46

Lesson 46 of 84 ยท Light

Experimentโญ 30 XPโšก Spark Lab

What Scientists Do (Part 3)

๐ŸงชLab Brief #46

What Scientists Do (Part 3).

๐ŸŽฏ Your mission

Set it up. Test it. Be amazed.

โšก The twist

Speed isn't the same as force. Don't mix them up.

๐Ÿคฏ

Mind = Blown

๐Ÿ”ฅ A bolt of lightning is 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun.

๐Ÿ”ฎ

Make a hypothesis first

Guess: where does the energy go?

What You'll Learn

A prediction is a guess about what will happen. Good scientists make predictions before testing.

Key Words

  • measure
  • compare
  • record

Materials Needed

  • aluminum foil
  • ruler
  • markers
  • popsicle sticks
  • pennies
  • plastic wrap

Safety First

  • Tie back long hair before starting the experiment.
  • Protect your work surface with newspaper or plastic.
  • Adult supervision recommended.

Steps

Step 1 โ€” Read

Read about Light with a partner or grown-up.

Step 2 โ€” Do

Build the strongest bridge you can using only paper and tape. Test it by placing coins on top.

Step 3 โ€” Observe

Watch carefully. What happens?

Step 4 โ€” Record

Draw and write about what you learned.

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 3

What does 'observe' mean?

๐ŸŒ

Where you see this in real life

You use this every time you flip a light switch, ride a bike, or kick a ball.

๐Ÿ†

Stretch Challenge

Try this in real life this week.

Time how long a small ball rolls down something, then change the slope and try again.

๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ‘ง

For the dinner table

โ€œShow me something at home that uses this kind of energy.โ€

๐ŸŽฏ

Next Smart Experiment

We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.

๐Ÿ’งShare card

Share this experiment

Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.

๐Ÿ–จ๏ธ

Checkout complete lesson on Light for 2nd Grade

Get the full Light track as a printable PDF โ€” all lessons, worksheets, and answer keys.

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