Home experiments

A large catalogue (150+) of charmingly illustrated physics experiments in comics, accompanied by numbered instructions to complete your own, and explanations as to what is happening in each activity.

Turn an old CD into a spectroscope to analyze light—you may be surprised by what you see. Try pointing your CD spectroscope at the fluorescent light in your room, sunlit clouds in the sky, even your friend’s colored shirt to reveal the wavelengths of light that mix together to create the color you see!

If you have a CD, tape and some cardboard around you can make a spectroscope in a variety of ways - either reflective by angling the CD or transmissive by removing the reflective coating on the CD by using sellotape to tear it off. The above link is one such example of making a spectroscope, but part and learning of the joy is definitely improving on the design! The pattern can be captured by smart phones, so why not create a challenge to adapt the design to smart phone?

If you have a laser pen and jelly around the house, you can have a go at exploring jelly optics. Jelly can do much more than wiggle and jiggle. It's a popular desserts across the world, but could it be put to better use in optical systems?Jelly is quick and simple to make, appears translucent and can easily be moulded into a variety of shapes. Plus you can eat the left overs!

If you don't mind creating some mess, you can try cutting some of your own shapes.

If you have a magnifying lens around the house, with a little bit of tape and a shoe box, you can make a projector for your smart phone.

With a needle, scissors, tape and some cardboard, you can build a pinhole camera. Craft a camera, take a shot and observe optics in action. If you have photography paper, you could use it learn to process your print using at-home alternatives to traditional photographic chemicals, coffee & salt!

Brilliant range and assortment of activities you can do at home, from building binoculars to insect hotels, there's plenty to keep busy with in different activity levels, such as building or observing. All the activities are described in simple, illustrated ways that fit on an A4 page.