This GeoGebra app allows users to change the magnitude and direction of the force acting on an object, as well as the initial velocity.
The change in kinetic energy is calculated along with the work done in the direction of the force.
This demonstrates a very important concept in Physics known as the Work-Energy Theorem, where the net work done on a particle equals to its change in kinetic energy.
To catch the annular solar eclipse in MOE HQ on 26 Dec 2019, we ordered some solar glasses two weeks beforehand. Good thing they came in time despite the expected delay due to the Christmas season.
I was not equipped to take photos of the eclipse but that does not matter as there are plenty of quality photos all over social media.
The photos taken were done using my camera phone with the solar filter in front of it.
The thin “ring of fire” looks rather thick when captured by my camera as the light tends to be slightly diffused.
In a nutshell, Sci-sational Christmas offers value-for-money interactive family festive fun.
Open from 1 to 25 Dec 2019 at the Annexe of Science Centre Singapore, visitors will enter 3 main activity zones:
Zone 1: Hot vs Cold Experiments
Watch as two “elves” try to outdo each other by performing scientific demonstrations based on opposing ends of the temperature range – under very carefully controlled conditions of course.
The number of asterisks show the loudness of the explosion. The heat experiments in the “Fuel Efficiency Department” are:
Lighting of a hydrogen balloon (**),
Lycopodium powder combustion (*), and
Ethanol-powered propulsion (***)
Over at the “Alternative Energy Department”, the elf tried to impress us with:
Boiling of liquid nitrogen, increasing gas pressure to burst a balloon (***),
Liquid nitrogen propelled plastic bottle rocket (*), and
Liquid nitrogen cloud formation with hot water
To me as a science teacher, these experiments would have made the tickets worth the money already. After all, demonstrations like these are usually the highlight of science museums all over the world. But there are more…
Zone 2: Scented Candle Making
After exiting the first workshop, visitors are brought to the candle making workshop. We were each given a rubber mould, some melted soy wax, colouring and a few drops of liquid scents to make our own Christmas tree candles.
Do take care not to add too much colouring or the tree may not freeze evenly and hence, break easily. On hindsight, I should have used mainly non-coloured wax with a little green colouring for the base of the candle (to pour in last) to get a snow-covered Christmas tree.
Zone 3: Escape Room
The escape room offers plenty of fun for the kids in the group. There are clues planted all over Santa’s office and the session is facilitated by an “elf”. The aim is to unlock a number lock under the fireplace in the office for the kids to crawl out from.
There is a secret door for the grown-ups, though, so we need not worry about our outfit or painful knees.
The only downside is that visitors are placed in groups of 15-20, most of whom are strangers – unless you register as a big group of friends. However, most kids would often get quite involved and interactive despite not knowing one another.
I highly recommend this activity for families with kids aged 5-12. At a price of $15 that includes general admission to the Science Centre, it is far more worthwhile than a conventional escape room experience in Singapore and is something my own kids find meaningful and exciting.
I have a feeling that the Science Centre might organise more escape-room styled activities in future as they are quite the craze nowadays.
Visitors might want to note that the 3 zones would last a total of about 50 min. The entry timings are: 11AM, 12NOON, 1:30PM, 2PM, 2:30PM, 3PM, 3:30PM, 4PM and 4.30PM. You will need to indicate your preferred timing when purchasing the ticket and show up on time at the entrance, which is near the fire tornado exhibit.
This is a simulation that shows the vectors of forces acting on an object rolling in a vertical loop, assuming negligible friction.
To complete the loop, the initial velocity must be sufficiently high so that contact between the object and the track is maintained. When the contact force between the object and its looping track no longer exists, the object will drop from the loop.
