The weekly Family Science Challenge was a lockdown project.

Finchale Family Science Challenge Page

Here is where we will publish lots of the wonderful science-related materials that you send in as part of our weekly science challenge. We hope that you all enjoy taking part.

Week 4

Physics, Fluid Dynamics, Art

We already have some capillary action art to display (see below from Ava, Abbi, Mariam and Namirah), but please send us more!

Week 3

Mechanics, Physics, Engineering

Well done Alexa, Theo, Ava, Joshua and Namirah for coming up with clever ways to solve the Week 3 Science Challenge. The following pictures show their constructions for suspending a coin in mid-air from the side of their flat surface.

Week 2

Mechanics, Physics, Air Pressure

Well done Alexa, Ava, Jenna, Matthew and Lilian for coming up with ingenious methods for solving the Week 2 science challenge. Watch them meet the challenge in these videos.

Alexa has devised two ways to move her can from one mug to the other.

• In one solution, Alexa used a magnet.
• In her second solution, she used a tool (a spoon) to move her can from one cup to another.

Well done!

Ava has used suction power from a vacuum cleaner to lift her can and transfer it from one mug to the other.

A vacuum cleaner sucks air into itself and expels it out its other end. In this experiment, Ava uses the vacuum cleaner to reduce the air pressure above the can and so the can moves upwards until it gets stuck on the nozzle. Ava lets the can go by turning off the vacuum cleaner.

Very clever !

Jenna, Matthew and family have used two different forces to transfer their plastic cup from one mug to the other.

• First they used water to float the cup to the top of one mug.
• Then they used blowing (air pressure and movement) to move the cup from that mug to the other.

Fantastic !

Lilian has used a balloon as a tool for lifting her can from one mug to the other. The balloon is small enough to go into the can when it is flat but once Lilian inflates it inside the can it is too big to come out. So, by lifting the balloon Lilian can lift the can; all without touching the can or the mugs.

Wonderful !

Week 1

Nature, Wildlife Watching, Helping Wildlife