub a foam plate with ...

Gelatin can do much more than just wiggle and jiggle. Gelatin can be used for much more than a sweet treat. It can also act as a smoked lens—which allows you to view total internal reflection—or as a ...

The pneumatic tire and the chain drive, followed by the development of gears, revolutionized bicycling in the later 1800s. In the last fifteen years, there has been a revolution of sorts in the ...

You probably already know how to play Tic-Tac-Toe. It's a really simple game, right? That's what most people think. But if you really wrap your brain around it, you'll discover that Tic-Tac-Toe isn't ...

One of the most exciting exercises I ever did as a kid was to make a scale model of the Solar System. Most of the pictures in my books made the distance between planets seem small and easy to travel.

Electrolysis is chemical decomposition produced by electricity—in this case, the chemical you’re decomposing is water.. The molecular formula for water is H 2 O, where H stands for the element ...

Experiment with rocket designs and a PVC launcher to discover how high—and how far—you can make your rockets go. Note: The exact lengths of the PVC are not critical. Ask your hardware store to saw ...

Play with Patterns. Play with patterns in shapes, sounds, and sprites! OctoStudio lets you easily duplicate characters and code, explore turning and movement, and import photos to the app. Consider ...

Yeast also produces alcohol as it feeds, which is why it is an important ingredient in making beer. In 1857, Louis Pasteur discovered that yeast is a living organism whose activity causes fermentation ...