Take control of a virtual car and learn how vectors are used to represent velocity and acceleration in this interactive activity developed for Teachers' Domain. Grades 6-12.
In this ZOOM video segment, cast member Francesco follows the paper trail to find out what happens to his recyclables. He visits a material recovery center and learns how paper is recycled and the number of trees that are saved as a result.
In this adapted video segment, ZOOM guest Laura shows us some of the natural features of Yellowstone National Park, including geysers, hot springs, fumaroles, and mud pots, as well as some of the wildlife.
Students explore the motion of molecules and the ways in which they interact.
This interactive resource adapted from the National Park Service illustrates the difference between explosive and effusive volcanic eruptions as well as the hazards that can result, including lahars, tsunamis, and lava flows.
This interactive resource adapted from the National Park Service illustrates the variety of landforms and features created by volcanoes. Featured are calderas, craters, fumaroles and other geothermal features, igneous rocks, lava flows, lava tubes, and maars.
Ever wonder how a battery works? This segment highlights voltaic cells, their various components and how they operate.
Students observe and discuss a simple model of a wet scrubber to understand how this pollutant recovery method functions in cleaning industrial air pollution.
This activity investigates water when it freezes and how other solid items sink or float in water.
This video segment adapted from Last Oasis explores the use of new dams as a way to provide or store water. In the 1990s, the city of Denver was looking for a new source of water for its growing population, and its plan to build a new dam suddenly became highly controversial.
Students measure the effectiveness of water filters in purifying contaminated water. They prepare test water by creating different concentrations of bleach (chlorine-contaminated) water. After passing the contaminated water through commercially available Brita® water filters designed to purify drinking water, students determine the chlorine concentration of the purified water using chlorine test strips and measure the adsorption of chlorine onto activated carbon over time. They graph and analyze their results to determine the effectiveness of the filters. The household active carbon filters used are one example of engineer-designed water purification systems.
In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, visit a water treatment plant and learn how water from a local reservoir is turned into drinking water.
This simulation from the National Center for Atmospheric Research portrays annual patterns in water vapor and precipitation across the globe, illustrating general circulation patterns as well as seasonal and regional variation.
In this interactive activity adapted from the University of Utah's ASPIRE Lab, learn how to measure wavelengths and see how wavelength affects the color of the light that we see.
The students will use investigation and data collection to investigate the three states of matter. They will draw conclusions about the physical properties by answering questions.
There's no need to don a space suit if you want to experience weightlessness. In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, two members of the cast drop a cup of water with holes in it to demonstrate how free fall can create a momentary condition of "weightlessness".
Recommended for: Grades K-8
Students learn about the underlying factors that can contribute to Plinian eruptions (which eject large amounts of pumice, gas and volcanic ash, and can result in significant death and destruction in the surrounding environment), versus more gentle, effusive eruptions. Students explore two concepts related to the explosiveness of volcanic eruptions, viscosity and the rate of degassing, by modelling the concepts with the use of simple materials. They experiment with three fluids of varying viscosities, and explore the concept of degassing as it relates to eruptions through experimentation with carbonated beverage cans. Finally, students reflect on how the scientific concepts covered in the activity connect to useful engineering applications, such as community evacuation planning and implementation, and mapping of safe living zones near volcanoes. A PowerPoint® presentation and student worksheet are provided.
In this Science 101 video, scientists Debolina Dasgupta and Nancy Kariuki describe the science, technology and applications of hydrogen energy. Hydrogen is the simplest chemical element, or type of atom, and an abundance of hydrogen exists within the water on our planet. It is naturally renewed by the water cycle, and when used as fuel, it releases no harmful emissions. For these reasons, hydrogen could play a major role in fostering a cleaner environment and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in sectors ranging from transportation to the grid.
In this Science 101: What is Nanoscience video, assistant scientist Jie Xu explains what nanoscience is, and how it is being applied at Argonne's Center for Nanoscale Materials (CNM), a Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility.
In this part of our series, Roger Blomquist, a Principal Nuclear Engineer in the Nuclear Engineering Division, breaks down nuclear energy—the world’s largest and most reliable source of clean energy.