Flymo Hover Lawnmower

Description:  The Flymo hover mower is built on the same principles as a hovercraft. It contains a fan above the cutting blade that generates lift. This could be used as a phenomenon to explore balanced forces and gravity.

Web Resources:  Flymo Hover Mowers, Flymo - Wikipedia

Raw or Boiled Egg Experiment

Description:  This is a simple experiment to demonstrate the idea of inertia. Students could be given eggs that are both raw and boiled and they could use evidence to support the identity of the labeled eggs. In the raw egg the yolk and fluid act as independent objects and so they will continue moving when the egg is briefly stopped.

Web Resource:  Newton’s First Law - the Physics Classroom

An egg experiment was necessary in our home this weekend. We were preparing for some serious egg decorating but lost track of which bowls contained raw egg or boiled egg. Without having to crack an egg, we used egg physics to help us solve our problem.

A Bed of Nails

Description:  Special caution should be taken when sitting down or getting up from a bed of nails. In this video, Steve Spangler used a motor to lift the entire bed of nails up and down safely. Each of the nails is pushing on the participant but since there are so many nails the force is distributed safely between all of the nails. This demonstration could be used in any physics unit discussing forces and pressure.

Web Resource:  Bed of Nails - Wikipedia

Ellen loves learning cool science tricks from Steve Spangler. When he asked her to lie on a bed of nails, she wasn't so sure it was a good idea!

Amazing Slinky Tricks

Description:  The Slinky was invented by Richard James, an engineer, who was working with springs to support and stabilize equipment on a ship. Simple slinky tricks show how forces (pushes and pulls) change the direction of an object. Students can design a set of stairs, or obstacles, that the Slinky can navigate. In the secondary science classroom it can be used to investigate inertia, oscillations, and Hooke's law. This phenomenon can also be used to investigate wave properties.

Web Resource:  Slinky - Wikipedia

I guess this is how you're supposed to play with a slinky「(°ヘ°) It's pretty ridiculous the tricks that you can do with this classic children's toy. // Relive your childhood and play with a slinky. PICK ONE UP HERE! → http://amzn.to/2mVd613 // Kuma Shirts→ http://bit.ly/KumaShirt // Subscribe→ http://bit.ly/kumaf1lms // More vids → http://bit.ly/kumavids Congrats to the winners for the Ringdama giveaway!

Building the slinky escalator for never ending slinky stair traversal. http://woodgears.ca/toys/slinky.html

The Walking Table

Description:  The walking table uses pushes and pulls to move the table wherever it needs to be. This phenomenon can be used in kindergarten to show the difference between the two main forces (pushes and pulls). In grade three it can be used to illustrate balanced (not walking) forces and unbalanced (walking) forces.

Web Resource: Scheublin & Lindeman Design Studio

Magnetic Cannon

Description:  The magnetic cannon contains four spaced neodymium magnets in a channel.  Two balls bearings are placed between each ball bearing.  When a new ball bearing is introduced a transfer of energy occurs and the final ball bearing leaves with a higher initial velocity than the first.  This is a great phenomenon for studying transfer of momentum and the energy of an object based on its position within a magnetic field.

Web Resource:  Magnetic Challenge with Bozeman Science

Magnetic Cannon Challenge. Paul Andersen from Bozeman science has challenged me when we met about the magnetic cannon, he wants me to figure out the physics behind a toy called the magnetic cannon. I'll post my answer to this challenge next week.