Physics Worksheets

Physics is the study of matter and energy and how they interact. Physics is seen as the most fundamental science. In this section of our web site we feature teacher tested and kid approved physics labs. These are a great deal of fun!



  1. Battle of the Spheres - Investigate the impact of inertia on velocity with marbles. Why do three different spheres roll down an inclined plane at different rates?
  2. Flexing those Magnet Muscles! - A fun lab that examines magnetic fields. Which lab magnet is the strongest? Which is the weakest? What part of a magnet is the strongest?
  3. It's Coming To Me! - Examine the physics of energy conduction with some paraffin. Which paraffin square will melt first? How long will it take of all the squares to melt?
  4. One, Two, Three Isaac Newton and Me! - Investigate Newton's Laws with matchbox cars. Which Hot wheel car will be the fastest to make it to the bottom of each ramp, Why? Which tracks will all cars move down the fastest and which one will they move down the slowest, Why?
  5. What's so simple about these SIMPLE MACHINES - Use old and broken toys to examine the use of simple machines. What are the names and different functions of the six most common simple machines?
  6. Who needs Bell Atlantic? - Learn about sound waves through the old cup/string telephone game. What is sound and how does it travel?


5 Exciting Physics Experiments for Kids

Physics might sound very daunting, but there are so many cool physics experiments to do at home that make difficult concepts easier for kidsto understand. It gives them a hands-on experience with these cool physics experiments and helps develop a fondness for the subject. Here is a list of 5 physics projects that will teach them the concepts of density, gravity and much more.

1. Orange Sink or Swim

What do you need?

An orange
A big jar of water

Method:

Fill a big jar with water. Don't fill it up to the rim to prevent water from splashing out.

Put an orange in it. Then observe how it floats on the water.

Now take the orange out and peel it. Put it in the water again, and watch how it sinks this time

What just happened?

The peel of an orange is filled with pores and hence traps air bubbles. This makes it lightweight and causes it to float just like a lifejacket. When you peel the orange, you take away that lightness, and the water cannot support its weight. That is why it sinks to the bottom.

What did you learn from this?

Density is the mass of an object per volume. If an object has a density greater than water, it will sink. If its density is lesser than water, it will float.

2. The egg is cooked or not

What do you need?

2 Eggs
A pot of boiling water

Method:

Hard boil an egg by boiling it for at least 15 minutes. This step requires adult supervision.

Then rinse the egg with cool water and put it in the fridge so that you can't tell which egg is cooked simply by its temperature.

Take the other egg and the one you had put in the fridge. Spin both eggs on a tabletop.

One of the eggs spins smoothly while the other wobbles around.

What just happened?

The raw egg has liquid inside, making it wobble while spinning. The cooked egg has a fixed center of gravity because its contents are solid. That is why it spins smoothly like a top would do.

What did you learn from this?

The center of gravity is the point of an object on which gravity works. The center of gravity of the raw egg kept changing. That is why it did not spin smoothly.

3. Comb Magnet

What do you need?

Tissue
Scissor
Hair comb

Method:

Take one ply of tissue and cut a small piece out of it. Put it on a table. Run a comb through your hair a couple of times (15 times at least). Then touch the comb to the tissue paper. It will be attracted to your comb. Use your comb to lift the tissue in the air.

What just happened?

Static electricity is the phenomenon that made the tissue stick to our comb. Electrons were transferred from your hair to the comb when you ran the comb through your hair, making it negatively charged. When you brought it near the tissue paper, it attracted the positive charges on the tissue. Hence attracting it strongly.

What did you learn from this?

Static electricity is a phenomenon when charged particles or electrons are transferred from one object to another. So it gives that object a negative charge, attracting other things with a positive direction.

4. Floating egg

What do you need?

A jar
Egg
Water and salt

Method:

Fill the container halfway with water. Place an egg in it. It will sink to the bottom. Now remove the egg and add 6 tablespoons of salt to the water. Place the same egg in it again and observe how it floats this time.

What just happened?

As soon as we placed the egg in freshwater, it sank to the bottom. This is because the egg had a greater density than water, and the water couldn't hold its weight. When we added salt to it, it increased the density of water, making the egg float.

What did you learn from this?

Again we observed the effect of density on the floating and sinking of an object. When we change the density of something, it changes its ability to float or sink.

5. Popsicle stick catapult

What do you need?

Popsicle sticks
Rubber bands
Plastic spoons
Pom-Poms
Method:

Take a bunch of popsicle sticks and stack them together and secure them with a rubber band at one end. Then take two more popsicle sticks and secure another rubber band to their end. Then pull the two sticks apart and place the bigger stack of sticks in between them so that an angle creates between the two sticks. Attach the stack with another rubber band to the upper popsicle stick.

Now take the plastic spoon and attach it to the same upper stick using a rubber band. Place a pom-pom onto the spoon.

Hold the catapult with one hand, and pull the spoon down with the other. And voila! Launch your pom-pom into the air.

What just happened?

When you pull back the popsicle, you are making an effort to keep it at that potential. Hence you are storing energy in it. It is called potential energy. When you release it, the object on the spoon gets thrown in the air because all that tension and energy is released and transferred to the object while taking on a projection motion.

What did you learn from this?

When you pull down the lever arm, you store energy, which is also called potential energy. When you release the stick, all that energy is thrown into projectile motion. This is a simple conversion example of potential energy to kinetic energy.

These are some simple yet fun physics experiments kids can do at home to see what they learn in the classroom applied to everyday objects. Learning doesn’t have to be dry and boring.