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18 New Kits for 2012! |
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Chemistry C500 |
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Chemistry C500 takes you on an introductory tour of chemistry with 28 classic experiments. Learn about reactions between solids, liquids, and gases. Discover the colorful effects of acids and bases. Perform
astonishing "magic" tricks for your friends. Make fizzy and foamy reactions. Write messages with invisible ink. Investigate metals and salts in electrochemical experiments with a 9-volt battery (not included). Learn for yourself how chemistry goes far beyond textbooks and laboratories to explain occurrences that happen around us every day. The 48-page,full-color experiment manual gives simple instructions for setting up and performing each experiment, and then clear explanations of what happened and why.
This kit is ideal for children who are interested in chemistry but who are not yet ready for a more advanced chemistry set. It serves as an excellent introduction to our other chemistry sets.
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Candy Chemistry |
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Explore chemistry as you cook up candies and chocolates in the kitchen! Perform a number of sweet experiments and learn important physical science principles related to candy and cooking. Discover why sugar crystallizes to make rock candy. Learn about specific heat and the phases of matter by molding chocolates. Use a thermometer and learn about heat and temperature while boiling sugar. Gain experience with measurements and conversions, volumes, and weights. Investigate the chemistry of gummy bears. Learn about the mysterious phenomenon of triboluminescence with wintergreen candies.
Make gummy candies, chocolate shapes, and hard sugar candy using the special tools included: plastic and metal molds, candy thermometer, spatula, dipping fork, and more. Finish them with foils, paper cups, sticks, and wrappers. The 48-page, full-color manual provides instructions and explanations. Does not contain hazardous chemicals or food items; you supply the safe ingredients from your kitchen.
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Climate & Weather |
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The state of Earth's atmosphere affects us all, which explains why the weather is one of the most popular topics of conversation and scientific study. With 23 hands-on experiments, you can investigate specific weather phenomena as well as the climate system in general.
Build a model of Earth and its atmosphere and then use it to conduct experiments that show how the global wind system works. Trace air currents from the icy cold poles to the warm equator and back with a wisp of smoke. Model Earth's heat reservoirs, thermals, and global and local winds. Recreate ocean currents in a small basin of water.
Simulate Earth's rotation and revolution to learn how the sun affects the weather daily and seasonally. Learn about the climatic zones and the composition of the atmosphere. Experiment to see how carbon dioxide levels affect temperature. Explore the hydrological cycle to learn about humidity, clouds, and precipitation. Build a simple barometer, set up a rain gauge, and track the temperature. Full-color, 48-page manual.
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Bubble Science |
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Experiment with fascinating soap bubbles to learn physical science fundamentals in a fun way. For countless generations, people have been captivated by the unique properties of soap bubbles. See for yourself why these elegantly simple structures of soap, water, and air are still studied by scientists, modeled by mathematicians, emulated by architects, and immortalized by artists and writers.
Blow giant bubbles, mini-bubbles, bubbles within bubbles, chains of bubbles, and bubble blankets. Mix the perfect bubble solution. Learn about the love-hate relationship between soap and water, and the scientific phenomenon of surface tension. Observe the subtle colors of bubbles, and discover how a bubble's color can reveal when it will pop. Make geometric bubble shapes and build soap film domes, roofs, and bridges. You can also learn some tricks and games that you can play with bubbles. The full-color, 48-page book guides you through 29
experiments.
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Physics Discovery |
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Construct 12 models and conduct experiments with them to learn about forces and simple machines. Each model demonstrates a fundamental idea in mechanical physics. For example, you can build a balance scale to learn about lever arms, a freight elevator to learn about pulleys, and a bicycle to learn about wheels. Construct a spinning motion picture machine to learn about centripetal and centrifugal forces, and a geared transmission to learn about gears. Build a simple spring scale to measure the forces acting on your models and an inclined plane to learn about normal force and gravitational force. Make a water wheel powered crane and a catapult to learn about the transfer of energy. Finally, put your physics knowledge to the test by building a sailing land yacht and a rubber band powered dragster.
The 48-page book offers illustrated instructions for the building projects and experiments. Physics Discovery uses parts that are compatible with all of our Physics and Construction kits.
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Solar Mechanics |
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Build more than 20 solar-powered models to learn about how solar cells convert energy from sunlight into mechanical energy. Conduct experiments with the solar cell to see how different placement angles, different light levels, different sources of light, and different loads affect its operation. Learn about solar power in a fun, hands-on way.
This kit includes a unique single-piece solar motor that is composed of a photovoltaic cell and an electric motor joined together in one compact unit. With this solar motor, you can power dozens of electric vehicles and devices. Build models including cars, trucks, planes, windmills, waterwheels, robots, and other vehicles.
The 60-page, full-color experiment manual offers step-by-step illustrated instructions for the building projects and experiments. The building system is compatible with all of our other Physics and Construction
kits.
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Genetics & DNA |
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Head into the lab for an in-depth investigation of genetics, the branch
of biology focused on heredity and variation in organisms, and DNA,
the acid that holds the blueprints for life. See genetic material with your
own eyes as you isolate the DNA from a tomato in a test tube. Investigate
inheritance and learn how traits are passed down from parents to
children. Learn about dominant and recessive genes and play inheritance
games to determine how traits will be expressed.
Learn about the biology of reproduction, the components of cells,
and how chromosomes are combined and copied. Assemble a model to
see the elegant double-stranded helical structure of DNA. Then crack
the genetic code and find out how the different parts, called nucleotides,
fit together. Analyze DNA evidence to identify suspects and solve
a crime. Breed your own bacteria colony to experiment with survival of
the fittest. Read about how mutation affects genes and how scientists
clone plants and animals. Full-color, 48-page manual.
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Optical Science |
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Astonish yourself with optical illusions and amazing visual phenomena as you explore the science of human perception in this fascinating kit. Experiment with light and the color spectrum by building a color wheel, a fiber optic peacock, and diffraction glasses. Learn how the eye and a camera are similar and how they are different. Build a camera obscura and pinhole glasses. Investigate lenses and light refraction. Experiment with spatial vision and depth perception with 3D glasses and an Ames room model. Find your blind spot and watch things disappear.
View stunning optical illusions involving shapes, color, depth, and scale. Make a curved line look straight. Turn cardboard transparent. See the world shrink. Make white by mixing red, green, and blue, and see colors in black and white. Learn about how optical illusions relate to techniques commonly used by artists.
See firsthand how your eye and brain work together to perceive color, light, depth, perspective, size, shape, and motion. Conduct over 24 experiments, guided by the 48-page, full-color experiment book. Ages 8 and up.
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Motors & Generators |
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Electric motors and generators are in countless devices, appliances, and vehicles we use every day. They are an essential technology in our modern world. With this kit, you can conduct 25 experiments to learn how an electric motor converts electricity into motion, and how an electric generator does just the opposite, converting motion into electricity.
The electric motor is made of transparent plastic to show how the inside components work. Set up the motor to run on battery power and learn how a motor works. Then reconfigure the device to work in reverse as a hand-crank electric generator. Experiment with magnets to learn about the force of magnetism, and how magnetic fields relate to electric current. Build simple circuits consisting of the motor or generator, wires, and a light bulb to learn about the flow of electricity. Learn about gears and drive-trains and how they work to effectively convert kinetic energy into electrical energy and back again. The full-color, 48-page manual guides your experiments with step-by-step instructions.
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Magnetic Science |
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Explore the invisible and amazing power of magnets with 33 engaging experiments and games. This science experiment kit contains many magnets of different shapes and sizes, and a variety of other components with which you can explore this classic scientific subject.
Experiment to determine which materials are magnetic and which are not. Learn about magnetic poles and magnetic fields. Discover how Earth behaves like one giant magnet, and how we use compasses to take advantage of this phenomenon to determine which way is north.
Conduct a series of experiments to learn first hand how magnets behave and interact under different conditions. Make invisible magnetic fields visible using iron filings in an enclosed transparent box.
Build an electromagnet to learn how electricity relates to magnetism. Finally, have some fun with what you have learned by playing some games with magnets. The full-color, 48-page manual guides your experiments with illustrated step-by-step instructions.
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Archaeology Pyramid Dig |
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Play the role of archaeologist as you explore this pyramid model and
the treasures buried within. After using hieroglyphics to decipher the
secret to unlocking the pyramid, use tools and techniques similar to
those of a real archaeologist to carefully excavate a sarcophagus and
four canopic urns from the hardened sandy catacomb inside. Practice
the best techniques for excavating an archaeological site, such as digging,
troweling, screening, brushing, and record keeping.
As you uncover the artifacts in the pyramid, you will learn about
important aspects of archaeological science, including surveys, excavation,
conservation, dating, and remote sensing. Learn how to create
a gridded excavation site and a diorama. Investigate the layout of the
pyramid, its various chambers, hidden passageways, and security devices
by constructing a three-dimensional cross section of the pyramid.
A full-color, 32-page manual gives step-by-step instructions for the
activities and experiments.
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Space Exploration |
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Blast off on a mission to explore outer space and the objects in it with a
wide array of cosmic experiments. Launch three types of rockets, using
balloons and chemical reactions to learn about rocket propulsion. Build
a telescope and star map to investigate the stars and constellations.
Assemble a model of the solar system, and learn about the planets that
share it.
Find out how Earth's rotation creates day and night, how Earth's
axis and revolution around the sun cause the seasons, and how the
moon's rotation around Earth gives us the phases of the moon. See for
yourself how meteorites formed the craters on the moon. Make a moon
flip book and a moon calendar, and find the "man in the moon." Model
lunar and solar eclipses. Build a sundial and a solar collector to experiment
with the sun. Grasp a comet's tail, and learn how meteoroids
become falling stars. See how the universe is expanding with a simple
model. A full-color, 48-page experiment book guides your exploration.
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Volcanoes & Earthquakes |
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Earth is constantly changing. Massive pieces of its outer layer are slowly
sliding under, over, away from, or past each other. Earthquakes shake
the continents and oceans, and volcanoes spew out the molten insides
of our planet. By studying these awe-inspiring and devastating natural
phenomena, you can learn more about the inner workings of Earth.
Build and erupt a model volcano with plaster-based "lava" that
hardens after each eruption. The volcano can be erupted multiple
times, and the volcanic cone builds up with each eruption, like a real
volcano. Learn about the different types of volcanoes. Build a working
seismograph, and fake some 'quakes to see for yourself how scientists
measure earthquake forces. Discover plate tectonics, and see how
volcanoes and earthquakes are caused by the constant movement of
the planet's parts. Assemble a plate tectonics puzzle and a geological
globe. Play a volcano quiz game to learn about well-known volcanoes.
A full-color, 48-page experiment manual is included.
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Crystal Growing |
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Grow dozens of dazzling crystals and conduct
15 illuminating experiments with this classic
science kit. Experiment with four chemically
different crystals each with different properties,
including potassium alum crystals that
form regular octahedrons, rapidly growing
sodium sulfate crystals, long needle-shaped
sodium acetate crystals, and plaster which is
made from gypsum crystals.
Mold fun plaster shapes, including stars,
lightning bolts, dolphins, and pyramids, and
grow layers of crystals on them. Use dyes to
form colored crystals, and mix the dyes to
grow a rainbow of custom colored crystals.
Display your crystal creations in a clear
treasure chest with a locking lid. Mold your
own geode — a hollow rock with crystals
growing inside — and create a beautiful crystal
cavern inside.
Experiment with growing crystals rapidly
and slowly, and observe how that affects the
crystal structures. See if you can grow one
giant crystal, and many small crystals on the
surface of a rock.
Measure how the crystallization of solids
out of a solution, and the dissolution of crystals
back into solution, affect the temperature
of the solution. Learn about the energy of
crystallization. Investigate solutions, crystallization,
and the chemistry of crystal growing.
Learn about the structures and geometries of
different crystal shapes.
This kit is thoroughly tested and safe: Over
one million units of this kit have sold worldwide.
A full-color, 32-page experiment manual
guides your experiments in crystal chemistry
and Earth science.
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Electricity & Magnetism |
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Conduct more than 60 electrifying experiments
with circuits and magnetic contraptions
to learn about electricity and magnetism, and
how these two fundamental properties are
closely related. Children eight and up can
safely and easily experiment with electric
current and magnetic fields using the colorful
snap-together blocks and components in this
hands-on kit.
Build series and parallel circuits to light
up a light bulb. Experiment with push buttons
and on-off switches. Assemble circuits that
include a spinning motor, two switches, and
up to three light bulbs.
Conduct tests to see which materials are
magnetic. Learn about the force of magnetism
and magnetic poles. Magnetize a metal. Use
iron fillings to make invisible magnetic fields
visible. Investigate magnetic force and direction
with a magnetic pendulum device. Learn
how a compass works and about Earth's magnetic
fields. Conduct a series of experiments
with a sturdy electromagnet.
Finally, put everything you have learned
to good use by constructing a loudspeaker,
an electromagnetic relay switch, and a morse
code telegraph key.
The components are specially designed
to make learning fun and accessible. The
electrical blocks fit together with simple plugand-
socket connectors. Because the blocks
are brightly colored and have unique shapes,
it is easy to follow the assembly diagrams to
construct functional devices.
The 64-page, full-color experiment manual
guides you through experiments with easy-tofollow
diagrams.
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Eco-Battery Vehicles |
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It's looking increasingly inevitable that electric
vehicles (EV's for short) will be the cars of the
future. More specifically, battery electric vehicles
(or BEV's) — which are powered entirely
by rechargeable chemical cells — are starting
to become practical. Many major auto manufacturers
have BEV's in development, and a
few already have BEV's on the road today.
The challenge in making BEV's a viable
transportation solution is the battery. Batteries
must be easy to recharge, able to hold enough
charge to drive long distances, and more efficient
than gasoline engines. Scientists and
engineers around the world are tackling this
battery challenge, and major progress is being
made.
In this kit, you can build and experiment
with a new type of environmentally friendly
"fuel cell" to learn about electrochemical
cells and BEV's. The battery is a metal-air
electrochemical cell, a type of battery that is
widely used in small scale devices. It is ideal
for demonstrating battery technology because
it does not use any harmful chemicals: it uses
only magnesium plates, salt water, and the
oxygen in the air to generate electricity. Moreover,
magnesium is considered an eco-friendly
renewable fuel because it could be harvested
cleanly from ocean water.
Build 20 different models and power them
with this special battery. Experiment with different
concentrations of salt to see how long
your battery can run. Learn about electrochemistry
and battery technology.
One metal plate lasts as much as six times
longer than a regular AA battery (six plates
included). Full-color, 64-page experiment
manual. 91 building pieces.
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Science Experiments On The Go |
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Take your experiments on the road with
this travel-friendly science kit! The kit
includes everything you need to do fun
experiments on road trips, plane flights,
train rides, and vacations. Assemble a
simple pair of binoculars and learn how
they work. Set up a mini cable car to run
between car windows or airplane tray
tables. Explore rotational speed with a
spinning disk experiment. Build a balance
scale to measure weights. Calculate how
far a distance is on a map, and how fast
you are traveling. Learn fun facts about
migrating animals and how fast Earth is
traveling through space. Experiment with a
mini boomerang. Observe optical illusions
with a spinning top. Make a "lenticular"
postcard that looks different depending on
the viewing angle.
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Physics Force & Pressure |
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Balloons are more than just a lot of hot air! Learn about air pressure and force by
doing lively experiments with air, water, and rubber balloons. See how air is not just
emptiness, but has volume and takes up space. Try blowing up a balloon in a bottle.
Make a simple water fountain to learn about air pressure. Race a jet-propelled balloon
rocket to investigate forces. Lift a pile of books with your breath. Blow up a balloon
with a simple chemical reaction. You'll have a blast with balloons zooming, floating,
popping, and flying all around the room!
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