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Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Technicolor Shadows: Lessons in Light and Color

For Students 9th - 10th
Is that right side of your brain yearning to express its artistic side? This is a project that blends art with science. Learn about light and colorful shadows in these experiments where you mix and match various colors of light to create...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Balancing Act: Finding Your Center of Gravity

For Students 9th - 10th
Like to have the balance of a tightrope walker? Try the more close - to - the - ground balancing test in this easy experiment to learn a few trade secrets of the high wire experts. In this project, you'll find your center of gravity and...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies:skateboard Extremes:which Wheels Are Best for Speed & Turns?

For Students 9th - 10th
You can cruise and carve while you investigate which skateboard wheels produce the fastest (and slowest) rides on your terrain in these experiments. You pick the wheels and design the tests you think will produce the most extreme results...
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Article
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Drawing Circles Around Ants

For Students 3rd - 5th
Do ants sometimes ruin your picnic? There are some chemical ant repellents you can spray to keep them away, but who wants to spray poison all over their food? In this experiment you can investigate some less toxic solutions that may be...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: How Does Packaging Affect the Ripening of Fruit?

For Students 3rd - 5th
Why do different types of fruits come packaged in different ways? In this project, you will experiment with different ways of packaging fruit to see if it has an effect on the freshness of the fruit. Will a different kind of packaging...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Coke & Mentos Nucleation Goes Nuclear!

For Students 3rd - 7th
You may have seen it on You Tube and David Letterman - the exploding Coke and Mentos experiment? But what is it that makes the reaction happen? In this experiment you will see if tiny dimples called nucleation sites have anything to do...
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Lesson Plan
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: The Bouba Kiki Effect

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st Standards
It may be possible for certain symbolic characteristics, like sharpness and roundedness, to cross language barriers. In this experiment you will investigate the Bouba-Kiki Effect to find out if abstract visual properties can be linked to...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Bubble Ology

For Students 3rd - 5th
Making your own bubble solution is fun, but sometimes the bubbles don't seem to work as well as the solutions you buy in the store. In this experiment you can test if adding corn syrup or glycerin to your bubble solution will make it...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Roller Coaster Marbles: How Much Height to Loop the Loop?

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a really fun project even if you don't like going on roller coasters yourself. You'll build a roller coaster track for marbles using foam pipe insulation and masking tape, and see how much of an initial drop is required to get...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Dog Scents: The Super Nose of Man's Best Friend

For Students 3rd - 8th
Everyone thinks their dog's the best, but in the case of smelling ability, all dogs possess super powers. In fact, a dog's nose can be over a 1,000 times more sensitive than a human's. In this project, learn about smell from a dog's...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Converting Potential Energy to Kinetic Energy

For Students 9th - 10th
If you'd like to investigate the physics of amusement park rides, then this project is for you. You'll build a roller coaster track for marbles using foam pipe insulation and masking tape, and see how much the marble's potential energy...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Tightening the Turns in Speed Skating

For Students 9th - 10th
Fast turns around the track can become your laboratory tests in these experiments, whether you skate on ice, wood, or pavement. The goal is to determine which type of turns are best in a race - tight, medium, or wide - and then to figure...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Power Kicks: The Physics of Martial Arts

For Students 9th - 10th
If the discipline, precision, and power of martial arts is your bag, try this project out for size. You won't be sparring with any opponent other than a swinging kick bag, but you'll learn a few powerful lessons about the physics of...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: What Conflicting Mental Tasks Reveal About Thinking

For Students 9th - 10th
Can you pat your head with one hand while you rub your stomach with the other? This experiment is kind of like that, but it can actually give you some insight into how your mind works. The task is to name colors. It sounds simple enough,...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Shaping Your Thoughts?

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This is an experiment that explores certain aspects of how your brain pays attention. In this project, you'll have to recruit volunteers to take a simple test: naming a list of printed shapes. What makes the test tricky is that words...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Warped Words and the Stroop Effect

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
The Stroop effect describes an experiment about the time it takes to name the color of printed words. When you try to name the color in which color words are printed, it takes longer when the color word differs from the ink color than...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: How Fast Does an Alka Seltzer Tablet Make Gas?

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a straightforward, fun project to measure the rate of the chemical reaction that occurs when Alka-Seltzer tablets are plopped into water. You'll track the volume of carbon dioxide gas produced at regular intervals after the...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies:plop, Plop, Fizz Fast:the Effect of Temperature on Reaction Time

For Students 9th - 10th
By using Alka-Seltzer and different temperatures of water, you can determine the effect of the water temperature on the chemical reaction of the tablet. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Big Pieces or Small Pieces: Which React Faster?

For Students 9th - 10th
Use an Alka-Seltzer to find out how size of a particle affects the speed of a chemical reaction. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an abstract, objective, and introduction, followed by a section on...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Locating an Earthquake Using a Global Seismic Network

For Students 9th - 10th
When an earthquake happens, how are scientists able to determine the original location of the quake? In this project, you'll use archived data from a global network of seismometers to find out for yourself. You will make your own...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Can You Change the Rate of a Chemical Reaction?

For Students 9th - 10th
The ingredients in Alka-Seltzer tablets undergo a chemical reaction that produces carbon dioxide gas as soon as the tablets hit water. Do you think you can cause the tablets to produce gas faster by breaking them into smaller pieces...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Predators and Prey: How Do Cats Respond to Bird Sound

For Students 9th - 10th
A science fair project that ask whether cats respond to familiar bird sounds more readily that bird sounds in general. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an abstract, objective, and introduction,...
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Lesson Plan
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Measuring the Earth's Core With Seismic Waves

For Teachers 9th - 10th
When an earthquake occurs, seismic shock waves travel out through the earth from the source of the event. The shock waves travel through the earth (body waves), or along the Earth's surface (surface waves), and can be recorded at remote...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Testing Ant Repellents

For Students 9th - 10th
Has your house ever suffered an ant invasion? This project is an interesting way to investigate what substances are effective as ant repellents. The goal is to find substances that keep ants away, yet are safe for humans and the...