Physics is all around us, shaping the world in ways both visible and invisible. Understanding its principles not only satisfies our curiosity but also lays the foundation for future scientific endeavours. At Cambridge Global Classes, where we pride ourselves on being led by Stanford and IIT graduates, we believe in making physics accessible and fun for all our students. Today, we’ll explore some simple physics experiments you can try at home. These activities will not only help you grasp fundamental concepts but also ignite your passion for learning.
1. The Power of Air Pressure: The Egg in a Bottle Experiment
Materials Needed:
A hard-boiled egg (shell removed)
A glass bottle with a narrow neck
Matches
Paper strips
Procedure:
Light a match and drop it into the bottle.
Quickly place the egg on the neck of the bottle.
Watch as the egg gets pushed into the bottle.
Explanation:
The flame heats the air inside the bottle, causing it to expand. When the flame goes out, the air cools rapidly, creating a lower pressure inside the bottle compared to the outside. The higher external air pressure pushes the egg into the bottle, demonstrating the principles of air pressure and atmospheric pressure.
2. Exploring Density: The Floating Egg Experiment
Materials Needed:
Two glasses
Water
Salt
Two eggs
Procedure:
Fill both glasses with water.
Add several tablespoons of salt to one of the glasses and stir until it dissolves.
Carefully place an egg in each glass.
Explanation:
The egg in the saltwater will float while the egg in the plain water will sink. This is due to the difference in density. Saltwater is denser than plain water, which increases the buoyant force acting on the egg, making it float. This experiment highlights the concept of density and buoyancy.
3. Newton’s First Law in Action: The Inertia Experiment
Materials Needed:
A coin
A card
A glass
Procedure:
Place the card on top of the glass.
Balance the coin on top of the card.
Quickly flick the card away with your finger.
Explanation:
The coin drops straight into the glass due to inertia. Newton’s First Law states that an object at rest stays at rest unless acted upon by an external force. When the card is flicked away, there is minimal horizontal force applied to the coin, so it remains in its position until gravity pulls it down into the glass.
4. Refraction of Light: The Bending Pencil Experiment
Materials Needed:
A glass of water
A pencil
Procedure:
Place the pencil in the glass of water at an angle.
Observe how the pencil appears to bend at the water’s surface.
Explanation:
This phenomenon occurs due to refraction, which is the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another. The light changes speed as it moves from air to water, causing the pencil to look bent. This experiment beautifully demonstrates the principles of light refraction.
5. Creating a Simple Circuit: The Homemade Battery Experiment
Materials Needed:
Lemon
Copper coin
Zinc nail
Wires
LED light
Procedure:
Insert the copper coin and zinc nail into the lemon.
Connect wires to each metal piece and then to the LED light.
Explanation:
The lemon juice acts as an electrolyte, causing a chemical reaction between the zinc and copper. This reaction generates a small electric current, enough to power the LED light. This experiment introduces the basics of electrochemistry and circuits.