Small balls representing atoms can be stacked on three different grids – square, triangle and circle to show the crystalline structure of solids.
A standard childs bicycle has had many of its parts replaced by those made with inappropriate materials for the job. Compared to a normal bike it is easy to see why certain materials are normally used.
By pressing a button, a small pan of wax is heated from below. It can be observed how it changes into liquid, then back into a solid as the wax cools down again.
A number of plastic bottles contain various solids, liquids and and air at different pressures. They can be handled to feel how differently they are affected.
One disc containing water with particles can be turned to show how a filter separates them. The other disc contains different sizes of balls which are sieved as they fall through barriers with holes of different sizes in.
Four clear tubes with obstacles inside are set into a frame. They contain liquids of differing viscosity which by tilting the frame, their different rates of flow can be observed.
By putting different materials upon a hotplate (30o-35 oC) and placing a thermometer on the hotplate then on the materials, their insulating properties can be compared.
One disc contains two non-mixing liquids, which when turned, appear to mix but gradually separate into two distinct layers. The other disc contains water with sand particles of different sizes, which after being turned, slowly settle according to their size.
A range of different materials are laid out and can be drawn on with chalk to investigate their surface textures.
By examining a number of different materials including rock, steel, aluminium, wood, rubber and plastic, their properties can be compared using a magnet, a conductivity tester and a thermometer.
Samples of different materials can be viewed under a video camera which displays the image on a Tv screen. The image is magnified 25 times to clearly show their surfaces.
By turning the knobs of four containers with contents of different viscosity,
the difference between their resistance to the movement can be felt easily.