Activities Bring Science Fun To The Fair

Kids and adults alike had fun while they learned about science at this year’s Indiana State Fair. On Purdue Day at the Fair, August 18, School of Science K-12 Outreach Coordinators showcased hands-on activities to demonstrate the fun as well as the challenge of science and mathematics.

Some of the activities planned for the Science tent include:
Hear Your TV Remote Control
The TV remote sends an infrared signal to the TV set. Using a photo diode and a simple audio amplifier, we can hear the signals that the remote sends to communicate with the TV. All-in-one remote controls send a noticeably different signal to various devices.
Laser Pointer Hail Purdue
Ever heard a laser pointer sing? A laser pointer sends a light signal at a certain frequency. A simple circuit clipped to a laser pointer will modulate the laser beam, making a simple radio station. Using a photo diode and a simple audio amplifier, we can hear what happens when the signal is interrupted. We will show how the laser signal frequency can be manipulated to create music and play our favorite song, “Hail Purdue.”
Float Your Boat
Use aluminum foil to design and create a boat, and compete with others to see how many pennies your boat can hold before it sinks. Prizes will be awarded.
Root Beer Float
Two cans of root beer fall into a water tank. One can floats, but the other can sinks to the bottom. Why does one float and the other sink?
Egg-tremely Strange
An egg is placed in two different containers filled with water. Why does the egg float in the first container, but sink in the second container?
Physics on the Road Demo Show
The highly successful show that travels to schools all over Indiana comes to the fair. Activities can include: Hopper Poppers, Action and Reaction, Inertia and Impulse, Bed of Nails, Barrel Crunch, Balloons in Vacuum Chamber, Marshmallow Astronaut, Pencil Shoot, and Vortex Generator. Each activity is a fun way to demonstrate such principles of physics as Bernouilli’s Principle and Newton’s Laws.

The School of Science K-12 Outreach program was initiated in 1989 to work with students and teachers to increase interest and achievement in science and mathematics at all pre-college levels in Indiana. Our programs link the expertise of the School of Science faculty with Indiana students, teachers, parents, and schools through collaborative interactions. Since its inception, Science K-12 Outreach has reached more than 2400 teachers and 500,000 students by traveling to Indiana schools with demonstrations, programs, laboratory equipment, and other activities to illustrate the excitement of science and improve science and mathematics education. For more information on Science K-12 Outreach, contact Bill Walker, Director, wswalker@purdue.edu (765) 494-5890, or visit the Web site.

September 2004 Science @ Purdue