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Place Like Home: Life On a Moon
The discovery of Titan's atmosphere excited scientists, who believe it could hold the key to life on Earth. Physics - UniverseLearning Points. Titan is the only moon in the Solar System with a dense atmosphere. Titan's atmosphere is 98%...
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Doppler Shift: Sound Discovery
How a unique but simple experiment in the 19th century gave a new insight into the behaviour of sound waves. Physics - Waves - Learning Points. The Doppler Effect is when the pitch of a sound seems to change as it moves past. The...
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Reactivity Series: Comparing the Reactivity of Group 1 and Group 2 Metals
We compare the reactivity of Group 1 and Group 2 metals. We add sodium and then potassium to water. We observe the reactions. Next we add magnesium and then calcium to hydrochloric acid and observe the reactions. The results let us put...
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Measuring Food Energy
We investigate the amount of energy stored in maize snacks and peanuts by burning them. The food is placed under an aluminium beaker of water before being set alight and the temperature change of the water is recorded. We can compare the...
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Measuring Music
We use a sounding board called a sonometer to investigate how the pitch of sound changes when the length of wire being plucked changes. We change the position of a moveable bridge to change the length of the wire and discover that...
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Stimulating Daphnia
We examine the effects of different temperatures and chemicals on the heart rate of Daphnia. A microscope is used to let us see the Daphnia\u2019s heart and establish the heart rate under normal conditions. The heart...
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Ferrofluids
We compare the properties of three iron mixtures: iron and water, iron and oil and a ferrofluid - a mixture of compounds containing iron and oil. First, we look at how iron filings behave when mixed with water and then oil. We then hold...
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Separating Notebooks
We interleave the pages of notebooks to see how hard it is to pull them apart. As the amount of interleaving increases, we see that the force required to separate them also increases. This is because the friction between the notebooks is...
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Citrus Fruit Battery
We use lemons and strips of zinc and copper to make a battery. First, strips of copper and zinc are added to one lemon and they are connected across a voltmeter. This is repeated, this time with more lemons and metal plates, until a...
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Magnetic Strength
We use two magnets and a set of scales to examine magnetic field and strength. One magnet is attached to the scales and a second is lowered towards it. When opposite poles are facing each other, the weight on the scales decreases as the...
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Balloon and Treacle
We investigate the effect that unbalanced charge has on polar molecules. We rub a balloon against hair to build up a negative charge and then hold this near a stream of water and then a stream of treacle. They both bend towards the...
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Enzyme Action: Trypsin
We demonstrate denaturing by adding the enzyme trypsin to photographic film. Strips of photographic film are added to trypsin solution at different temperatures to determine the optimum conditions for the enzyme. In the right conditions...
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Cloud in a Bottle
We create a cloud in a bottle using warm water and smoke. Some warm water is placed in a plastic bottle and then some smoke is drawn in using a glowing splint. The bottle is sealed and then squeezed and released. The change in pressure...
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Heat Loss
We compare two cans, one painted black and the other painted white, to see how quickly they lose heat. The containers are placed in front of a heat source and heated to the same temperature. The temperature in each container is recorded...
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Oscillating Colour Change
We use three chemical solutions to create an oscillating reaction. The three different solutions are mixed using a magnetic stirrer and the colour changes from clear to amber to dark blue. This pattern repeats as the concentrations of...
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Frozen Balloon
We lower a helium-filled balloon into liquid nitrogen to see how the change in temperature affects its volume. When it hits the cool liquid nitrogen, the gas inside contracts and the volume of the balloon decreases. When it is removed...
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Ball and Hoop
We use a metal ball and hoop to demonstrate heat expansion. When cool, the ball fits through the hoop, but there is little extra space. The ball is then heated over a Bunsen burner. When hot, the ball doesn't fit through the hoop. We see...
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Burning Bubbles
We investigate the properties of two types of gas bubbles: methane gas bubbles and bubbles of the gas we breathe out. The air-filled bubbles sink and we are unable to set them alight, while the methane bubbles float upwards and are...
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Hero's Engine
We use a Hero's engine model to show how equal and opposite forces can cause propulsion. Two holes are pierced in a metal bottle and some water is added. This is suspended above a Bunsen burner, and as the water boils and leaves the...
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Screaming Jelly Baby
We add a jelly baby to a boiling tube containing potassium chlorate. When the chemicals react, gas is rapidly produced. The screaming sound is created as the gas escapes from the tube. The sweet burns brightly as the reaction occurs....
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Agar Cube Diffusion
We use coloured agar cubes to see how different shapes change the rate of diffusion. The cubes are made using sodium hydroxide and phenolphthalein indicator to give them a pink colour. When these are added to hydrochloric acid, the...
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Inflating Glove
We inflate a rubber glove using the gas produced during a neutralisation reaction. Bicarbonate of soda is added to vinegar in a beaker covered by a rubber glove and it expands. The gas is used to extinguish a flame, showing that it is...
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Elephant's Toothpaste
We create a rapidly expanding column of foam by mixing chemicals. Hydrogen peroxide and detergent are added to potassium iodide and food colouring to set off a reaction that creates vibrant expanding foam. Chemistry - Reactions -...
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Can Crusher
We demonstrate the effects of imbalances of pressure. A metal can is crushed by atmospheric pressure. We add some water to a can and boil it until the can is full of water vapour. It is then sealed and left to cool and after a few...