Books in Tabletop Scientist series

This engaging book presents fun-filled, revealing experiments that demonstrate concepts related to the science of air. By building a wind turbine, hovercraft, barometer, glider, and other items, kids discover fundamental scientific principles that govern the forces behind air pressure, flow, and resistance; the mechanics of flight; and other phenomena. Many photographs and other illustrations.

Exciting experiments introduce and illustrate light-related scientific principles in this engaging book. Kids discover the countless colors of light, how light can turn corners, the magnifying power of lenses and mirrors, and other fascinating phenomena. Simply explained and well-photographed activities include making a pinhole camera, telescope, sundial, and microscope along with other projects.

Introduce kids to the scientific principles of sound with a series of simple, fun-to-conduct experiments. Each exercise illustrates an individual concept, from detecting the speed and direction of sound to making recordings. They'll build a bottle xylophone and soundproof box, make a paper cup telephone and party horn, and carry out other fascinating projects.

Encourage young minds to explore the principles of water science with this captivating book of experiments. Simple demonstrations and complete photographs illustrate how to make a boat float, purify dirty water, and employ the power of hydraulics. "Try It and See" sidebars suggest further exploration and "How It Works" panels explain scientific ideas.

Almost nowhere is perfectly silent, except outer space ... sounds and noises are a vital part of our daily lives. Imagine not talking for a day! We hear laughter and sighs, music and clapping, roaring traffic, warning sirens and pattering raindrops. Sounds bring our world to life, and with today’s technology we can make, alter, store and replay them in so many ways.

Switches are marvelous things - they control the most useful and convenient form of energy in our modern world, electricity. By powering machines and devices it turns night into day, stillness into motion, silence into sound and cold into hot - or the other way around. Yet electricity itself is invisible, so we study the science of it by its effects.

Almost nowhere is perfectly silent, except outer space ... sounds and noises are a vital part of our daily lives. Imagine not talking for a day! We hear laughter and sighs, music and clapping, roaring traffic, warning sirens and pattering raindrops. Sounds bring our world to life, and with today’s technology we can make, alter, store and replay them in so many ways.

Light is amazing. It shines for billions of kilometers through space, while here on Earth it allows us to see, it can entertain and educate us, it can cut through metal, store information and carry it around the world in a fraction of a second - and nothing in the Universe travels faster than light. Light is also an ideal topic for tabletop projects and experiments.

Light is amazing. It shines for billions of kilometers through space, while here on Earth it allows us to see, it can entertain and educate us, it can cut through metal, store information and carry it around the world in a fraction of a second - and nothing in the Universe travels faster than light. Light is also an ideal topic for tabletop projects and experiments.

It’s vital to life, the most common liquid on Earth, a ‘universal solvent’, harmful if too hot of cold, dangerously explosive if boiling, fun in the sea, drenching in the rain, cleansing in the tub, cooling in iced drinks – few substances affect our lives as much as water. Yet we often overlook its fascinating science because this simple substance is so familiar.