Science & Nature

The water clock sits alongside the sundial in history as one of the earliest timekeeping mechanisms invented by mankind. Dating back to approximately 1500 B.C., this type of clock was used by...

Mice are curious creatures that are ever in search of food. A mouse can be caught alive in a tin coffee very easily by taking advantage of this habit. The purposes for catching a live mouse are...

Acidity arises as a result of the presence of positively charged hydrogen ions, denoted as H+. Acidity is traditionally expressed using the pH scale. On this scale, a neutral solution such as...

In aqueous (water) solutions the acidity is determined by the concentration of hydrogen ions, denoted as H+. Since the H+ concentration can be low such as 0.000032 mole/L, it is more convenient to...

Food coloring mixtures can be easily separated through a method called paper chromatography. While laboratory-grade chromatography kits provide accurate and reliable results, you can create your...

The pH scale is in the range from 0 to 14 and determines how basic or acidic a solution is. The neutral media has pH 7. Values below 7 correspond to acidic solutions. The majority of fruits...

Gatherings leaves from the yard or nature walks is a nice way to bring a bit of nature home. Leaves can be saved to use for crafts and home décor if they are preserved correctly. Pressing...

Paper like magazines and newspaper is separated from corrugated cardboard. It is then shipped to recycling mills and is reprocessed to make newsprint and cardboard. Cardboard is shipped to...

Making a crystal radio is an easy and fun project for kids and newbies who want to learn about electronics. Crystal radios are easy to build and they don't require any batteries to work! The...

Paper airplanes are fun. Challenging gravity by folding a piece of paper can give anyone a feeling satisfaction--nearly as much as the Wright Brothers when they flew the first powered flight in...

The pH of river water is a measure of free hydrogen and hydroxyl ions---which translates to how acidic or basic the water is. Greater concentrations of free hydrogen ions result in higher acidity...

Calculating the exact area of an irregular shape can be difficult, depending on just how irregular its boundaries are. Shapes that are made up of a conglomeration of right-angle forms are actually...

Several types of adhesive can be used to adhere paper to other sheets of paper or other materials, including wood, fabric, or chipboard. The process of choosing an adhesive includes determining...

Pressing flowers and leaves is a great way to preserve the beauty of nature, but unfortunately, the plants are very brittle once they are fully dry after being pressed. In this article, you'll...

Parchment paper is a special paper often used for cooking. The paper itself is often considered to be a substitution for wax paper. Parchment paper can be used in most situations that calls for...

As a child, I used to watch a lot of these adorable tent caterpillars turn into moths. It's not that difficult, either, to raise tent caterpillars. I mostly learned how from trial and error. There...

Paper airplanes are simple ways to explore the relationship between gravity and space. Kids learn how to use their imagination and how to apply physics using simple materials found virtually...

A cyanotype is a monochromatic photographic print. As its name implies, the print is generated in shades of cyan because of the chemical composition of the cyanotype process components. While...

Experimenting with paper airplanes teaches physics, aerodynamics, creativity, gravity and provides fun, competitive play. Hang time refers to the length of time the plane stays or "hangs" in the...

Paper airplanes entertain children and adults. The materials are simple and easily available. When you make and fly a paper airplane, you are applying physics and using your imagination. Paper...

A logarithmic scale is used to graph exponential curves so that detail of small units can be shown in the same graph as the general curve shape at large units. The decibel scale, Richter scale, pH...

The pH scale reflects how basic or acidic a water solution is. Neutral media such as distilled water has pH 7. The pH values below 7 correspond to acidic solutions, while a pH greater than 7 is...

Butterflies are among the most beautiful insects. A well-preserved butterfly can be displayed with its wings spread wide to show off the patterns, which are often breathtaking. Even a butterfly...

Litmus has literally been used for centuries for testing substances of different kinds. It is still used today in countless schools and water-testing facilities. You may have even used litmus...

Filter paper is a basic supply item found in beginning chemistry labs as well as in research labs. Material, called solute, is deposited on the filter paper and can be analyzed for its chemical...

Today, recycling grows increasing more important as it helps us preserve the planet's natural resources and protect it from too much waste. We use paper on a daily basis, through mail, notebooks,...

Paper rockets allow kids of all ages to explore the themes of space travel. You can make a paper airplane that you can launch through a straw. Consider cutting out planets and taping them to a...

An acid (for example, hydrochloric acid, HCl) is a substance that releases or donates the hydrogen ion (H+), while a base (for example, sodium hydroxide, NaOH) is a hydrogen ion acceptor. The pH...

The pH scale is in the range from 0 to 14 and determines how basic or acidic a solution is. The neutral media has pH 7. pH values below 7 correspond to acidic solutions, while a pH greater than 7...

Litmus paper is one of the best known indicators used in chemistry. It is inexpensive and is used widely in all school grades to demonstrate pH concepts to students from elementary school to...

Wasps are insects that have slender bodies, narrow waists, thin legs and a shiny appearance. While there are hundreds of species of wasps, the most familiar types are paper wasps, yellow jackets...

By putting your paper into your recycling bin and not your trash, you help create a valuable resource that can be used over and over in new products. Recycling not only diverts the amount of solid...

It is difficult to pinpoint the precise development of paper historically, because several cultures worked on creating what we know as paper, and many began or ended at various times. However, the...

Recycling paper products keeps reusable resources out of the landfills and helps prevent deforestation by reducing the need to cut trees for paper and cardboard products. Before tossing all paper...

Recycling has become second nature to many people, and many municipalities across the country either provide curb-side pickup service or operate drop-off recycling centers. With all this material...

Physics is the study of the laws of nature. High school physics activities can be very simple to perform while also providing a great way to experience physics in real life. Taking physics from...

Rain forests, the Earth's oldest living ecosystems, are disappearing at an alarming rate. Each second, an area the size of two football fields is destroyed. Because rain forests rejuvenate the air...

Preserving butterfly wings can be a fun project for an insect enthusiast of any age. Many people enjoy preserving butterflies as part of a collection or to make unique jewelry or decorations....

Starting a fire with wood or a couple a rocks is not easy. In fact you'll look downright stupid trying to do that and failing miserably. But if you want to have a cool project you can start a fire...

A planisphere is a star gazing guide that consists of a number of flat discs that slide around on top of each other and can be coordinated to calculate star distances. The name planisphere derives...

With ever increasing concerns about our environmental impact, it's important to understand the impact that waste and recycling have on our efforts to improve the health of the planet.

Recycling paper is important for many reasons. Our energy supply and space are not unlimited, so recycling paper increases the sustainability of both these and many other important aspects of our...

All printer inks are made of three different parts: a colorant, a solvent and a number of additives to help the color bond to the paper. The color always comes from the colorant, but how the...

Rainforests are some of the most important features of Earth's biosphere. They are a habitat for millions of plants and animals, including many that haven't been discovered yet. They are a source...

I know Mom and Dad said not to play with matches, but this is a little something I used to make that I thought some of you might get a kick out of. I know the guys at work do when I build my...

A rain gauge is a device used to measure the amount of rainfall. Making a rain gauge is a fun and simple activity for children, but it can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Watching the rain gauge...

The pH level of a liquid indicates how acidic or base the liquid is. By dipping the pH paper in liquid and observing the color that paper turns, you can infer the level of acidity or baseness of...

Blueprinting is the process of transferring architectural plans from drafts onto paper as a final design that is used by contractors and construction workers to build the design. The chemical...

This how-to will show you one way I transfer a printed circuit board (PCB) layout "on the cheap" without using UV lights or photo developing. This is commonly referred to as the toner...

To understand why color fades first it's necessary to understand what color is. Visible light vibrates at a frequency between 0.7 micrometers and 0.4 micrometers, with red light vibrating at one...