20 - 30 min

Dragonfly Muscles: Forces and Movement

Construct a flapping dragonfly with cardstock and elastic to learn about forces, force diagrams, and the direct flight muscles of dragonflies. Dance to compare the muscles that move your arm to the muscles that move a dragonfly’s wing.

This demo is part of the 2024 SOCK, The Wonders of the Dragonfly.

Dragonfly Flight: Gliding

Build paper airplanes to learn about the forces behind flying and gliding and how we measure glide efficiency! Modify the wing's shape, weight, stiffness, and texture of your airplane to try and beat the glide efficiency of a dragonfly! 

This demo pairs well with Dragonfly Flight: Vortices and Dragonfly Muscles: Forces and Movement. This demo is part of the 2024 SOCK, The Wonders of the Dragonfly.

Dragonfly Colours: Thin-Film Interference

This demonstration uses a bubble and LED light to illustrate the concept of thin-film interference. It centres a discussion on thin-film interference in dragonflies and asks participants to consider where they see reflection and refraction in their lives. As an extension, participants may find a natural object with structural colouration, such as a bird feather, butterfly wing, or beetle exoskeleton, and drop some rubbing alcohol on top to see if there are colour changes. 

Soda Straw Rocket

Construct a paper rocket and launch it using a straw to study forces and momentum!

Electromagnet

Learn how to make 2 versions of an Electromagnet. This demonstration can be used to explain the effects of a flowing current and magnetic fields! The 'easy' version involves a D battery and insulated wire while the 'intermediate' version uses a lantern battery, a switch, and insulated wire.

Passive Pasta

Learn about "passive" cooking through this energy efficient workshop! Participants will make pasta noodles by using hot water and an insulated travel mug, and eat a delicious meal. Water molecules, energy, heat, isolated systems - these are only a few physical concepts introduced in this engaging demonstration!

Audio Amplifier

Build a cost-effective amplifier for your SPS chapter, or use this as a workshop template for community outreach. Empower participants by helping them create an effective, useful, and integral electronic device.

Simple Motor

Construct a simple motor out of everyday materials in this workshop. Particpants learn first hand how to leverage the science of electricity and magnetism to create useful tools that we use every day.

Homopolar Motor

Participants learn the everyday science of electric motors in this fun and engaging workshop activity. 

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