Easy experiments in physics at home. Entertaining experiments in physics (research work)

Good afternoon, guests of the Eureka Research Institute website! Do you agree that knowledge supported by practice is much more effective than theory? Entertaining experiments in physics will not only provide great entertainment, but will also arouse a child’s interest in science, and will also remain in the memory much longer than a paragraph in a textbook.

What can experiments teach children?

We bring to your attention 7 experiments with explanations that will definitely raise the question in your child “Why?” As a result, the child learns that:

By mixing 3 primary colors: red, yellow and blue, you can get additional ones: green, orange and purple. Have you thought about paints? We offer you another, unusual way to verify this.
Light reflects off a white surface and turns into heat if it hits a black object. What could this lead to? Let's figure it out.
All objects are subject to gravity, that is, they tend to a state of rest. In practice it looks fantastic.
Objects have a center of mass. And what? Let's learn to benefit from this.
Magnet is an invisible but powerful force of some metals that can give you the abilities of a magician.
Static electricity can not only attract your hair, but also sort out small particles.

So let's make our kids proficient!

1. Create a new color

This experiment will be useful for preschoolers and primary schoolchildren. To conduct the experiment we will need:

flashlight;
red, blue and yellow cellophane;
ribbon;
white wall.

We conduct the experiment near a white wall:

We take a lantern, cover it first with red and then yellow cellophane, and then turn on the light. We look at the wall and see an orange reflection.
Now we remove the yellow cellophane and put a blue bag on top of the red one. Our wall is illuminated in purple.
And if we cover the lantern with blue and then yellow cellophane, then we will see a green spot on the wall.
This experiment can be continued with other colors.

2. Black and sunbeam: an explosive combination

To carry out the experiment you will need:

1 transparent and 1 black balloon;
magnifying glass;
Sun Ray.

This experience will require skill, but you can do it.

First you need to inflate a transparent balloon. Hold it tightly, but do not tie the end.
Now, using the blunt end of a pencil, push the black balloon halfway inside the transparent one.
Inflate the black balloon inside the clear one until it fills about half the volume.
Tie the end of the black ball and push it into the middle of the clear ball.
Inflate the transparent balloon a little more and tie the end.
Position the magnifying glass so that the sun's ray hits the black ball.
After a few minutes, the black ball will burst inside the transparent one.

Tell your child that transparent materials allow sunlight to pass through, so we can see the street through the window. A black surface, on the contrary, absorbs light rays and turns them into heat. This is why it is recommended to wear light-colored clothing in hot weather to avoid overheating. When the black ball heated up, it began to lose its elasticity and burst under the pressure of the internal air.

3. Lazy ball

The next experiment is a real show, but you will need to practice to carry it out. The school provides an explanation for this phenomenon in the 7th grade, but in practice this can be done even in preschool age. Prepare the following items:

plastic cup;
metal dish;
cardboard toilet paper tube;
tennis ball;
meter;
broom.

How to conduct this experiment?

So, place the glass on the edge of the table.
Place a dish on the glass so that its edge on one side is above the floor.
Place the base of the toilet paper roll in the center of the dish directly above the glass.
Place the ball on top.
Stand half a meter from the structure with a broom in your hand so that its rods are bent towards your feet. Stand on top of them.
Now pull back the broom and release it quickly.
The handle will hit the dish, and it, together with the cardboard sleeve, will fly to the side, and the ball will fall into the glass.

Why didn't it fly away with the rest of the items?

Because, according to the law of inertia, an object that is not acted upon by other forces tends to remain at rest. In our case, the ball was only affected by the force of gravity towards the Earth, so it fell down.

4. Raw or cooked?

Let's introduce the child to the center of mass. To do this, let's take:

· cooled hard-boiled egg;

· 2 raw eggs;

Invite a group of children to distinguish a boiled egg from a raw one. However, eggs cannot be broken. Say that you can do it without fail.

Roll both eggs on the table.
The egg that rotates faster and at a uniform speed is boiled.
To prove your point, crack another egg into a bowl.
Take a second raw egg and a paper napkin.
Ask a member of the audience to make the egg stand on the blunt end. No one can do this except you, since only you know the secret.
Just vigorously shake the egg up and down for half a minute, then easily place it on a napkin.

Why do eggs behave differently?

They, like any other object, have a center of mass. That is, different parts of an object may not weigh the same, but there is a point that divides its mass into equal parts. In a boiled egg, due to its more uniform density, the center of mass remains in the same place during rotation, but in a raw egg it moves along with the yolk, which makes its movement difficult. In a raw egg that has been shaken, the yolk drops to the blunt end and the center of mass is there, so it can be placed.

5. “Golden” mean

Invite the children to find the middle of the stick without a ruler, but just by eye. Evaluate the result using a ruler and say that it is not entirely correct. Now do it yourself. A mop handle is best.

Raise the stick to waist level.
Place it on 2 index fingers, keeping them at a distance of 60 cm.
Move your fingers closer together and make sure the stick doesn't lose its balance.
When your fingers come together and the stick is parallel to the floor, you have reached your goal.
Place the stick on the table, keeping your finger on the desired mark. Use a ruler to make sure you have completed the task accurately.

Tell your child that you found not just the middle of the stick, but its center of mass. If the object is symmetrical, then it will coincide with its middle.

6. Zero gravity in a jar

Let's make the needles hang in the air. To do this, let's take:

2 threads of 30 cm;
2 needles;
transparent tape;
liter jar and lid;
ruler;
small magnet.

How to conduct the experiment?

Thread the needles and tie the ends with two knots.
Tape the knots to the bottom of the jar, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 cm) to the edge.
From the inside of the lid, glue the tape in the form of a loop, with the sticky side facing out.
Place the lid on the table and glue a magnet to the hinge. Turn the jar over and screw on the lid. The needles will hang down and be drawn towards the magnet.
When you turn the jar upside down, the needles will still be drawn to the magnet. You may need to lengthen the threads if the magnet does not hold the needles upright.
Now unscrew the lid and place it on the table. You are ready to perform the experiment in front of an audience. As soon as you screw on the lid, the needles from the bottom of the jar will shoot up.

Tell your child that a magnet attracts iron, cobalt and nickel, so iron needles are susceptible to its influence.

7. “+” and “-”: beneficial attraction

Your child has probably noticed how hair is magnetic to certain fabrics or combs. And you told him that static electricity is to blame. Let's do an experiment from the same series and show what else the “friendship” of negative and positive charges can lead to. We will need:

paper towel;
1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper;
spoon;
balloon;
woolen item.

Experiment stages:

Place a paper towel on the floor and sprinkle the salt and pepper mixture on it.
Ask your child: how to separate salt from pepper now?
Rub the inflated balloon on a woolen item.
Season it with salt and pepper.
The salt will remain in place, and the pepper will be magnetized to the ball.

After rubbing against the wool, the ball acquires a negative charge, which attracts positive ions from the pepper. The salt's electrons are not so mobile, so they do not react to the approach of the ball.

Experiences at home are valuable life experiences

Admit it, you yourself were interested in watching what was happening, and even more so for the child. By performing amazing tricks with the simplest substances, you will teach your child:

trust you;
see the amazing in everyday life;
It’s exciting to learn the laws of the world around you;
develop diversified;
learn with interest and desire.

We remind you once again that developing a child is simple and you don’t need a lot of money and time. See you soon!

Where do real scientists come from? After all, someone makes extraordinary discoveries, invents ingenious devices that we use. Some even receive worldwide recognition in the form of prestigious awards. According to teachers, childhood is the beginning of the path to future discoveries and achievements.

Do primary schoolchildren need physics?

Most school programs require the study of physics from the fifth grade. However, parents are well aware of the many questions that arise in inquisitive children of primary school age and even preschoolers. Experiments in physics will help open the way to the wonderful world of knowledge. For schoolchildren aged 7-10 years old, they will, of course, be simple. Despite the simplicity of the experiments, but having understood the basic physical principles and laws, children feel like omnipotent wizards. This is wonderful, because a keen interest in science is the key to successful studies.

Children's abilities do not always reveal themselves. It is often necessary to offer children a certain scientific activity, only then do they develop inclinations towards this or that knowledge. Home experiments are an easy way to find out whether your child is interested in natural sciences. Little discoverers of the world rarely remain indifferent to “wonderful” actions. Even if the desire to study physics does not clearly manifest itself, it is still worth laying down the basics of physical knowledge.

The simplest experiments carried out at home are good because even shy, self-doubting children are happy to do home experiments. Achieving the expected result gives rise to self-confidence. Peers enthusiastically accept demonstrations of such “tricks,” which improves relationships between the children.

Requirements for conducting experiments at home

To make studying the laws of physics at home safe, you must take the following precautions:

Absolutely all experiments are carried out with the participation of adults. Of course, many studies are safe. The trouble is that guys don’t always draw a clear line between harmless and dangerous manipulations.
You must be especially careful if sharp, piercing or cutting objects or open fire are used. The presence of elders is mandatory here.
The use of toxic substances is prohibited.
The child needs to describe in detail the order of actions that should be performed. It is necessary to clearly formulate the purpose of the work.
Adults must explain the essence of the experiments, the principles of operation of the laws of physics.

Simple research

You can begin to get acquainted with physics by demonstrating the properties of substances. These should be the simplest experiments for children.

Important! It is advisable to anticipate possible children’s questions in order to answer them in as much detail as possible. It’s unpleasant when mom or dad suggest conducting an experiment, vaguely understanding what it confirms. Therefore, it is better to prepare by studying the necessary literature.

Different density

Every substance has a density that affects its weight. Different indicators of this parameter have interesting manifestations in the form of a multilayer liquid.

Even preschoolers can conduct such simple experiments with liquids and observe their properties.
For the experiment you will need:

sugar syrup;
vegetable oil;
water;
glass jar;
several small objects (for example, a coin, a plastic bead, a piece of foam, a pin).

The jar needs to be filled approximately 1/3 with syrup, add the same amount of water and oil. The liquids will not mix, but will form layers. The reason is density; a substance with a lower density is lighter. Then, one by one, you need to lower the items into the jar. They will “freeze” at different levels. It all depends on how the densities of liquids and objects relate to each other. If the density of the material is less than the liquid, the thing will not sink.

floating egg

You will need:

2 glasses;
tablespoon;
salt;
water;
2 eggs.

Both glasses need to be filled with water. Dissolve 2 full tablespoons of salt in one of them. Then you should lower the eggs into the glasses. In normal water it will sink, but in salt water it will float. Salt increases the density of water. This explains the fact that it is easier to swim in sea water than in fresh water.

Surface tension of water

Children should be explained that molecules on the surface of a liquid attract each other, forming a thin elastic film. This property of water is called surface tension. This explains, for example, the water strider’s ability to glide across the water surface of a pond.

Non-Spillable Water

Necessary:

glass beaker;
water;
paper clips.

The glass is filled to the brim with water. It seems that one paperclip is enough to cause the liquid to spill. Carefully insert the paper clips into the glass one by one. By lowering about a dozen paper clips, you can see that the water does not pour out, but forms a small dome on the surface.

Floating matches

Necessary:

Bowl;
water;
4 matches;
liquid soap.

Pour water into a bowl and put in matches. They will be practically motionless on the surface. If you drop detergent into the center, the matches will instantly spread to the edges of the bowl. Soap reduces the surface tension of water.

Entertaining experiments

Working with light and sound can be very spectacular for children. Teachers claim that entertaining experiments are interesting for children of different ages. For example, the physical experiments proposed here are also suitable for preschoolers.

Glowing "lava"

This experiment does not create a real lamp, but nicely simulates the operation of a lamp with moving particles.
Necessary:

glass jar;
water;
vegetable oil;
salt or any effervescent tablet;
food coloring;
flashlight.

The jar needs to be filled about 2/3 with colored water, then add oil almost to the brim. Sprinkle a little salt on top. Then go into a darkened room and illuminate the jar from below with a flashlight. The grains of salt will sink to the bottom, taking droplets of fat with them. Later, when the salt dissolves, the oil will rise to the surface again.

Home Rainbow

Sunlight can be broken down into multi-colored rays that make up the spectrum.

Necessary:

bright natural light;
cup;
water;
tall box or chair;
large sheet of white paper.

On a sunny day, you should place paper on the floor in front of a window that lets in bright light. Place a box (chair) nearby and place a glass filled with water on top. A rainbow will appear on the floor. To see the colors in full, just move the paper and catch it. A transparent container with water acts as a prism that splits the beam into parts of the spectrum.

Doctor's stethoscope

Sound travels through waves. Sound waves in space can be redirected and amplified.
You will need:

a piece of rubber tube (hose);
2 funnels;
plasticine.

You need to insert a funnel into both ends of the rubber tube, securing it with plasticine. Now it is enough to put one to your heart, and the other to your ear. The heartbeat can be clearly heard. The funnel “collects” the waves; the inner surface of the tube does not allow them to dissipate in space.

A doctor's stethoscope works on this principle. In the old days, hearing aids for hearing-impaired people had approximately the same device.

Important! Do not use loud sound sources as this may damage your hearing.

Experiments

What is the difference between experiment and experience? These are research methods. Usually an experiment is carried out with a pre-known result, demonstrating an already understood axiom. The experiment is designed to confirm or refute the hypothesis.

For children, the difference between these concepts is almost imperceptible; any action is performed for the first time, without a scientific basis.

However, often awakened interest pushes children to new experiments arising from the already known properties of materials. This kind of independence should be encouraged.

Freezing liquids

Matter changes properties with changes in temperature. Children are interested in the change in the properties of all kinds of liquids when they turn into ice. Different substances have different freezing points. Also, at low temperatures their density changes.

Note! When freezing liquids, use only plastic containers. It is not advisable to use glass containers, as they may burst. The reason is that when liquids freeze, they change their structure. Molecules form crystals, the distance between them increases, and the volume of the substance increases.

If you fill different molds with water and orange juice and leave them in the freezer, what will happen? The water will already freeze, but the juice will partially remain liquid. The reason is the freezing point of the liquid. Similar experiments can be carried out with different substances.
By pouring water and oil into a transparent container, you can see the already familiar separation. Oil floats to the surface of the water because it is less dense. What can be observed when a container with contents is frozen? Water and oil change places. The ice will be on top, the oil will now be at the bottom. As the water froze, it became lighter.

Working with a magnet

The manifestation of the magnetic properties of various substances is of great interest to younger schoolchildren. Interesting physics suggests checking these properties.

Experiment options (magnets will be needed):

Testing the ability to attract various objects

You can keep records indicating the properties of materials (plastic, wood, iron, copper). An interesting material is iron filings, the movement of which looks fascinating.

Study of the ability of a magnet to act through other materials.

For example, a metal object is exposed to a magnet through glass, cardboard, or a wooden surface.

Consider the ability of magnets to attract and repel.

Study of magnetic poles (like poles repel, unlike poles attract). A spectacular option is to attach magnets to floating toy boats.

Magnetized needle - analogue of a compass

In water, it indicates the direction "north - south". The magnetized needle attracts other small objects.

It is advisable not to overload the little researcher with information. The purpose of the experiments is to show how the laws of physics work. It is better to examine one phenomenon in detail than to endlessly change directions for the sake of entertainment.
Before each experiment, it is easy to explain the properties and characteristics of the objects involved in them. Then sum it up with your child.
Safety rules deserve special attention. The beginning of each lesson is accompanied by instructions.

Scientific experiments are exciting! Perhaps it will be the same for parents. Together, discovering new sides of ordinary phenomena is doubly interesting. It is worth throwing away everyday worries and sharing the childish joy of discovery.

Most people, recalling their school years, are sure that physics is a very boring subject. The course includes many problems and formulas that will not be useful to anyone in later life. On the one hand, these statements are true, but, like any subject, physics has another side to the coin. But not everyone discovers it for themselves.

A lot depends on the teacher

Perhaps our education system is to blame for this, or maybe it’s all about the teacher who thinks only about the need to teach the material approved from above and does not strive to interest his students. Most often it is he who is to blame. However, if the children are lucky and the lesson is taught by a teacher who loves his subject, he will not only be able to interest the students, but will also help them discover something new. As a result, children will begin to enjoy attending such classes. Of course, formulas are an integral part of this academic subject; there is no escape from it. But there are also positive aspects. Experiments are of particular interest to schoolchildren. This is what we will talk about in more detail. We'll look at some fun physics experiments you can do with your child. This should be interesting not only to him, but also to you. It is likely that with the help of such activities you will instill in your child a genuine interest in learning, and “boring” physics will become his favorite subject. It’s not at all difficult to carry out, it will require very few attributes, the main thing is that there is a desire. And perhaps then you will be able to replace your child’s school teacher.

Let's look at some interesting experiments in physics for little ones, because you need to start small.

Paper fish

To conduct this experiment, we need to cut out a small fish from thick paper (or cardboard), the length of which should be 30-50 mm. We make a round hole in the middle with a diameter of approximately 10-15 mm. Next, from the side of the tail, we cut a narrow channel (width 3-4 mm) to a round hole. Then we pour water into the basin and carefully place our fish there so that one plane lies on the water, and the second remains dry. Now you need to drop some oil into the round hole (you can use an oil can from a sewing machine or bicycle). The oil, trying to spread over the surface of the water, will flow through the cut channel, and the fish will swim forward under the influence of the oil flowing back.

Elephant and Moska

Let's continue to conduct entertaining experiments in physics with our child. We invite you to introduce your child to the concept of a lever and how it helps make a person’s work easier. For example, tell us that it can be used to easily lift a heavy cabinet or sofa. And for clarity, show a basic experiment in physics using a lever. To do this, we will need a ruler, a pencil and a couple of small toys, but always of different weights (that’s why we called this experiment “Elephant and Pug”). We attach our Elephant and Pug to different ends of the ruler using plasticine or ordinary thread (we just tie the toys). Now, if you put the middle part of the ruler on a pencil, then, of course, the elephant will pull it, because it is heavier. But if you move the pencil towards the elephant, then Moska will easily outweigh it. This is the principle of leverage. The ruler (lever) rests on the pencil - this place is the fulcrum. Next, the child should be told that this principle is used everywhere; it is the basis for the operation of a crane, swing, and even scissors.

Home experiment in physics with inertia

We will need a jar of water and a utility net. It will be no secret to anyone that if you turn an open jar over, water will pour out of it. Let's try? Of course, it’s better to go outside for this. We put the can in the net and begin to swing it smoothly, gradually increasing the amplitude, and as a result we make a full revolution - one, two, three, and so on. Water does not pour out. Interesting? Now let's make the water pour out. To do this, take a tin can and make a hole in the bottom. We put it in the net, fill it with water and start rotating. A stream comes out of the hole. When the can is in the lower position, this does not surprise anyone, but when it flies up, the fountain continues to flow in the same direction, and not a drop comes out of the neck. That's it. All this can be explained by the principle of inertia. When rotating, the can tends to fly straight away, but the mesh does not let it go and forces it to describe circles. Water also tends to fly by inertia, and in the case when we have made a hole in the bottom, there is nothing stopping it from breaking out and moving in a straight line.

Box with a surprise

Now let's look at physics experiments with displacement. You need to put a matchbox on the edge of the table and slowly move it. The moment it passes its average mark, a fall will occur. That is, the mass of the part pushed beyond the edge of the table top will exceed the weight of the remaining part, and the box will tip over. Now let's shift the center of mass, for example, put a metal nut inside (as close to the edge as possible). All that remains is to place the box in such a way that a small part of it remains on the table, and a large part hangs in the air. There will be no fall. The essence of this experiment is that the entire mass is above the fulcrum. This principle is also used throughout. It is thanks to him that furniture, monuments, transport, and much more are in a stable position. By the way, the children's toy Vanka-Vstanka is also built on the principle of shifting the center of mass.

So, let's continue to look at interesting experiments in physics, but let's move on to the next stage - for sixth-grade students.

Water carousel

We will need an empty tin can, a hammer, a nail, and a rope. We use a nail and a hammer to punch a hole in the side wall near the bottom. Next, without pulling the nail out of the hole, bend it to the side. It is necessary that the hole is oblique. We repeat the procedure on the second side of the can - you need to make sure that the holes are opposite each other, but the nails are bent in different directions. We punch two more holes in the upper part of the vessel and thread the ends of a rope or thick thread into them. We hang the container and fill it with water. Two oblique fountains will begin to flow from the lower holes, and the jar will begin to rotate in the opposite direction. Space rockets work on this principle - the flame from the engine nozzles shoots in one direction, and the rocket flies in the other.

Experiments in physics - 7th grade

Let's conduct an experiment with mass density and find out how you can make an egg float. Physics experiments with different densities are best done using fresh and salt water as an example. Take a jar filled with hot water. Drop an egg into it and it will immediately sink. Next, add table salt to the water and stir. The egg begins to float, and the more salt, the higher it will rise. This is because salt water has a higher density than fresh water. So, everyone knows that in the Dead Sea (its water is the saltiest) it is almost impossible to drown. As you can see, experiments in physics can significantly expand your child’s horizons.

and a plastic bottle

Seventh grade students begin to study atmospheric pressure and its effect on the objects around us. To explore this topic deeper, it is better to conduct appropriate experiments in physics. Atmospheric pressure affects us, although it remains invisible. Let's take an example with a balloon. Each of us can cheat it. Then we will place it in a plastic bottle, put the edges on the neck and secure it. This way, air can only flow into the ball, and the bottle will become a sealed container. Now let's try to inflate the balloon. We will not succeed, since the atmospheric pressure in the bottle will not allow us to do this. When we blow, the ball begins to displace the air in the container. And since our bottle is sealed, it has nowhere to go, and it begins to shrink, thereby becoming much denser than the air in the ball. Accordingly, the system is leveled, and it is impossible to inflate the balloon. Now we’ll make a hole in the bottom and try to inflate the balloon. In this case, there is no resistance, the displaced air leaves the bottle - the atmospheric pressure is equalized.

Conclusion

As you can see, the physics experiments are not at all complicated and quite interesting. Try to interest your child - and his studies will be completely different, he will begin to attend classes with pleasure, which will ultimately affect his performance.

At-home experiments are a great way to introduce children to the basics of physics and chemistry, and make complex, abstract laws and terms easier to understand through visual demonstrations. Moreover, to carry them out you do not need to acquire expensive reagents or special equipment. After all, without thinking, we carry out experiments every day at home - from adding slaked soda to dough to connecting batteries to a flashlight. Read on to learn how to conduct interesting experiments easily, simply, and safely.

Chemical experiments at home

Does the image of a professor with a glass flask and singed eyebrows immediately come to mind? Don't worry, our chemical experiments at home are completely safe, interesting and useful. Thanks to them, the child will easily remember what exo- and endothermic reactions are and what the difference is between them.

So let's make hatchable dinosaur eggs that can be used as bath bombs.

For the experience you need:

small dinosaur figurines;
baking soda;
vegetable oil;
lemon acid;
food coloring or liquid watercolor paints.

Procedure for conducting the experiment

Place ½ cup baking soda in a small bowl and add about ¼ tsp. liquid colors (or dissolve 1-2 drops of food coloring in ¼ teaspoon of water), mix the baking soda with your fingers to create an even color.
Add 1 tbsp. l. citric acid. Mix dry ingredients thoroughly.
Add 1 tsp. vegetable oil.
You should have a crumbly dough that barely sticks together when pressed. If it doesn’t want to stick together at all, then slowly add ¼ tsp. butter until you reach the desired consistency.
Now take the dinosaur figurine and mold the dough into an egg shape. It will be very fragile at first, so you should set it aside overnight (at least 10 hours) to harden.
Then you can start a fun experiment: fill the bathtub with water and throw an egg into it. It will fizz furiously as it dissolves in the water. It will be cold when touched because it is an endothermic reaction between an acid and alkali, absorbing heat from the environment.

Please note that the bath may become slippery due to the addition of oil.

Elephant toothpaste

Experiments at home, the results of which can be felt and touched, are very popular with children. That includes this fun project that ends with lots of dense, fluffy colored foam.

To carry it out you will need:

safety glasses for children;
dry active yeast;
warm water;
hydrogen peroxide 6%;
dishwashing detergent or liquid soap (not antibacterial);
funnel;
plastic glitter (necessarily non-metallic);
food colorings;
0.5 liter bottle (it is best to take a bottle with a wide bottom for greater stability, but a regular plastic one will do).

The experiment itself is extremely simple:

1 tsp. dilute dry yeast in 2 tbsp. l. warm water.
In a bottle placed in a sink or dish with high sides, pour ½ cup of hydrogen peroxide, a drop of dye, glitter and a little dishwashing liquid (several presses on the dispenser).
Insert the funnel and pour in the yeast. The reaction will begin immediately, so act quickly.

The yeast acts as a catalyst and accelerates the release of hydrogen peroxide, and when the gas reacts with soap, it creates a huge amount of foam. This is an exothermic reaction, releasing heat, so if you touch the bottle after the “eruption” has stopped, it will be warm. Since the hydrogen immediately evaporates, you're left with just soap scum to play with.

Physics experiments at home

Did you know that lemon can be used as a battery? True, very low-power. Experiments at home with citrus fruits will demonstrate to children the operation of a battery and a closed electrical circuit.

For the experiment you will need:

lemons - 4 pcs.;
galvanized nails - 4 pcs.;
small pieces of copper (you can take coins) - 4 pcs.;
alligator clips with short wires (about 20 cm) - 5 pcs.;
small light bulb or flashlight - 1 pc.

Let there be light

Here's how to do the experiment:

Roll on a hard surface, then squeeze the lemons lightly to release the juice inside the skins.
Insert one galvanized nail and one piece of copper into each lemon. Place them on the same line.
Connect one end of the wire to a galvanized nail and the other to a piece of copper in another lemon. Repeat this step until all the fruits are connected.
When you're done, you should be left with 1 nail and 1 piece of copper that are not connected to anything. Prepare your light bulb, determine the polarity of the battery.
Connect the remaining piece of copper (plus) and the nail (minus) to the plus and minus of the flashlight. Thus, a chain of connected lemons is a battery.
Turn on a light bulb that will run on fruit energy!

To repeat such experiments at home, potatoes, especially green ones, are also suitable.

How it works? The citric acid found in lemon reacts with two different metals, which causes the ions to move in one direction, creating an electrical current. All chemical sources of electricity operate on this principle.

Summer fun

You don't have to stay indoors to do some experiments. Some experiments will work better outside, and you won't have to clean anything up after they're done. These include interesting experiments at home with air bubbles, not simple ones, but huge ones.

To make them you will need:

2 wooden sticks 50-100 cm long (depending on the age and height of the child);
2 metal screw-in ears;
1 metal washer;
3 m of cotton cord;
bucket with water;
any detergent - for dishes, shampoo, liquid soap.

Here's how to conduct spectacular experiments for children at home:

Screw metal tabs into the ends of the sticks.
Cut the cotton cord into two parts, 1 and 2 m long. You may not strictly adhere to these measurements, but it is important that the proportion between them is maintained at 1 to 2.
Place a washer on a long piece of rope so that it hangs evenly in the center, and tie both ropes to the eyes on the sticks, forming a loop.
Mix a small amount of detergent in a bucket of water.
Gently dip the loop of the sticks into the liquid and begin blowing giant bubbles. To separate them from each other, carefully bring the ends of the two sticks together.

What is the scientific component of this experiment? Explain to children that bubbles are held together by surface tension, the attractive force that holds the molecules of any liquid together. Its effect is manifested in the fact that spilled water collects into drops, which tend to take on a spherical shape, as the most compact of all existing in nature, or in the fact that water, when poured, collects into cylindrical streams. The bubble has a layer of liquid molecules on both sides sandwiched by soap molecules, which increase its surface tension when distributed over the surface of the bubble and prevent it from quickly evaporating. While the sticks are kept open, the water is held in the form of a cylinder; as soon as they are closed, it tends to a spherical shape.

These are the kinds of experiments you can do at home with children.

Experiment is one of the most informative ways of learning. Thanks to him, it is possible to obtain diverse and extensive titles about the phenomenon or system being studied. It is experiment that plays a fundamental role in physical research. Beautiful physical experiments remain in the memory of subsequent generations for a long time, and also contribute to the popularization of physical ideas among the masses. Here are the most interesting physical experiments according to the physicists themselves from a survey by Robert Kreese and Stoney Book.

1. Experiment of Eratosthenes of Cyrene

This experiment is rightfully considered one of the most ancient to date. In the third century BC. The librarian of the Library of Alexandria, Erastophenes of Cyrene, measured the radius of the Earth in an interesting way. On the day of the summer solstice in Siena, the sun was at its zenith, as a result of which there were no shadows from objects. 5000 stadia to the north in Alexandria, at the same time, the Sun deviated from the zenith by 7 degrees. From here the librarian received information that the circumference of the Earth is 40 thousand km, and its radius is 6300 km. Erastofen obtained figures that were only 5% less than today’s, which is simply amazing for the ancient measuring instruments he used.

2. Galileo Galilei and his very first experiment

In the 17th century, Aristotle's theory was dominant and unquestioned. According to this theory, the speed at which a body falls directly depends on its weight. An example was the feather and the stone. The theory was wrong because it did not take into account air resistance.

Galileo Galilei doubted this theory and decided to conduct a series of experiments personally. He took a large cannonball and launched it from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, paired with a light musket ball. Given their close, streamlined shape, air resistance could easily be neglected and, of course, both objects landed simultaneously, refuting Aristotle's theory. believes that you need to personally go to Pisa and throw something similar in appearance and different in weight from the tower in order to feel like a great scientist.

3. Galileo Galilei's second experiment

Aristotle's second statement was that bodies under the influence of force move with constant speed. Galileo launched metal balls down an inclined plane and recorded the distance they traveled over a certain time. Then he doubled the time, but during this time the balls traveled 4 times the distance. Thus, the dependence was not linear, that is, the speed was not constant. From this Galileo concluded that motion is accelerated under the influence of force.
These two experiments served as the basis for the creation of classical mechanics.

4. Henry Cavendish's experiment

Newton is the owner of the formulation of the law of universal gravitation, which includes the gravitational constant. Naturally, the problem of finding its numerical value arose. But for this it would be necessary to measure the force of interaction between the bodies. But the problem is that the force of gravity is quite weak; it would be necessary to use either gigantic masses or small distances.

John Michell was able to come up with, and Cavendish to conduct in 1798, a rather interesting experiment. The measuring instrument was a torsion balance. Balls on thin ropes were attached to them on a rocker arm. Mirrors were attached to the balls. Then very large and heavy ones were brought to the small balls and the displacements along the light spots were recorded. The result of a series of experiments was the determination of the value of the gravitational constant and the mass of the Earth.

5. The experiment of Jean Bernard Leon Foucault

Thanks to the huge (67 m) pendulum, which was installed in the Paris Pantheon in 1851, Foucault experimentally proved the fact that the Earth rotates around its axis. The plane of rotation of the pendulum remains unchanged with respect to the stars, but the observer rotates with the planet. Thus, you can see how the plane of rotation of the pendulum gradually shifts to the side. This is a fairly simple and safe experiment, unlike the one we wrote about in the article

6. Isaac Newton's experiment

And again Aristotle's statement was tested. It was believed that different colors were mixtures of light and dark in varying proportions. The more darkness, the closer the color is to purple and vice versa.

People have long noticed that large single crystals split light into colors. A series of experiments with prisms were carried out by the Czech naturalist Marcia and English Hariot. Newton began a new series in 1672.
Newton performed physical experiments in a dark room, passing a thin beam of light through a small hole in thick curtains. This beam hit the prism and was split into rainbow colors on the screen. The phenomenon was called dispersion and was later theoretically substantiated.

But Newton went further, because he was interested in the nature of light and colors. He passed rays through two prisms in series. Based on these experiments, Newton concluded that color is not a combination of light and darkness, and certainly not an attribute of an object. White light is made up of all the colors that can be seen through dispersion.

7. Thomas Young's experiment

Until the 19th century, the corpuscular theory of light dominated. It was believed that light, like matter, consists of particles. Thomas Young, an English physician and physicist, conducted his experiment in 1801 to test this claim. If we assume that light has a wave theory, then the same interacting waves should be observed as when throwing two stones onto water.

To imitate stones, Jung used an opaque screen with two holes and light sources behind it. Light passed through the holes and a pattern of light and dark stripes was formed on the screen. Light stripes formed where the waves reinforced each other, and dark stripes formed where they extinguished each other.

8. Klaus Jonsson and his experiment

In 1961, German physicist Klaus Jonsson proved that elementary particles have a particle-wave nature. For this purpose, he conducted an experiment similar to Young’s experiment, only replacing the light rays with electron beams. As a result, it was still possible to obtain an interference pattern.

9. Robert Millikan's experiment

Even at the beginning of the nineteenth century, the idea arose that every body has an electric charge, which is discrete and determined by indivisible elementary charges. By that time, the concept of an electron as a carrier of this same charge had been introduced, but it was not possible to detect this particle experimentally and calculate its charge.
American physicist Robert Millikan managed to develop an ideal example of grace in experimental physics. He isolated charged drops of water between the plates of a capacitor. Then, using X-rays, he ionized the air between the same plates and changed the charge of the droplets.