The Little Giant® Book of Science Experiments

by Press, H. J.

• ISBN13: 9780806997155
• ISBN10: 080699715X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-12-31
• Publisher: Sterling

Summary

From birds to bees, from sound to light, from heat to ice: kids will have hours of enjoyment (and learning!) with over 300 entertaining experiments. Each project introduces fascinating scientific principles, and shows children how and why things work. With a flowerpot and a stick as a sundial, follow the shifting shadows to read the time. Write a secret message in invisible ink made from vinegar and either lemon or onion juice. We all use electricity every day--but why do batteries make flashlights light or radios play? Find out! And, people will hear what you've got to say when you speak through your homemade microphone. Other great experiments deal with magnetism, air, heat, evaporation, liquids, buoyancy, gravity, force and inertia, botany, reptiles and amphibians, invertebrates, and illusions. Parents will happily help with some of these--after all, why should kids have all the fun!

Table of Contents

Introduction	9	(1)
Astronomy
Small sun pictures	10	(1)
Image of the sun	11	(1)
Sundial	12	(1)
A watch as a compass	13	(1)
Chemistry
Color magic	14	(1)
Violet becomes red	15	(1)
Invisible ink	16	(1)
Bleached rose	17	(1)
Sugar fire	18	(1)
Jet of flame	19	(1)
Gas pipe	20	(1)
Bubbles from the mud	21	(1)
Gas balance	22	(1)
Fire extinguisher	23	(1)
Burning without a flame	24	(1)
Burning iron	25	(1)
Destroyed metal	26	(1)
Electricity
Flowing electrons in a battery	27	(2)
Coin current	29	(1)
Graphite conductor	30	(1)
Microphone	31	(1)
Mysterious circles	32	(1)
Electromagnet	33	(1)
Electric buzzer	34	(2)
Potato battery	36	(1)
Light fan	37	(1)
Dangerous step tension	38	(1)
Path of the electrical current	39	(1)
Bicycle circuit	40	(1)
Static electricity
Clinging balloons	41	(1)
Pepper and salt	42	(1)
Coiled snake	43	(1)
Water bow	44	(1)
Hostile balloons	45	(1)
Simple electroscope	46	(1)
Electrical ball game	47	(1)
Electric fleas	48	(1)
Puppet dance	49	(1)
Cleaning the air	50	(1)
High voltage	51	(1)
Lightning rod in the hand	52	(1)
Flash of lightning	53	(1)
Electric light	54	(1)
Effects of cathode rays	55	(1)
Shooting puffed rice	56	(1)
Magnetism
Field lines	57	(1)
The earth's magnetic field	58	(1)
Magnetic or not?	59	(1)
Compass needle	60	(1)
Dip to the pole	61	(1)
Magnetic ducks	62	(1)
Air
Atmospheric pressure	63	(1)
Diving bell	64	(1)
Balloon in the bottle	65	(1)
Air lock	66	(1)
Hanging water	67	(1)
Weight of air on paper	68	(1)
Fountain	69	(1)
Bottle barometer	70	(1)
Shooting backwards	71	(1)
Blowing trick	72	(1)
Compressed-air rocket	73	(1)
Compressed air in a tunnel	74	(1)
Egg blowing	75	(1)
Curious air currents	76	(1)
Bernoulli was right	77	(1)
Windproof coin	78	(1)
Trapped ball	79	(1)
Floating card	80	(1)
Flying coin	81	(1)
Ride on air	82	(1)
Wind funnel	83	(1)
Explosion in a bottle	84	(1)
Twin glasses	85	(1)
Coin in the well	86	(1)
Heat
Bottle ghost	87	(1)
Expanded air	88	(1)
Thermometer	89	(1)
Hot-air balloon	90	(1)
Expanding metal	91	(1)
Color and heat	92	(1)
Exploding stone	93	(1)
Tension in glass	94	(1)
A clear case	95	(1)
Scented-coin trick	96	(1)
Fire guard	97	(1)
Fire underwater	98	(1)
Paper saucepan	99	(1)
Forces in steel	100	(1)
Different body temperatures	101	(1)
Evaporation and vaporization
Jet boat	102	(1)
Hovercraft	103	(1)
Weather station	104	(1)
Evaporation and condensation	105	(1)
Condensation cloud in a bottle	106	(1)
Water from the desert	107	(1)
Bath game with a coin	108	(1)
Steamboat	109	(1)
Cold and ice
Where is the wind coming from?	110	(1)
Producing cold	111	(1)
Column of ice	112	(1)
Iceberg	113	(1)
Cutting through ice	114	(1)
Ice hook	115	(1)
Water temperatures and the wind	116	(1)
Temperature in winter ponds	117	(1)
Explosive force of the ice	118	(1)
Icicles	119	(1)
Dirt in snowflakes	120	(1)
Liquids
Forces in a puddle	121	(1)
String of pearls	122	(1)
Water knots	123	(1)
Mountain of water	124	(1)
Ship on a high sea	125	(1)
Floating metal	126	(1)
Watertight sieve	127	(1)
Rope trick	128	(1)
Match boat	129	(1)
Soap trick	130	(1)
Soap bubbles	131	(1)
Visible pressure differences	132	(1)
Bag of wind	133	(1)
Water lily	134	(1)
Game of chance	135	(1)
Sloping path	136	(1)
Climbing liquids	137	(1)
Water pressure in little tubes	138	(1)
Buoyancy
Loss of weight	139	(1)
Archimedes' principle	140	(1)
Water puzzle	141	(1)
Mysterious water level	142	(1)
Air in a chicken egg	143	(1)
Suspending an egg	144	(1)
Pearl diver	145	(1)
The yellow submarine	146	(1)
Volcano underwater	147	(1)
Turning by buoyancy	148	(1)
Gravity
Finding the center of gravity	149	(1)
Center of gravity in trees	150	(1)
Magic box	151	(1)
Shifted center of gravity	152	(1)
The balancing button	153	(1)
Floating beam	154	(1)
Candle seesaw	155	(1)
Letter scale	156	(1)
Braces for stability	157	(1)
Magic rod	158	(1)
Mysterious stability	159	(1)
Boomerang tin	160	(1)
Balancing acrobat	161	(2)
Principle of the aerial tram	163	(1)
Turning mechanism of an egg	164	(1)
Interplay of forces
Paper bridge	165	(1)
Unbreakable box	166	(1)
Cracks in the pipe	167	(1)
Strong egg	168	(1)
Visible molecular force	169	(1)
Spinning ball	170	(1)
Egg-top	171	(1)
Coin bunping	172	(1)
Dividing money	173	(1)
Uncuttable paper	174	(1)
Increasing friction resistance	175	(1)
Effect of a thousand levers	176	(1)
Problem with a cart	177	(1)
Turning a spool	178	(1)
Forces on a toboggan	179	(1)
Distribution of forces	180	(1)
Inertia
Inertia on the train	181	(1)
Proof of inertia	182	(1)
The stable pencil	183	(1)
Treasure in the tower	184	(1)
Egg bomb	185	(1)
The lazy log	186	(1)
Dividing an apple	187	(1)
Coin shooting	188	(1)
Inertia of the gases	189	(1)
Centrifugal force	190	(1)
Variable wheel circumference	191	(1)
Action and reaction	192	(1)
Opposite forces	193	(1)
Sound
Humming flute	194	(1)
Musical drinking straw	195	(1)
Water organ	196	(1)
Note transfer	197	(1)
Peal of bells	198	(1)
Footsteps in a bag	199	(1)
Box horn	200	(2)
Speed of sound	202	(1)
Light
Pinhole camera	203	(1)
Drop microscope	204	(1)
Fire through ice	205	(1)
Shortened spoon	206	(1)
Shadow play	207	(1)
Broken pencil	208	(1)
Cloud of gas	209	(1)
Magic pencils	210	(1)
Invisible People	211	(1)
Light trap	212	(1)
Finger heater	213	(1)
Sun power station	214	(2)
Magic glass	216	(1)
View into infinity	217	(1)
Mirror cabinet	218	(1)
Shining head	219	(1)
Light mill	220	(1)
The sun's spectrum	221	(1)
Spectrum in a feather	222	(1)
Colored hoop	223	(1)
Reflection in ice crystals	224	(1)
Colored top	225	(1)
Fiber optics	226	(1)
Unusual magnification	227	(1)
Veined figure	228	(1)
Motes in the eye	229	(1)
Glowing eyes	230	(1)
Moths that lose their way	231	(1)
Light on the beach	232	(1)
Stripes of light	233	(1)
Illusions
Magic rabbit	234	(1)
The disappearing finger	235	(1)
Hole in the hand	236	(1)
Moon rocket	237	(1)
Ghostly ball	238	(1)
Two tips to your nose	239	(1)
Reaction time	240	(1)
Confused writing	241	(1)
Mistake in writing	242	(1)
Big swindle	243	(1)
Annoying circles	244	(1)
Magic spiral	245	(1)
Measuring distance	246	(1)
Crazy letters	247	(1)
Mirages	248	(1)
Dangerous reflections	249	(1)
The turning phonograph	250	(1)
Money fraud	251	(1)
Cinematographic effect	252	(1)
Wheels in a film	253	(1)
Fast succession of pictures	254	(1)
Living pictures	255	(1)
Movies in a candy box	256	(3)
Botany
Effect of the sun	259	(1)
Maze	260	(1)
Steered growth	261	(1)
The willow's secret	262	(1)
The sun brings life	263	(1)
Automatic watering	264	(1)
Secret path	265	(1)
Pressure from osmosis	266	(1)
A dandelion's strength	267	(1)
Splitting cherries	268	(1)
Rising sap	269	(1)
Ghostly noise	270	(1)
Interrupted water pipe	271	(1)
Rain in a jar	272	(1)
Water from birch leaves	273	(1)
Nature in a bottle	274	(2)
Zigzag growth	276	(1)
Spruce or fir?	277	(1)
Collecting leaves	278	(1)
The life cycle of a tree	279	(1)
Crooked trees	280	(1)
Crippled trees	281	(1)
Tree growth	282	(1)
Leaf skeleton	283	(1)
Quaking aspen leaves	284	(1)
Why leaves fall	285	(1)
A hollow willow tree	286	(1)
Tree chokers	287	(1)
How the oak protects against decay	288	(1)
Holes in hazelnut shells	289	(1)
Telltale traces on spruce cones	290	(1)
Gnawed cones	291	(1)
Teeth marks on trees	292	(1)
A pollination experiment	293	(1)
Sleeping flowers	294	(1)
The irritable wood sorrel	295	(1)
Flowering while you watch	296	(1)
Two-colored flower	297	(1)
Insects and the color of flowers	298	(1)
How many slices?	299	(1)
Green patches in the pasture	300	(1)
Common butterwort	301	(1)
Feeding the sundew	302	(1)
A plant hunting underwater	303	(1)
The age of lichens	304	(1)
The decav cycle	305	(1)
Birds
How ducks defy the cold	306	(1)
Birds in the wind	307	(1)
A bird box at the window	308	(1)
How to scare magpies	309	(1)
Reptiles and amphibians
The lizard's escape	310	(1)
A frog's love song	311	(1)
From egg to frog	312	(1)
Green frogs in the garden pond	313	(1)
A newt's growth	314	(1)
Fish
Underwater magnifying glass	315	(1)
An artificial pond	316	(2)
Making an aquarium	318	(2)
Sticklebacks in an aquarium	320	(1)
Defending the territory	321	(1)
Invertebrates
A treat for butterflies	322	(1)
A butterfly on your finger	323	(1)
Houseflies and disease	324	(1)
An anthill	325	(1)
More anthills, fewer pests	326	(1)
Ant trails	327	(1)
Ant farm	328	(1)
Noises in a nut	329	(1)
The aphid's enemy	330	(1)
A house of foam	331	(1)
The firefly's signal	332	(1)
Flying spiders	333	(1)
A natural lawn fertilizer	334	(1)
The earthworm's instinct	335	(1)
A natural protection	336	(1)
A creature with tentacles	337	(1)
The life of a snail	338	(1)
A snail's pace	339	(1)
Sweet snail food	340	(1)
Miscellaneous nature
A pattern of spores	341	(1)
Fairy rings	342	(1)
A special relationship	343	(1)
The mole	344