PHYSICAL CHALLENGE ZONE

BED OF NAILS:

Every great scientist knows that pressure is the application of force to the surface of an object. When you step on a single nail, your foot puts a large amount of force onto the small surface area of that nail, easily piercing your skin.

It’s the principle of pressure!

What do you think will happen when you lie down on …

BUBBLE LAB:

If you are anywhere between the ages of 1 and 101, you will love this exhibit!

Create bubbles the size of basketballs, blow bubbles through a bubble sheet, or make a bubble big enough for you to fit inside!

Look at all the pretty colors in the bubbles as they float around. They are actually reflections and refractions of the light around the bubble. The colors show how thick, or thin, the bubble wall is.

PULLEY POWER:

Take a seat on one of the chairs and use the rope to pull yourself up. If you look closely, you’ll see that each chair is connected to two, three, or four pulleys. Pulleys make lifting heavy items easier by magnifying force or changing the direction of force.

The magnifying of force by a simple machine is called a mechanical advantage. The key to a mechanical advantage is in the number of pulleys; the more pulleys there are, the lighter the weight being lifted feels.