Have you ever wondered why the clocks go back? It’s always nice to get a lie in when the clocks turn backwards, but not so good when they go the other way. Daylight Saving Time was first used in the UK in 1916. It basically borrows an hour of light from the morning and moves…
Our big magnet wands are one of our most used bits of science kit. I used them today to make a ghost themed simple magnet demonstration for Halloween. This is a great first magnet activity for preschool-age children and can be themed in lots of different ways. You’ll need Felt tip pens White card Black…
The idea behind this worksheet is that children take it outside, listen to the sounds around them and tick the things they can hear. There are three worksheets to choose from: things I can hear at the beach, in the forest and a general one. How do we hear noise? The simple explanation Sounds are…
To answer this question, you first need to understand how sound travels on Earth. In very basic terms, sound travels from the source of the sound to our ears by vibrating air molecules. Sound waves need a medium to travel through. Space is a mostly empty vacuum, so there’s no medium for sounds to travel…
This week, the U.S. government issued its first ever fine to a company for leaving space junk in space. Why is space debris a problem? Space is a pretty big place. The problem is that even a tiny piece of space junk left behind can cause massive damage if it collides with a spacecraft or…
I’ve added a few new Halloween Science Experiments to our collection this year, so I thought I’d put them in one big round-up with lots of great ideas from other bloggers, too. Here at Science Sparks, we love making science spooky! We’ve got fizzy witchy potions, creepy chia seed slime, a spooky noise maker, a…
Alloys are made by adding another element to a metal. Creating alloys allows scientists to combine the properties of different metals. If a heavy, strong metal is mixed with a light, weak metal in the correct amounts, the result is a light, strong metal. For example, pure iron is very malleable (its shape can be…
Helicopter seeds are a type of seed that spin as they fall from a tree. The spinning movement and the fact that they are light and can catch the wind allows them to travel further from the parent tree than if they just dropped to the floor. This is one method of seed dispersal used…
The pH scale measures how acidic or alkaline a solution is. It ranges between 0 and 14. Acids have a pH of less than 7. Alkalis ( or bases ) have a pH of over 7. pH 7 is neutral. How is pH measured? pH is measured using an indicator. An indicator is a dye…
Over the many years I’ve been writing Science Sparks, Autumn has always been my favourite season for designing themed activities. I love the colourful leaves, dark nights, cooler weather, and, of course, the run-up to Christmas is always exciting, too! This collection of fall science experiments and activities makes me smile every time I read…
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