Science Fair Project

[tddfleming]

Just a consideration, anything involving any kind of "high" pressure will probably need to be cleared with the school for liability reasons. I got in trouble (in a less litigious culture) for taking a sample of nanoscale TiO2 into school for a project. Even though it is almost completely inert (when not spread on your skin in some sunscreens) due to the relatively unknown properties of nanoparticles at that time the school was not happy. Now that I am taking nanotech at university we have an entire course dedicated to how much cancer nanoscale materials will give us.
Back to topic: check with the school before even bringing a scuba tank into the building.

Thanks for the heads up!!! Would not have taken one, but I could only guess the school would not be happy, esp. now that we are down 2 schools of the 6 org. schools. We sit back and laugh now, when my husband was in HS he caught the science class in a small fire. After his stunt, they were not allowed do anything like that again. I am not the science geek, but had something to do with silver powder and black powder (?). Could be wrong, would not be the first time.

 

[tddfleming]

Something simple, with the gear you already have (tank + reg + air gage) using compressed air as "fuel" for a motor / propulsion.

There is an air pocket in an egg, it will implode. Though I don't think it would be at 2 Bar, it would be at a higher density.

How about something silly and cheap?

- A step stool
- A Sliky
- A tennis ball

Read this "thread" that I made on PriusChat.com
Slinky Drop - make your prediction !!! - PriusChat Forums

Another one I like is dropping some "super balls" off a tall building. Demonstrating how height transfers Potential Energy to the ball, but the higher you go, the energy at one point ceases to increase due to Air Friction and Terminal Velocity.

Great video opportunities, like skydiving and letting go of the super ball. Does it go up or down relative to "you".

Does being hit on the head by a super ball dropped from 20 stories hurt? Does the ball bounce as high hitting pavement or the roof of a car?

Yep, my kids are messed up...! My 19 yr old son is a DM, believe it or not.

Sorry, I keep laughing everytime I read this whole thing. Did you or your kids ever find out if it hurts or not???

 

[Mark Derail]

Sorry, I keep laughing everytime I read this whole thing. Did you or your kids ever find out if it hurts or not???

It didn't help when I pretended to be knocked out cold from a relatively short height. They were too scared after that to place themselves in the path. Plus, aiming is quite difficult, the higher up you are.

It all started when I was six, we lived in an apartment complex on the 4th floor, I had a super ball, and in the back a balcony giving into a parking lot. Lots of creative ways to bounce a small, hard, rubber ball off of things.
The man I hit walking to his car wasn't impressed.

Surprisingly I don't remember denting the metal on the cars, made a wonderful noise though.

The Slinky Drop Experiment is a hoot !!! Your daughter should love it.

 

[Mark Derail]

[video=youtube;fd7D1LWzWmo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd7D1LWzWmo&feature=related[/video]

[video=youtube;NZvfr3HsSto]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZvfr3HsSto[/video]

 

[tddfleming]

When I was young, I had a BB gun, for some reason, I ended up with with large square rubber traget wrapped in cardboard, once shooting through the cardboard the BB's would bounce back at us. Then we took to hiding behind lawn furiture to shoot at it and try to keep from being hit. Looking back, not sure where my parents or grandparents were for this, as I was in the front yard.

 

[Mark Derail]

Before it becomes viral

[video=youtube;wGIZKETKKdw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGIZKETKKdw&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PLDA442EA7EB0B8698[/video]

 

[Guba]

In no particular order...
1. I have, indeed, taken soda bottles down on dives and filmed the results. I filled it with air, inverted it (leaving the mouth open) and videoed the results as we descended to about 70 feet.

2. I don't know about releasing sealed soda bottles from depth, but a ziploc bag works just fine. We videoed that too as it ascended and ruptured.

3. I'm having some of my classes make cartesian divers (made from drinking water bottles) next week. Demonstrating both Boyles Law and Archimedes principle.

4. There is a scuba tank (and a BC) sitting in my classroom right now. I used it today to explain Archimedes principle. As science chairman, I get to make (and break...well, bend) whatever rules I want. ; )

I love using scuba to teach principles to my classes. The kids seem to enjoy it, too.

 

[tddfleming]

Since the change in the school schedule, I have put my daughter in a parks & rec program for middle schoolers. In the program the stay with the current school schedule and the have to do school work and such. They bring in MS teachers to help the kids out. So, daughter just calls and says she now knows, she just needs a pressure vessel and bio-gel, and that we can email UVA to see about getting this stuff. Now, I ask you, this seems a little over the top for a project, and it was help from her old science teacher. So, now she wants to build an adult and kids torso out of the bio-gel, to use for the project. Shaking my head and pulling my hair out. Is it just me or should the teacher suggested something practical???

 

[CuNanoTube]

@Guba, my uncle is the head of a science department as well, his grade 12 physics project for his students was to make a rail gun that fires 3cm washers so hard they bend in half, it must be awesome to be able to do stuff like that.
@ todd: Biogel is actually pretty easy to attain, the hard part is making a mould. That can be done with plaster of paris and some plastic wrap.

 

[Mark Derail]

In no particular order...
1. I have, indeed, taken soda bottles down on dives and filmed the results. I filled it with air, inverted it (leaving the mouth open) and videoed the results as we descended to about 70 feet.

I want to do the opposite, and have someone at the top filming as the bottle breaks the surface and goes BOOM. Something for fun in the lake next summer. A ziplock bag makes no noise, not fun.

@tddfleming - so now your daughter can no longer choose a project? We're talking grade 8, aren't we? 14 yrs olds.
What you're describing sounds like a Mythbusters episode.