Science

This is how to make meal powder, something found in a lot of fireworks. Try to keep this away from your testicles. I learned that the hard way. You cannot mix them all together and expect a big...

Genetics is the study of heredity, evolution and all life forms. Every human has similar characteristics, such as eyes, legs and hair. Genes are the instruction which make us all different. ...

Flowers are the means of sexual reproduction in angiosperms, those plants that produce seeds within an ovary. Flowers can contain male or female sex organs, or both. Depending on the species,...

Hydrocarbons are a class of organic compounds. The compounds must be composed of just carbon and hydrogen to be considered a hydrocarbon. These compounds are generally hydrophobic and absorb very...

Hurricanes are tropical cyclones. West of the International Date Line, the storms are known as typhoons. They are called cyclones in Australia and India. Heat causes the condensation of ocean...

You can make an electric doorbell as a science project. This project will demonstrate the concept of magnetic suction. Your doorbell works when an iron rod is sucked through a coil of copper wire...

A quantum is a small and exact amount of energy. Each photon contains a quantum of energy. An atom can only experience a transition through absorption of a particular frequency photon. This is the...

Infrared thermometers (temperature laser guns) give you a means to take the temperature of objects that are too difficult or dangerous to access otherwise, by using an infrared beam to collect the...

Helium is the sole unreactive gas used in modern airships. One could claim that nitrogen and argon, being the most common unreactive gases in the atmosphere, and therefore present in the air...

Dividing the process of respiration into two categories, internal and external respiration, can help clarify some of the complexities of this biologically important process. Together, the...

Chlorophyll, the main photosynthetic pigment in green plants, does more than give plants their green color; it also absorbs light, which allows plants to convert solar energy into chemical energy...

Hachure marks are defined as multiple crossing lines that create a shaded definition on either maps or drawings. In topography, they are used to define surface relief. They are also known as "tick...

The abbreviation pH represents a logarithmic scale that refers to the solution acidity. Neutral media has pH 7. Acidic solutions are signified with pH below 7, while basic solutions have pH above...

The material we call steel is in fact an alloy, a mixture of different metals. The element iron (symbol Fe) makes up a large percentage of all steels, generally composing more than 75 percent of...

The public once viewed the non-stick skillet coating known as Teflon as a godsend to the modern kitchen. It bears the chemical name polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Teflon surfaces are remarkably...

Hydro-electric power plants not only provide clean energy, they also conserve water and provide lakes for fishing, recreation and water sports. There are five major parts to a hydro-electric...

The chemical formula for glucose, C6H12O6, describes the composition of this sugar molecule; its structure and function require a more complex overview. Glucose, among other sugars, plays a vital...

The method of extrusion is one of the main processes in regards to the manufacturing of plastic. Extrusion refers to the process of forming a piece of plastic through the use of certain shaping...

A pie diagram is a graph used to visually explain fractions. Each pie piece is a section that represents a piece of a whole number. The pie diagram is used in business, science, government and...

Diodes are active electronic components that allow electrical current to flow when sufficient voltage is present. Because of this characteristic, diodes can be used as a switch and relay mechanism.

Combination chemical reactions, also called synthesis reactions, join two or more reactants into a product. The general equation is: A + B ---> AB.

An easy way to remember the skeletal system is to imagine you are building a house. The skeletal system is composed of three parts: the bones, the muscles and the connective tissues. Compare the...

Blood clotting is the process in which liquid blood turns into gel. Blood clotting is also called coagulation. Blood clots form naturally when the body is subject to injury or trauma, such as a...

Respiration is a process of gas exchange and energy conversion. It is the act by which we take in oxygen, expel carbon dioxide and convert food energy into chemical energy in our cells. We breathe...

Unlike a flashlight, the beam of a laser is highly concentrated. When pointed at a surface in clean air, all that can be seen of the laser is a small dot on the surface. However, if the air has...

Scientists and biology students use agar, a substance extracted from red-purple algae, to grow bacteria cultures in petri dishes. Sugar galactose, a substance prevalent in red-purple algae cell...

There is often much confusion over the terms "watch" and "warning" when it comes to weather. The difference between the two, no matter what type of weather they describe, is in the potential of...

Need an experiment to demonstrate how Newton's Third Law of Motion works? This rubber-band car project is a great way to show how for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

A vein is a blood vessel that carries carbon dioxide-rich blood away from the tissues in the body and toward the heart. The heart then pumps it into blood vessels in the lungs, which exchange...

Sonication is a ubiquitously used method of shearing open cells in molecular, cellular, microbiology and other laboratories. Sonication is useful as it does not alter the chemical composition of...

Building simple circuits on a breadboard is a time-honored way to learn electronics. Breadboard, also called protoboard, is a sturdy plastic panel perforated with rows of holes. On some parts of...

The flower is the part of a plant that is responsible for reproduction. Some flowers are called perfect flowers and contain both female and male organs, while others are incomplete flowers and...

Hydrogen and sulfur are elements. The chemical formula for sulfur is S, which is the same as its symbol. Hydrogen's symbol is H; however, it forms a diatomic molecule in pure form so its chemical...

The air on Earth is one of the biggest reasons that humans evolved to be the creatures we are today. Made up of several different substances, air sustains us and allows life as we know it to...

Invented by electrical engineers in the late 1800s, circuit breakers automatically disconnect circuits when they're overloaded. Inexpensive, reliable and reusable, they are available in standard...

Sound travels as pressure waves through the air. Sound insulation is the resistance to sound; in this case, insulation material reflects the waves. Sound absorption converts the sound to energy or...

Air masses on the Earth divide into six types, which are a response to the temperature and moisture conditions in the latitude regions that they occupy. These air masses have a direct relationship...

Hot plates, whether used for food preparation or lab experiments, can be dangerous heat sources if you don't familiarize yourself with the safety precautions associated with their use. To ensure...

An oxidation number is the formal charge of an individual atom in a molecule calculated with the assumption that the molecule consists of ions. Practically, it is determined using several rules...

Chemical reactions in the laboratory can be categorized into several basic types. Basic reactions include combustion, decomposition, synthesis, single-displacement and double-displacement.

A science fair project based on something as everyday as a boat may not be as flashy or messy as other fair project ideas, but the scientific concepts related to buoyancy make for an interesting...

Leyden jars are containers meant to hold and store electrical energy. In the 18th century, scientists called them condensers because electricity was believed to be a fluid, tangible substance....

Zinc sulfate, ZnSO4·7H2O, occurs in nature as goslarite. It dehydrates when exposed to the atmosphere. Uses for zinc sulfate (sometimes called white vitriol) are many and varied.

Most people are familiar with the strange, fluorescent glow produced when ultraviolet radiation--commonly called a "black light"--strikes certain liquids or other materials. This unusual glow is...

Gypsum, or calcium sulfate dihydrate (CaSO₄·2H₂O), constitutes the main component of drywall. Gypsum is also used in fertilizer, as a paint extender, and to make plaster of Paris.

(Warning: this time machine concept only works for traveling in the future!) Ok, so you think this has got to be a joke, and it’s completely impossible to travel forward into time? Well, you may...

Because science offers a way to answer questions about the cosmos in a clear, rational manner, with evidence to support it, a reliable procedure is necessary in order to obtain the best...

Teflon is DuPont's brand name for a substance called polytetrafluoroethylene, a type of plastic. It is considered to be the slipperiest substance in the world and has a wide range of applications...

Lighting is an important element in viewing specimens through a microscope. Proper lighting aids in contrast, definition and resolution of the specimen being viewed. Microscopes are available with...

Placing a raw whole egg in vinegar is a classic experiment that teaches a fundamental principle of chemistry---the interaction between an acid and a base. Creating a "rubber egg" is a fun and safe...