Shopping List for Unit 6

How many of these items do you already have? We’ve tried to keep it simple for you by making the majority of the items things most people have within reach (both physically and budget-wise), and even have broken down the materials by experiment category so you can decide if those are ones you want to do.

Here’s an easy way to decide which materials to get: look over the list, and if the group of materials seems to difficult to obtain, just skip it for now and go onto the next group within the unit. Most items are obtainable from the grocery store, hardware store, and online! You do not need to do ALL the experiments – just pick the ones you want to do!

Shopping List for Unit 6: Energy: Sound, Vibration & Resonance Click here for Shopping List for Unit 6.

NOTE: Radio Shack part numbers have been replaced. Click here for full chart.
Wave Demonstrations
3’ & 10’ string or rope
Weight that can be tied to the end of the string
A timer or stopwatch
Masking tape
2 slinky toys (both are the same size)
Optional: Bathtub, water, ball

Noise Makers
3 popsicle sticks (tongue depressor size)
2 index card (3×5”)
Scissors, tape, hot glue gun
2 film canisters (or plastic snap-lid M&M containers)
Straw
Three 7-9” balloons
2 water balloons
3’ string
Rubber bands (four 3”x 1/8” and four 3” x ¼” )
Disposable cup (plastic, foam, paper…)
Hexnut (1/4” or smaller)
Razor or drill to make hole in the film canister
Optional: Violin rosin (it’s worth it if you can find it!)

Properties of Sound
Empty glass bottle AND plastic water bottle
Metal fork
2 sheets of stiff paper
3 feet of each: yarn, string, thread, and/or fishing line
Disposable cup
Empty soup can
7-9” balloon
Flashlight or laser (if you have it)
Scissors, tape
Small mirror (from a compact or makeup kit, or use a 1” mosaic mirror from the craft store)
Sand (10-12 cups)
5’ string
Dish towel

Optional Speaker Project:
Record player (turntable)
Margarine tub
Tack
Old record that can be scratched

For Advanced Students:

Build Real Speakers
You’ll be making three different kinds of speakers here.
Foam plate (paper and plastic don’t work as well)
Sheet of copy paper
3 business cards
Magnet wire AWG 28
2 neodymium magnets**
Disc or donut shaped magnet 
Index cards or stiff paper
Plastic disposable cup
Tape
Hot glue gun
Scissors
1 audio plug or other cable that fits into your stereo (iPODs and other small devices are not recommended for this project – you need something with built-in amplifier)

OPTIONAL: Chladni Resonance
(Hint – this experiment has the potential for a jaw-dropping science fair project.)
Salt (get two containers, both with a pour spout)
Scrap of metal plate (anything that’s flat will work that’s at least 6” square, preferably 12”)
Clamp (to hold your plate to the table)
Bass fiddle bow (rent or borrow one if you can – this experiment is totally worth it!) with lots of violin rosin

**Special Note About Magnets** If you’re ordering magnets, here’s a list for future projects we’re covering this year as well. (Keep these FAR AWAY from anything electronic!! And be very careful not to let them jump together, or they will crack and fracture because they are so powerful, especially the gold-plated ones!) Here’s a list of the magnets we will be using this year:

9 nickel-plated ball bearings (NSBA) for the Linear Accelerator
Two 5/8” x ¼” high (DA4) for the Speakers
Four ½” gold plated cubes (B888) for the Linear Accelerator
Two tiny bead magnets (R211 and/or R311) for the Curie Heat Engine
Two disc magnets (D21) for the Rail Accelerator
Two gold-plated disc magnets (D41G) for the Rail Accelerator
Five disc magnets (DC2) for the DC Motor
One ceramic magnet for the Curie Heat Engine