Science Experiments & Demonstrations
KEY: Beginner - Moderate - Advanced
Experiments with Magnetism & Electricity
|Ferrofluids and Magnetorheological Fluids
Liquids can be made that will respond to a magnetic field in a variety of ways.
|Thermal effects on resistance
Watch the resistance of a coil drop when it is cooled to -20°C or rise when it is heated.
|Simple Magnetic Linear Accelerator
Also known as a coil gun or gauss rifle, this devices used electromagnets to accelerate ferrous projectiles.
|Induction and Repulsion
When a coil is energised with AC current, an opposing magnetic field is created in adjacant conductors.
|The Curie Effect
Heat can cause a magnetic material to loose its ability to retain a magnetic field.
Levitate a tiny magnet using a metal called Bismuth which has diamagnetic properties (repels a magnetic field
High Voltage Experiments
|Franklin Bells Lightning Detector
A simple device to detect the presence of electrostatic fields from lightning storms. This helps to demonstrate the principles of attraction and repulsion between charges.
Static electricity can be used to make a CD spin at high speeds. This experiment demonstrates the principles of induction and electrostatic forces.
|Lord Kelvin's Thunderstorm
Using dripping water to generate High Voltage Sparks. This experiment helps to demonstrate the principles of induction of electric charge and polarized molecules.
|Tesla Coil Experiments
A high voltage device known as a Tesla Coil can be used to create stunning visual effects and physical phenomenon. This helps to give an understanding of low temperature plasma and high voltage AC.
|Violent Discharge and Dielectric Breakdown
A simple low current voltage multiplier is used to generate high voltage DC. buildup of static charge can cause materials to break down in a variety of ways.
Mechanics and Motion Experiments
A very simple experiment to demonstrate how a liquid can become a gas very rapidly. A cup of hot water will expode when one simple ingredient is added to it.
A vortex can be made in a variety of ways. They can be used to study the natural phenomenon of tornados and dust devils, or just to understand the physical principles involved.
Rising thermal drafts can be trapped and controlled to create motion.
|Resonance and Simple Harmonic Motion
A demonstration of how harmonic motions cause resonant vibrations.
Splitting water with electricity creates explosive gas that can be used to launch tiny missiles.
|Liquid Metal Experiments
Mercury is not the only metal that is a liquid at room temperature. Learn how eutectic alloys can be made that can melt in hot water, or remain liquid down to -20° C
Free Energy Experiments
|Converting Heat into Electricity
Thermal differences in the environment can be used to generate electricity in a variety of ways. This demonstrate the Thermoelectric effect.
|Converting Sunlight into Electricity
A homemade solar panel. This demonstrates the Photoelectric effect.
Simple demonstrations of how wind can be used to create electricit
Optical, Light and Visual Experiments
Producing interference patterns using tiny slits can reveal information about the strange world of quantum mechanics. Lasers can also be used to create a visual amplification of vibrations on reflective surfaces.