What do CDs, lamps, lasers, and microwave ovens all have in common? They all use the power of light and optics! From ancient times when scientists puzzled over the effects of the Sun on Earth to today, where scientists and engineers use lasers to make precise cuts in metal, people have been fascinated by light and optics. In this book, you’ll delve into this incredible subject and learn how light can bend and bounce. You’ll understand how scientists use light to send data from one side of the world to the other. And, you’ll have fun discovering new things to do with flashlights and mirrors. These experiments and activities can be used as a starting point for science fair projects, or you can do them just for fun. Either way, you’ll find out a lot about the properties of light!

The water you drink. The air you breathe. This book you’re holding. Everything around you is made of matter. Learn more about what makes up matter, the forms it can take, and nature’s rules about it. With inexpensive items that you probably have lying around your home, you can do these easy and fun experiments on solids, liquids, and gases. Think like a chemist as you construct a tower of liquids, grow your own crystals, and even measure the speed of smell. Explore the powerful world of matter, from the visible to the invisible.

Electrical and magnetic forces are so much a part of our everyday lives, that we don’t often think about how they work or how they are related. Before digital music players and eBook readers were commonplace, though, scientists put a lot of effort into discovering just what these forces were and how to harness their energy in ways that would make life easier. Through their experimentation, they discovered the connection between electrical and magnetic forces. They found ways to bring electricity to people who wanted it. Today, we benefit from these discoveries, but there are always new things to discover! Whether you try the experiments and activities in this book for fun or for a science fair project, you’ll get an up-close look at the forces of electricity and magnetism. Enjoy each of the shocking activities in this book as you discover the pull of science!

Babies crying, school bells ringing, cars roaring by, the ding signaling that a new text message has arrived . . . sounds are all around us, but how are they made? And how do we hear them? Sounds are created when air vibrates, and we hear them because our ears are specially developed to funnel in and process those vibrations. Through the activities and experiments in this book, you’ll take a hands-on look at how sounds are made and how they are heard. From salt drums to xylophones and sonic booms, you’ll have fun making music and noise—and learning a little along the way!

Scientists have known for a long time that things move in predictable patterns. It took an apple falling to help further their knowledge, though. We now know how things move and why. Scientists continue to study motion and the forces that cause it, and you can too! In this book, you’ll learn about pushes and pulls and different types of energy. The next time you play soccer, you’ll be able to use your new scientific knowledge to teach your friends and family why that soccer ball moves the way it does.

When tiny atoms interact, their chemistry affects our world. From cars rusting to stomachs digesting, chemical reactions make things happen. See the invisible atomic world with these easy and fun projects on chemistry and chemical reactions that you can do yourself. Think like a chemist as you burn oxygen in air, move microscopic metals through solution, make your own plastic, and much more. Uncover nature’s mysterious recipes with chemistry!

Filled with fun experiments investigating the science of light, readers will be able to make everything from a kaleidoscope to a pinhole camera. Inventive activities make science a fun topic to tackle as an individual or in a group setting. Step-by-step instructions engage even the most reluctant of readers.