Awesome Physics Experiments for Kids
Erica L Colon, PhD
Best Experiment
Sneaky Surface
Using a jar filled with water and a mesh screen learn about atmospheric pressure and surface tension.
Why we love it:
This is an awesome demonstration to see in person, but I rarely find it in books to tell someone how to do it. Great for wowing a crowd.
Unique Experiment
Popping Circuit Breakers
Using conductive materials arranged in a circuit, learn how a circuit breaker stopped over-powered lines.
Why we love it:
I have never seen an activity that addresses how a circuit breaker works. The activity is a bit of a setup for a quick demonstration, but it's interesting enough that you will want to do it again right away.
Don't Believe the Hype
You will have to do your own research to understand WHY these projects work. Some of these projects involve a whole unit of study, like Bernoulli's principle, and this book does not get into depth to explain why something is happening, only what is happening.
Most of these activities don't help you understand the topic, they help you demonstrate your mastery of it by applying this cool/wow principle to it.
E.g: Like look at this cool thing I can do because of the properties of surface tension.
Takeaways
This book separates physics into 8 basic categories which is a helpful way to break down such a broad field. Each chapter has the most popular wow demonstrations that go along with each concept.
This is a book to impress your friends with what you have learned.