Seeing the Light Seeing the Light
Heat-savers
What kinds of materials can be used to slow down heat? You can use your refrigerator to make an easy test. Make sure there is enough room in the bottom of the freezing compartment in your...
How does a picnic cooler work?
What kinds of food can you take on a picnic? Any kinds you like---hot baked beans, steaming cocoa, chilled potato salad, or ice- cold lemonade. You can put the food in a picnic cooler, or in special...
The Fire Bringer
A Paiute Indian legend Adapted from a story by Mary Austin The use of fire is probably the most important discovery people ever made. It provided energy for light, for warmth, and for cooking....
Taking out heat
Just a few minutes after you put warm food in a refrigerator, the food feels cooler. But the air inside the refrigerator doesn't feel warmer. What happens to the heat? The heat doesn't disappear....
Weighing air
You can make a scale with which to weigh air! A lamp with an ordinary light bulb will make the warm air you need. Materials - lamp - paper bags (2, same size) - sticks (2, long) - string - tape...
Going up!
Do you know that some people use a bag of hot air to fly? They really do. The "bag" is a huge hot-air balloon. The balloon can lift people because hot air behaves in a special solid or a liquid. So...
Tricks with heat
These tricks aren't really magic---they just look mysterious. Heat energy makes them work. Water ballet Materials - crayons - ice-cube tray - mixing bowl (large) - paper - scissors - water ...
What makes a teakettle whistle?
You don't have to watch a whistling teakettle to know when the water is hot. The kettle will \"tell" you when the water begins to boil. The kettle makes a long, loud whistle. When you whistle, you...
Little blocks of water
Why does lemonade get cooler when you put ice cubes in it? The answer may surprise you. The lemonade cools down because it heats up the ice! Ice cubes are a solid---little blocks of frozen water....
