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Floor plans show walls, windows, doors, and other features of a room or building. Architects and engineers use them to study spatial relationships and describe their designs. Typically, floor plans are rendered as two-dimensional drawings.In this…

Whether preparing for Halloween or just a regular day, you can make skull-shaped edibles from this project's 3D candy mold. Like many molds, this one is a hollow container into which you can pour water or hot liquids, such as gelatin, chocolate, or…

A spur gear is a common toothed wheel that works with other wheels in a set to adjust the speed, power, or direction of a complex machine. It's found in many everyday devices, such as electric screwdrivers, washing machines, and mechanical clocks…

Terrain maps are physical models that give you an at-a-glance overview of landforms. Architects, builders, and engineers often use these types of maps to provide context to proposed building designs. In this project, you'll create a layered…

LEDs (light-emitting diodes) are rectifying semiconductor devices that convert electrical energy into electromagnetic radiation. You can use these devices to create a 3-dimensional light display. LED cubes require some care and good soldering skills…

An oscilloscope is a device that allows you to see an electronic signal so that it appears as a waveform. Traditional oscilloscopes work by amplifying a signal to control the position of a dot on the y-axis (vertical axis) of a cathode-ray tube…

This project takes you through the steps to build, launch, and fly a foam glider in sustained and controlled flight. Control in flight is achieved by modifying the wind the glider flies through with a large cardboard sheet (paddle). If this is your…

This project allows you to use electromagnetic levitation to suspend a globe of the world above a surface. The "globe" is actually a table tennis ball painted to look like a globe. Keeping it in place requires careful control of electrical current…

Environmental research often involves the use of data loggers to record data at regular intervals over a period of time. Most data loggers are based on digital processors, and can be fairly expensive, but you can build your own. This project uses a…

A pulse generator circuit is an important building block for many electronic projects, such as the heart of a digital clock. Its purpose is basically to switch an output on and off for as long as the circuit is activated. Sometimes, these circuits…

A red, green, and blue (RGB) light-emitting diode (LED) is a useful electronic component that can produce visible light in a variety of colors. This is done by varying the intensity of the light output of the three different color LED elements (red,…

This project takes you through the steps to build, launch,and fly a paper airplane (glider) in sustained and controlled flight. Control in flight is achieved by modifying the wind the glider flies through with a large cardboard sheet or foam board…

This project takes you through the steps to build, launch, and fly an ultralight foam glider in sustained and controlled flight. Controlled flight is achieved by modifying the wind the glider flies through with a large cardboard sheet, or paddle.The…

In this project, you will build a small, vertical-axis wind turbine, or VAWT for short. VAWTs are not as efficient as their horizontal-axis cousins, but they are better suited to urban environments where wind can come from different…

Throughout the history of science, many major discoveries came accidentally. Sometimes they came from recognizing potential in an unexpected product or waste. Other times, discovery came out of pure desperation from a seemingly dead-end…

Chemistry research usually involves precise measurements and careful testing in order to get significant results. Sometimes, however, notable discoveries happen by accident. In this video on accidental discoveries, you will get to know the…

Unlike its name, Bicycle Day is not a holiday honoring your favorite two-wheeled, environmentally friendly vehicle. This holiday celebrates the day chemist Albert Hofmann first discovered the psychedelic effects of lysergic acid diethylamide,…

This animation explains how the control surfaces on an airplane's wing direct its flight and shows how movements of the ailerons, elevator, and rudder change the plane's flight path.

Have you ever wished you could hide under an invisibility cloak, like Harry Potter did? This video explores the science behind light, sight, and invisibility. Though we can’t make ourselves invisible yet, some promising research may light the…

Are you breathing air molecules that were once exhaled by Caesar, Joan of Arc, or Madame Curie? Why did Albert Einstein try to break into the refrigerator business? In this video, writer Sam Kean, author of science books "Caesar’s Last…

Vanilla is a flavor so common that some people use it as an adjective to describe something plain or ordinary. But watch out! This beloved, flavorful bean may soon become a rarity. Credit: Reactions/American Chemical Society

This animation explains the function of cam mechanisms and shows how cams produce desired physical movements in engines and other machines.

Thanks to the demands of eco-conscious consumers, biodegradable and compostable plastics are cropping up everywhere. Are these green plastics the solution to our throwaway lifestyle? Well, it’s complicated, as this video explains. Credit:…

Some clothing makers try to harness the antibacterial power of silver to combat the smell of sweat from people's workouts. Now, some manufacturers are adding nanotechnology to the mix. This video asks: does it work? Credit:…

This animation shows how a cathode ray tube works and describes some of the basic science behind the control of electron beams.