Cosmic Frontier - Advanced Skills

Description: Create a simple water filtration system using household supplies to understand the process of purifying water. This project will allow advanced college users to explore water treatment techniques and gain insights into environmental science.

Materials:

1. Plastic bottle
2. Gravel or small rocks
3. Sand
4. Activated charcoal
5. Coffee filter or cloth
6. Dirty water source

Instructions:

1. Cut the bottom of the plastic bottle and discard the cap.
2. Layer the bottle with gravel, sand, and activated charcoal in that order.
3. Place a coffee filter or cloth on top to prevent sediment from entering the purified water.
4. Pour dirty water into the filtration system and observe the filtered water collected at the bottom.

Description: Construct a hydroponic system using household supplies to grow plants without soil. This project will allow advanced college users to explore plant nutrition, water culture techniques, and experiment with different types of hydroponic setups.

Materials:

1. Plastic containers or bottles
2. Plastic tubing
3. Aquarium air pump
4. Air stones
5. Net pots or plastic cups
6. Hydroponic nutrient solution

Instructions:

1. Cut holes in the lids of the plastic containers or bottles to hold net pots or plastic cups.
2. Fill the containers with a hydroponic nutrient solution mixed according to instructions.
3. Place the net pots or cups in the holes and secure them in place.
4. Connect plastic tubing to the air pump and place air stones inside the containers to aerate the nutrient solution.
5. Plant seeds or seedlings in the net pots or cups and observe their growth over time.

Description: Construct an electromagnet using common household supplies to understand the principles of electromagnetism and explore its applications. This project will allow advanced college users to gain insights into magnetic fields, electrical currents, and electrical circuits.

Materials:

1. Iron nail or bolt
2. Insulated copper wire
3. Battery
4. Paperclips or small magnetic objects
5. Electrical tape

Instructions:

1. Strip the insulation from both ends of the copper wire.
2. Wrap the copper wire tightly around the iron nail or bolt, leaving a few inches of wire at each end.
3. Connect one end of the wire to the positive terminal of the battery and the other end to the negative terminal, creating a circuit.
4. The iron nail or bolt should become magnetized, attracting paperclips or small magnetic objects when the circuit is complete.

Description: Construct a simple smartphone projector using basic household materials to amplify your smartphone screen and enjoy movies and videos on a larger scale. This project involves optics and understanding the principles of light. 

Materials:

1. Shoebox or cardboard box
2. Magnifying glass or convex lens
3. Smartphone
4. Craft knife or scissors
5. Tape
6. Black construction paper

Instructions:

1. Trace the outline of your smartphone on one side of the shoebox or cardboard box.
2. Cut out the traced area using a craft knife or scissors.
3. Attach black construction paper inside the box to minimize light leakage.
4. Cut a small hole on the opposite side of the box to insert the magnifying glass or convex lens.
5. Secure the lens in place using tape.
6. Place your smartphone inside the box, aligning it with the cutout area.
7. Close the box and project the smartphone screen onto a flat surface in a darkened room.

Description: Explore the microscopic world with a DIY microscope! This project allows you to create a simple microscope using household supplies and learn about microscopy and magnification.

Materials: Materials:

• Glass slide
• Water dropper
• Smartphone with camera
• Clear plastic container
• Small LED flashlight
• Adhesive putty or clay

Instructions:

• Fill the clear plastic container with water.
• Attach the glass slide to the container using adhesive putty or clay.
• Place the object you want to examine on the glass slide.
• Use the water dropper to add a small drop of water on top of the object.
• Position your smartphone camera directly above the drop of water.
• Turn on the flashlight and hold it underneath the container to illuminate the object.
• Open the camera app on your smartphone and zoom in to capture images or videos of the object. You can also use various microscopy apps for additional features.

Description: Design and build a miniature wind turbine to harness wind power and generate electricity. This project will introduce principles of renewable energy and electrical circuits.

Materials:

1. PVC pipe or dowel
2. Small DC motor
3. Wooden dowels or sticks
4. Cardboard
5. Cardstock or heavy paper
6. Glue
7. Wire
8. Small LED light
9. Soldering iron and solder (optional)
10. Hot glue gun (optional)

Instructions:

1. Cut the PVC pipe or dowel into four equal-length sections to serve as the turbine blades.
2. Glue the four blades onto a wooden dowel or stick, evenly spaced apart, to form a cross shape.
3. Cut out a small rectangle from cardboard and attach it to the dowel, perpendicular to the blades. This will act as the tail fin.
4. Attach the small DC motor to the base of the wooden dowel using glue or a hot glue gun.
5. Connect the motor's terminals to a wire, extending it out from the turbine.
6. Connect the wire to a small LED light to test if the wind turbine generates electricity.
7. If desired, solder the connections between the motor and wires for a more secure connection.
8. Mount the wind turbine in a windy area or use a fan to simulate wind.
9. Observe the LED light illuminating when the wind turbine rotates, indicating the generation of electricity.