All light is made up of waves of electromagnetic radiation. A spectroscope spreads each different wavelength to a different position within a spectrum of light. Music is digitally recorded as circular ...

Make a simple mini-motor.Give the coil a spin to start it turning. If it doesn’t keep spinning on its own, check to make sure that the coil assembly is well balanced when spinning, that the enamel has ...

The colors you see here result from differences in the speed of polarized light as it travels through the transparent tape. In transparent tape, long polymer molecules are stretched parallel to the ...

A sharpened pencil, at least 6 inches (15 centimeters) long A long, straight, narrow pin—the narrower, the better A sheet of paper A vinyl record in reasonably good condition without too many ...

When you blow into the Sound Sandwich, you make the large rubber band vibrate, and that vibration produces sound. Long, massive objects vibrate slowly and produce low-pitched sounds; shorter, ...

Light becomes completely polarized parallel to the surface at one particular angle of reflection, called Brewster’s angle. Brewster’s angle for water is 53 degrees; for glass, it is 56 degrees; for ...

Gelatin is colloidal—its large molecules are suspended in solution in such a way that they don't settle out—and so it scatters enough of the laser beam to make it visible. Red dye in the red gelatin ...

The reflective power of a given surface is called the albedo ("whiteness" in Latin), which is the ratio of reflected energy compared to the amount hitting the surface. An opaque object that reflects ...

The pneumatic tire and the chain drive, followed by the development of gears, revolutionized bicycling in the later 1800s. In the last fifteen years, there has been a revolution of sorts in the ...

One of the most exciting exercises I ever did as a kid was to make a scale model of the Solar System. Most of the pictures in my books made the distance between planets seem small and easy to travel.

What should I wear? You'll want to wear comfortable clothes. We recommend layers, so that you're ready for whatever San Francisco weather comes your way—sun, fog, or a chilly ocean breeze. Comfortable ...

Put on your safety goggles. Pour 1 1/2 fluid ounces (40–50 mL) of acid-base indicator solution into each of the two clear plastic cups. Add 1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) of baking soda to the paper cup. Tape ...