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The Boxes Go Mobile
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Learners display their findings after a study of surface area and volume. They build a mobile to show a commercially available box and a constructed cubical box of the same volume.

Changing the Density of a Liquid: Adding Salt
Source Institutions
Learners see that a carrot slice sinks in fresh water and floats in saltwater.

Comparing the Density of an Object to the Density of Water
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Learners compare the weight of equal volumes of wax, water, and clay. Learners discover that since the wax weighs less than an equal volume of water, it is less dense than water and will float.

Incredible Shrinking Shapes
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners get hands-on experience with ratios and scaling while making their own jewelry out of recycled plastic containers.

Defining Density
Source Institutions
In this introductory demonstration and activity, learners are introduced to the concept of density as they explore a rock and a wooden block in water.

Changing the Density of an Object: Changing Shape
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Learners will see that changing the shape of an object, like a clay ball, that is more dense than water, can affect whether the object will sink or float.

Diet Light
Source Institutions
In this quick activity, learners observe how the added sugar in a can of soda affects its density and thus, its ability to float in water.

Plot the Dot: A Graphical Approach to Density
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners work in groups to determine the mass and volume of four samples: glass marbles, steel washers or nuts, pieces of pine wood, and pieces of PVC pipe.

Bubble Tray
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners use simple materials to create giant bubbles.

Cartesian Diver
Source Institutions
In this demonstration, learners observe the effects of density and pressure. A "diver" constructed out of a piece of straw and Blu-Tack will bob inside a bottle filled with water.

The Liquid Rainbow
Source Institutions
Learners are challenged to discover the relative densities of colored liquids to create a rainbow pattern in a test tube.

A Cubic Foot Per Second
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners measure and calculate the amount of cubic feet various containers contain. Next, learners investigate cubic feet per second (cps), by carrying jugs in one second.

Comparing the Density of Different Liquids
Source Institutions
Learners carefully pour vegetable oil, water, and corn syrup in any order into a cup and discover that regardless of the order they are poured, the liquids arrange themselves in layers the same way.

Proportionality: The X-Plane Generation
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners build a 1:140 "scale model" of NASA's X-33 Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Technology Demonstrator, and investigate how the model dimensions compare to the real vehicle.

Exploring a Complex Space-Filling Shape
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners build a paper stellated rhombic dodecahedron, a three-dimensional 12-pointed star.

How Big is Small
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In this classic hands-on activity, learners estimate the length of a molecule by floating a fatty acid (oleic acid) on water.

Percentage of Oxygen in the Air
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners calculate the percentage of oxygen in the atmosphere by using steel wool's ability to rust.

Physics in the Kitchen: Sink or Swim Soda
Source Institutions
In the kitchen, learners can perform their own density investigation.

Scaling Cubes
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners explore scale by using building cubes to see how changing the length, width, and height of a three-dimensional object affects its surface area and its volume.

Having a Gas with Cola
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners measure the amount of carbon dioxide in a carbonated drink.