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Easy Fun Science Experiments You Can Do At Home | Science Max

9 Story Fun・2 minutes read

The Magnus effect involves creating lower pressure on spinning objects like cups, causing them to fly up due to higher pressure underneath. Demonstrations include creating Magnus effect flyers with taped styrofoam cups and showcasing the strength of eggs due to their arch shape.

Insights

  • The Magnus effect causes spinning objects like cups to fly up due to lower pressure on the top and higher pressure underneath.
  • Friction experiments with books show that interleaving pages increases friction significantly, making them harder to pull apart.
  • Eggs are surprisingly strong due to their arch shape distributing weight, demonstrated by supporting significant weight without breaking.
  • Balancing coins or objects on top of each other often involves scientific principles like magnetism or mechanical advantage, not magic.

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Recent questions

  • How does the Magnus effect work?

    The Magnus effect involves spinning objects like cups creating lower pressure on the top, causing them to fly up due to higher pressure underneath. To create a Magnus effect flyer, tape two styrofoam cups together, wrap an elastic band around them, and release to see them fly up. For the Magnus effect to work, the cups need to spin with the front side rotating up.

  • Why are eggs stronger than expected?

    Eggs are stronger than expected due to their arch shape distributing weight, demonstrated by pushing on an egg from both sides without breaking it. An egg can support a significant amount of weight, with eight eggs being able to hold the weight of a person.

  • What is the principle behind Newton's Cradle?

    Newton's Cradle demonstrates Newton's third law of motion, showing equal and opposite reactions when balls are set in motion. This principle explains how momentum is conserved in a closed system, with the balls transferring energy back and forth.

  • How does friction affect lifting objects?

    Friction experiment with books shows that interleaving pages increases friction, making it harder to pull them apart. Layering pages of two books together increases friction significantly, making it nearly impossible to pull them apart. Friction can lift a plastic water bottle filled with rice using a skewer, showcasing the power of friction to lift heavy objects.

  • What is the significance of surface tension?

    Water sticking to surfaces is explained by surface tension and gravity, affecting how water pours out of containers based on angles and surface properties. Coating a glass with hydrophobic spray can prevent water from sticking to the surface, solving the issue of water dribbling down the sides. This property of water plays a crucial role in various scientific experiments and everyday phenomena.

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Summary

00:00

"Science Experiments: Magnus Effect, Friction, and More"

  • The Magnus effect involves spinning objects like cups creating lower pressure on the top, causing them to fly up due to higher pressure underneath.
  • To create a Magnus effect flyer, tape two styrofoam cups together, wrap an elastic band around them, and release to see them fly up.
  • For the Magnus effect to work, the cups need to spin with the front side rotating up.
  • Friction experiment with books shows that interleaving pages increases friction, making it harder to pull them apart.
  • Layering pages of two books together increases friction significantly, making it nearly impossible to pull them apart.
  • Eggs are stronger than expected due to their arch shape distributing weight, demonstrated by pushing on an egg from both sides without breaking it.
  • An egg can support a significant amount of weight, with eight eggs being able to hold the weight of a person.
  • Creating a homopolar motor involves using a battery, neodymium magnets, copper wire, and pliers to make a spinning coil.
  • Newton's Cradle demonstrates Newton's third law of motion, showing equal and opposite reactions when balls are set in motion.
  • Demonstrating air pressure changes by heating and cooling air inside a bottle, a steel drum, and a steel drum filled with hot air crushed by external air pressure.

18:36

Friction, Pressure, and Hydrophobic Coating Demonstrated

  • Combining sodium and chlorine creates table salt, a safe compound.
  • A climbing frog ascends ropes due to friction, with straws aiding in the process.
  • A larger climbing frog, with ropes through tubes, demonstrates the same friction principle.
  • Friction can lift a plastic water bottle filled with rice using a skewer.
  • A 20 L water cooler jug filled with rice showcases the power of friction to lift heavy objects.
  • Newton's first law explains that objects in motion stay in motion unless acted upon by external forces like friction.
  • Pressure is demonstrated by squeezing solids, liquids, and gases in containers.
  • Compressed gas in containers exerts pressure due to molecules being squeezed together.
  • A balloon-powered boat is more effective in water due to water's higher density compared to air.
  • Hydrophobic coating repels water from coated surfaces, demonstrated on various items like tissues and dinner rolls.

37:17

"Exploring Complex Physics Phenomena in Everyday Objects"

  • Predicting the path of a double pendulum is challenging due to its complex nature with moving parts attached to each other.
  • Chaos pendulums, like the lever with another lever attached or the perfectly balanced lever with pendulums on either side, demonstrate increased complexity with more moving parts.
  • Ferrofluid, a ferromagnetic liquid attracted to magnets, behaves uniquely, creating spikes following magnetic field lines.
  • By adjusting the voltage of an electromagnet with ferrofluid around it, the liquid can climb a spiral when the magnet becomes stronger.
  • Balancing coins or objects on top of each other may seem like magic, but often involves scientific principles like magnetism or mechanical advantage.
  • Water sticking to surfaces is explained by surface tension and gravity, affecting how water pours out of containers based on angles and surface properties.
  • Coating a glass with hydrophobic spray can prevent water from sticking to the surface, solving the issue of water dribbling down the sides.
  • Hydraulic Crushers utilize hydraulic advantage, where pushing down on small syringes generates more force on larger syringes for crushing objects.
  • Cleaning water involves filtering out particles using gravel, sand, and charcoal in a specific order to achieve clean drinking water.
  • Demonstrating tension with a rope and flexion, creating an art sculpture by pushing the rope against gravity, showcases the interplay of forces and materials.

55:24

"DIY Mouse Trap Boat and Earthquake Simulation"

  • Mouse traps can store energy in a spring, which can be used to propel a boat.
  • A mouse trap boat is built using materials like styrofoam, craft sticks, elastics, a pencil, plastic drink caps, and a mouse trap.
  • Instructions for building the paddle wheel include cutting craft sticks, attaching them to a circle of styrofoam, and securing them to a pencil.
  • The mouse trap is glued to a frame of craft sticks, attached to the boat with elastics, and connected to the paddle wheel with a shish kebab skewer and string.
  • Wind up the paddle wheel to store energy in the spring, then release it in the water to propel the boat forward.
  • To conduct an earthquake simulation, a shaker table is built using two books, elastic bands, and rubber balls.
  • Towers made of building blocks are placed on the shaker table to test their stability during simulated earthquakes.
  • The experiment demonstrates how buildings in earthquake zones are designed to withstand shaking.
  • A hover disc is created using cardboard, a plastic drink bottle cap, and a balloon to reduce friction and glide on a cushion of air.
  • Carbonation in fizzy drinks is explained through pressure, with an experiment involving dropping a candy into a bottle of fizzy drink to release carbonation rapidly.

01:12:47

"Building Stomp Rockets and Vortex Cannons"

  • Moving air can have a significant impact, demonstrated through building a Stomp Rocket that shoots up when stomped on.
  • To build a Stomp Rocket, you need a 2 L plastic bottle, three types of tape (electrical, duct, and science tape), plumbers tubing, and construction paper.
  • An adult should cut the plumbers tubing into three lengths: a long piece, a short piece, and an elbow piece to create the rocket.
  • The rocket is attached to a base using duct tape and electrical tape, with the construction paper forming the rocket's body and thrusters.
  • Safety glasses are essential, and launching the rocket should be done outside in an open area.
  • Chemistry involves the interaction of atoms and molecules, demonstrated through a vinegar and baking soda volcano experiment.
  • For the volcano experiment, you need baking soda, vinegar, dish soap, and red food coloring, with varying amounts to test different reactions.
  • Elastic force can be explored by creating a Paddle Wheel boat using a milk carton, elastic bands, popsicle sticks, and clamshell packaging.
  • A larger version of the Paddle Wheel boat, the SS Max Out, can be made using surgical tubing, an air mattress, lumber, and a flutter board.
  • A Vortex Cannon can be built using a plastic cup, balloon, elastic, scissors, and a craft knife to demonstrate the science of shaping air into a Vortex ring.

01:30:51

Science Experiments Showcase Spectacular Reactions and Launches

  • Levitating books: Books appear to levitate but are actually supported by the books below, using the center of mass to balance each book on the one below.
  • Bike tire experiment: A bike tire is too light to hold from the end of a pole with one hand, but spinning it fast enough with a drill allows it to be held in the air due to angular momentum.
  • Rocket launch: A rocket is launched using an antacid tablet and water reaction, contained until the chemical reaction builds up gas pressure and launches the rocket.
  • Rocket expansion: To increase rocket size, sodium acetate crystals are used, created by heating water and dissolving the crystals, which recrystallize instantly with a seed crystal.
  • Catapult construction: A catapult is built using pencils, elastics, and popsicle sticks, creating torsion force to store elastic energy for launching objects.
  • Chemical rocket: A chemical-powered rocket is made using an antacid tablet and water in a film canister, creating carbon dioxide gas pressure for launch.
  • Acid-base reaction: Acids and bases react chemically in water, exchanging protons to create reactions, with water facilitating the process.
  • Multiple rocket launch: 400 chemical rockets are set up simultaneously, each with an antacid tablet and water, creating a spectacular launch with increased pressure and height.
  • Balloon and orange reaction: Linalool in orange peels breaks down latex in balloons, causing them to pop, showcasing a chemical reaction between the two.
  • Pumpkin drop experiment: A pumpkin is dropped as a control in an experiment comparing its impact with different cushioning materials to prevent damage upon impact.

01:48:51

"Materials and Experiments in Science"

  • Spiderwebs are compared to steel in terms of strength, with spiderwebs being lighter but not as strong as steel when compared by thickness.
  • Modern science has developed carbon nanotubes as a stronger alternative to spiderwebs, but they are currently expensive to produce.
  • Hagfish slime is a natural polymer that expands when mixed with seawater, making it a valuable material for scientists.
  • Foam, like aerogel, is a lightweight insulator used by NASA due to its high air content.
  • A new method of building a pasta bridge involves rolling pasta sheets diagonally and spraying them with varnish for stability.
  • Various egg drop contraptions are tested, with a parachute design proving successful in protecting the egg.
  • The experiment is expanded to a pumpkin drop to demonstrate the impact of weight on falling objects.
  • The concept of chemicals is explained using the periodic table and elements as building blocks for all matter.
  • A fun chemistry experiment involving vinegar, baking soda, and soap is conducted, with the suggestion to use 100% acetic acid for a more powerful reaction.
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