a homeschooling blog about Simon, a young mathematician and programmer, and his little sister Neva. Visit https://simontiger.com
How fast can a fidget spinner spin? Is it not that fast or can you literally use it as a car wheel? Inspired by Matt Parker, who listened to the … Continue reading What is a fidget spinner’s actual speed, in km/h?
In the Foil Etching experiment we had copper burn a whole in the aluminium foil. As you can see, aluminum Al is much more reactive than copper Cu, but nothing … Continue reading MEL Chemistry Experiments: Foil Etching, Magnetizing Magnesium, Metal Contest
We did two more experiments a couple days ago: Liquid Wires (creating a simple circuit using graphite and liquid glass, a sodium silicate solution) and making our own Zinc-Carbon Battery, … Continue reading MEL Chemistry Experiments: Making Batteries
Simon has been dreaming to try creating the Steve Mould effect, or the chain fountain phenomenon, also known as the self-siphoning beads. It’s a counterintuitive physical phenomenon, almost a magic trick, that occurs … Continue reading The Steve Mould Effect
Simon has always wanted to experiment with torque-induced precession (gyroscopic precession), a phenomenon usually demonstrated with a heavy wheel one can hold perpendicular to the ground as long as it … Continue reading Physics Experiments: Gyroscopic Procession
Simon was trying to get a cylindrical beaker to float in water (first in bath and then in a deeper bowl), by filling it with the optimal number of marbles. … Continue reading Physics Experiments: Center of mass lower than buoyancy center
How does a periscope work? How does light travel through a periscope? How can you make a periscope yourself? Simon answers these questions in the video: Also tried to trace … Continue reading Physics Experiments: Simon builds a Periscope
Our new MEL Chemistry box arrived, containing tons of color fun! We have already tried two experiments. In the Color changing milk experiment, the soap touches the milk creating a very thin … Continue reading Chemistry Experiments: Colors (surface active agents and pH indicator)
“It’s so mesmerising!” Simon explains what a standing wave is and the nodes in a wave, using a Slinky. Standing waves can be polarised in any direction (horizontally, vertically or … Continue reading Physics Experiments: Standing wave
Caution: this is not a dessert, but ping-pong balls dumped in honey. Yes, we had to shop for a lot of honey yesterday to let Simon do the trick. It’s … Continue reading Physics Experiments: Viscous roll
Our third MEL Science box arrived back in August, when we were on vacation. We have already tried two experiments from the box, both perhaps more suitable for winter. Instant … Continue reading MEL Chemistry Box number 3: Artificial Snow and growing crystals on a Xmas tree
Geeks out of the box 