View all Physics@Home

Inverted Wineglass Harp

Inverted Wineglass Harp

A new take on a musical physics classic


3D and Polarization at Home

Grab some 3D glasses for this home experiment


Sewing Kit Cartesian Diver

Exploring buoyancy with this quick experiment


Balloon Acceleration in a Car

What happens to a helium balloon in an accelerating car?


Ice Cream at Home

Learn the physics behind making this tasty treat


Homemade Lava Lamp

Embrace your inner 1970’s teenage self with this makeshift lava lamp


Hovering Snowflake Decorations

Decorate in style this holiday season with static electricity


Make Your Own Compass

Find the Earth's North Pole quickly and easily


Is It Hot in Here?

Create your own homemade thermometer


Make Your Own Homopolar Motor

Make a simple spinning motor with household supplies


The Egg Squeeze

You can squeeze an egg into a jar with just the power of air pressure


Resonance: Earthquakes to Pasta

Shake your pasta and discover resonance


Permanent Rainbow

Create a lasting rainbow with some nail polish


Glowing Jell-O Physics

Fluorescent Jell-O is easy to make and fun to eat


Solid as a Rock?

Rocks may seem solid, but there's more to them than meets the eye.


Office Chair Physics

Take a coffee break and get dizzy with this experiment


Backyard Roller Coaster Physics

Learn about centripetal force with a bucket of water


Floating Ping-Pong Balls

Floating ping-pong balls can teach us how airplanes stay aloft


Overflowing Surface Tension

How does water rise above a full glass without spilling?


Air Matters

You can detect the tiny mass of air with materials from around the house


Free Fall

Create a weightless environment here on Earth


Make it Rain

Create your own indoor rainstorm


Floating Rice Friction

Make a bottle of rice "float" with this friction demo


Colorful Oobleck Fun

Make your own non-Newtonian fluid in this demo


Create Your Own Rainbow

Learn about refraction in the kitchen


Fluorescent Olive Oil

Discover fluorescence with a laser pointer and a few drops of olive oil


Canister Rocket

Make your own rocket with some antacids and a film canister

Supernova Remnant thumb

Sound in Space?

Experiment with sound (or lack thereof) in a vacuum

Lens thumb

Gravitational Wine Glass Lens

A simple home experiment can mimic the light-bending effects of dark matter

Tea Bag Rockets

Fiery Tea Bag Rockets

What's the best way to turn a tea bag into a flying "rocket"? Set it on fire.


Where's the Air?

You can't see it, but you can feel it! Play with air and air pressure in this activity.


Physics at the Breakfast Table: Getting your Fill of Iron


balloon bottle

Balloon Bottle

It’s like making a teeny tiny hot air balloon that doesn’t go anywhere!

paper trebuchet

Physics at Home: Creating a Paper Trebuchet

“Hey, can you pass me a paperclip?” "Why yes, I'll send one with my paper trebuchet."

ice in oil

Physics in a Glass: Ice and Oil

Some say water and oil don’t mix, but what about ice and oil?


Physics in the Sky: Physics on a Plane

This week we’re taking a break from being home and heading to the skies! Now that boring plane ride can be filled with physics!


Physics in the kitchen: Sink or Swim Soda

If you ever find yourself floating in the sea with only a can of diet soda and a can of regular soda, which one could be a floatation device.


Physics in a Glass: Reversing Arrows

It went that way…I mean that way? Which way does this arrow point? Using physics to give bad directions.

water glass magic

Physics Over the Sink: Water Glass Magic

Defying the laws of gravity? Drinking water upside down? This must be magic… or science!

Matchstick Rocket

Physics by the Fire: Match Stick Rocket

This experiment is "Outta this world!" Make your own rocket ship... for ants.

can Demo1

Physics in the kitchen: The Magical Can Crusher

It’s not The Force, but it is caused by a force. Try this simple experiment and watch a can magically crush before your eyes.


Physics by the Fridge: Zip Magnets

Almost as confusing as an on and off relationship, these flat refrigerator magnets alternate between attraction and repulsion, but only when pulled in the right direction. Give it a try and see if you can make these magnets zip.


Physics in the Tool Shed: Toolaballoonaphone



Physics in the Nursery: Baby Oil and Water

Did you know that even in a baby’s room you can find physics? Crying babies and quiet places don’t always mix and neither do baby oil and water, two common things in a nursery. But why doesn’t oil mix with water? Try this fun experiment to explore what happens when water meets oil.


Physics in a Jar: Make Your Own Ferrofluid

Is it a miniature porcupine? No! It’s ferrofluid. Follow these simple instructions to make your own.

whole bottle-tn

Balloon Lung



Physics in a Water Bottle: Ketchup Commander

Get ready to amaze your friends with this one! They will watch in awe as you use magical powers (ahem, physics) to command a packet of ketchup to rise, sink, and levitate....and it obeys you.


Physics in Your Fish Tank: Swedish Fishing

Try this experiment if you want to spear some candy fish, if you can catch them.


Physics on the Kitchen Table: Base Isolated Buildings

Explore what happens to building during an earthquake.

beauty of snowflake

Physics When It’s Cold Outside: Snowflake Symmetry

Bring the beauty of snow inside, while leaving the cold outside by creating paper snowflakes and exploring symmetry.


Physics on Your Christmas Tree: Lighting up with LEDs

In the season of lights, make your own glowing creations with LEDs.

us dollar

Physics in Your Wallet: Move your Money Maker with Magnets

When payday rolls around and you're wondering what to do with your money, try this simple experiment and make your money move.


Physics at the Party: Dancing Lasers

Add some light to your night. Make your party one that your friends remember, let those lasers dance, using physics! Use this simple experiment to illustrate sound waves, vibration and reflection.


Physics in the Kitchen: The Dancing Ping Pong Ball

Amaze your friends with the dancing ping pong ball. It's not magic...It's science!

turkey baster

Physics in the Kitchen: The Musical Turkey Baster

In the kitchen there are plenty of gadgets that illustrate numerous laws and theories of physics, but none are music to my ears like the musical turkey baster.


Electric Whirl Pool

Magneto hydrodynamic propulsion in your coffee cup!


Laser Jell-O

If you thought Jell-O only did funny things to your tummy then you need to see what it does to light! Come explore as light changes its path when it passes through Jell-O.


Big O’ Glass of Sunset!

See why the sky is blue and a sunset is orange, all in a glass of milk!


Rocket Balls: Conserving Energy But Creating Fun

Will a ball bounce higher than it was dropped? You might say no, but come take a journey and allow a bug to tell you otherwise.


Singing Rod

While everyone knows that the world needs more cowbell, it is a little known fact that an aluminum rod can sing to your heart’s content.


Physics on a Swinging Tray: Greek Waiters Tray

Did you forget to pay the gravity bill this month? That's what people will think when they see your Greek Waiter's Tray defy gravity.


Physics in a Toroidal Vortex: Air Cannon

You are about to build your very own toroidal vortex generator. This device will efficiently transport air across the room in a dazzling display of fluid dynamics.


Physics in the Sink: Balloon Pop, Or Not

Normally if you put a balloon over a flame, the balloon will pop, but what happens when you put a water balloon over a flame?


Physics at Mealtime: Capillary Action

This is a fun activity to try when you're waiting for the waiter to bring you your food, but consider yourself warned that not all people think it's appropriate to play with your straw at the dinner table.


Physics in your Glass: Racing Molecules

Have you ever come in from a day of sledding or ice skating and sat down for a drink of cold chocolate? Or had a glass of hot lemonade in the summer? Probably not. We use hot water for some things and cold water for others. Have you ever thought about what makes hot water hot and cold water cold?


Physics in a Bottle: Expanding Thermometers



Physics in the Snow: Snowy Colors

Most people associate Ben Franklin with electricity, but his first recorded experiment was on something totally different – color and heat. You’ve probably noticed that you heat up faster in the sunlight if you’re wearing a dark shirt.


Physics in the Microwave: Microwave Soap

What did people do before microwaves? Imagine having to use the oven to heat up your leftover pizza or an air popper to make popcorn…and how else could you make these amazing soap sculptures?


Physics in the Toy Room: Toppling Towers

Most of us played with blocks during our childhood and could hold our own at tower-building, or at least tower-toppling. Even adults get into the game Jenga® – a game where players try to add to the height of a tower without making it fall. But, have you ever really paid attention to how towers fall?


Physics in the Living Room: Remote Control Tricks

Few things are as frustrating as searching through couch cushions for a lost remote just as your favorite reality show is starting. What would we do without remotes? In addition to being essential to our TV watching, they are a great way to explore light.


Physics in the Sink: Dancing Water

The kitchen sink is a good place to wash dishes, rinse out empty soup cans and soak crusty bowls, but it’s also a great place to investigate one of the coolest forces of nature – electrostatics.


Physics at Your Desk: Drumming Fingers

Most of us hear things all the time – the click of the keys on the keyboard, the notes to our favorite songs, cracks of thunder that accompany a storm…but how does sound travel?


Physics in the Bathroom: Ripping Neatly

Have you ever gone into a bathroom to find that a child (or pet) in the house unwound toilet paper all over the floor? Next time don't blame him or her – blame inertia!