This booklet is part of the ‘Innovations in Practical Work’ series published by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). There are a wide variety of materials that have unusual and interesting flow properties, and which find applications in industry and consumer...

These materials look at three possible projects that relate to space exploration:

* Communications project - students gather information about space exploration before making a presentation on the problems to be overcome with past and possible future benefits of space travel

* Practical project -...

These materials look at three possible projects that relate to the environmental impact of domestic cleaning products:

* Communications project - students gather information to explain how cleaning products can be harmful to the environment and recommend good practice that will help protect the environment...

These materials look at three possible projects that relate to the sports equipment a triathlete may use:

* Communications project - students act as members of a research team that develops prosthetic limbs and running shoes. Funding for this work is required. Students devise an approach to suitable...

In this project, students investigate how velocity and other factors affect the extent of bodywork damage in head-on collisions between model vehicles.

A family car travelling at 30 mph has about 90 kJ of kinetic energy. In a crash, this reduces to zero...

In this project, students measure the UV radiation to find out when the sun’s UV rays are the strongest. They will then compare a variety of different sun creams and sun blocks by measuring how much UV...

In this project, students design a series of tests to find the best toothbrush and obtain quantitative data.  Some examples of the properties ytheymay wish to test include:

...

In this project, students design, make and test a device to test people’s reaction times.   They will need to consider the electronic circuitry involved, the power supply, input device, processor and...

Students investigate the properties of materials used for cooking utensils in order to collect quantitative data.  For example, if testing for thermal conductivity they should gain a value for the rate at which heat flows through a cross-sectional area of material.  Students should also find out if...

In this project, student investigate the ingredients of lipsticks, and work out why lipsticks are certain colours, and work out how to change the consistency of lipstick and how to control its ‘...

In this project, students investigate the role of different additives used to preserve and enhance the quality of bread and determine how effective different additives are.   This could include:

• Preservatives

...

In this project, students investigate the thermal properties of different fabrics used in cold weather clothing or other thermal insulation applications such as sleeping bags or duvets. They will also find out about TOG values and measure the TOG values of different fabrics.

In this project students carry out some research about how sails ‘work’ - what are the aerodynamic principles of a sail, and what...

This report looks at hands-on practical science in secondary schools and uses an international study to answer the question ‘What does good look like?’. Using a  model of...

In the context of finding out why we grit roads in winter, students are shown what happens when salt is sprinkled onto ice lollies.  They are then asked If they believe that the temperature of the ice lolly with the salt will increase or decrease, causing it to melt faster. Students then investigate some...