Scale #11: Avalanches

A dynamic example of scale and tipping point in nature is the avalanche! We’ve got a mini-avalanche machine to demonstrate what happens. Notice the pattern: the particles build, and build, and then they reach a tipping point and they fall.

Scale #11: Avalanches

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Scale #10: Tipping Point

When you change scale, you affect stability. We’ve seen this demonstrated with the clay animals — now here’s another fun way to see this concept in action!

Scale #10: Tipping Point

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[Science It Up!] Bounce It!

What’s the physics behind bouncing? Why do some things bounce better than others? What does all of this have to do with energy? If you’re having any of these conversations, we’ve got a video full of bouncing for you and your students. Get their curiosity sparked with this week’s episode of Science It Up!

Bounce It! [Science It Up!]

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Bounce It!
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Cloud in a Bottle [Tips for Teachers]

A great activity for any class that talks about clouds, light, weather, or phases of water is our “Cloud in a Bottle.” Kenn and Cherie show you how we do it and talk about what your students can learn from it.

Cloud in a Bottle [Tips for Teachers]

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Scale #9: Changing the Scale

When you change the scale of something, you can change its behavior! Here is a great way to demonstrate this concept using a board and a simple tool: a plane.

Scale #9: Changing the Scale

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Scale #8: Robert Hooke

Robert Hooke amazed his contemporary scientific community with what he found while using a microscope. He looked at the world on a different scale, and you could say that he even looked at a different world! Modern-day scientist David Randall of CMMAP (Center for Multiscale Modeling of Atmospheric Processes) explains how he thinks of scale when doing his work on weather and climate.

Scale #8: Robert Hooke

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[Science It Up!] Transfer It!

With Science It Up!, we’re always trying to pack as much science fun into just a couple of minutes as we feasibly can! This month it’s no exception — we’re looking at the transfer of energy. We’ve got billiards, launching tennis balls, and a Newton’s cradle.

What?! You’ve seen all that? Well we’ve got a few things we dug out of the vault in the Physics department that we *know* you haven’t seen!

Transfer It! [Science It Up!]

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Transfer It!
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Introducing Energy [Tips for Teachers]

Energy is one of the most important topics for any physical science class to cover — and we’ve got you covered with several activities, methods, and formative assessments for introducing students to energy! Concepts covered include: conservation of energy, types of energy, and efficiency.

Introducing Energy [Tips for Teachers]

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Scale #7: Heat Packs

The science of weather can be challenging because large changes can occur with a simple change on the molecular level. Case in point? These heat packs… they are in a liquid state, but have been supercooled. That is, they want to be solid, but don’t know how to get there. However, if one tiny little crystal can be formed, all of the other molecules can use that point as a way to become solid. By snapping the metal tab inside of them, we can create a reaction and help the liquid become a solid. (As a fun side note, these are therefore heat packs because the phase change releases the stored energy in the liquid.)

Scale #7: Heat Packs

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Scale #6: Salt Crystals

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! In case that turkey and gravy wasn’t salty enough, we’ve got you covered. Here’s the scale of salt — what do you notice when the size changes?

Scale #6: Salt Crystals

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