Shopping List for Unit 9

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. You do not need to do ALL the experiments – just pick the ones you want to do!

Don’t be afraid of this list! The materials are broken down by availability and expense. The items in the first list are low-cost materials you already have or can easily add to your next grocery store list. The second list includes mid-priced equipment for more in-depth projects, and the last list of items is appropriate for upper grades. We’ll be re-using the specialty items from this list (like lenses, lights, lasers, and electrical components) for future projects.

Shopping List for Unit 9: Light Waves Click here for Shopping List for Unit 9.

Light Waves

• Water glass
• Clean pickle jar
• Cooking oil, such as canola (approx. 4 cups – use a cheap brand)
• Two pennies, dollar bill
• Flashlight
• 1 teaspoon of milk (soy, cow…) OR white flour
• 2 hand held magnifying lenses
• Old CD you can scratch (used in two experiments)
• Paper towel tube
• Feather (any size)
• Index cards
• Crayons
• Bar of Ivory soap (get a pack of 3)
• Sharp pencil
• String (about 3’)
• Scissors, tape
• Television with a remote control
• Ziploc bag full of water
• Black plastic trash bag
• Piece of plastic (like a plastic spoon or cup)
• Metal pot or pan (not Teflon coated)
• Clean piece of white paper
• Two pairs of sunglasses (the polarizing kind rated for UV protection work well)

Light Waves Part 2

• Small box with lid (like a shoe box)
• Tracing paper (1 sheet)
• Microwave
• BIG bar of Hershey’s chocolate (any type)
• Water in a shallow glass baking dish
• Mirror (like a hand mirror from the bathroom)
• Optional: UV Fluorescent Black Light
• 2 yardsticks (AKA meterstick)
• 10-20 popsicle sticks
• Index cards or pieces of cardboard
• Set of lenses with extra double-convex  lenses (this is the kind in a hand-held magnifying glass). Pick one of these to get as an extra, or get all 4: 50mm, 150mm, 300mm, 500mm) …OR… instead of buying lenses, simply use eyeglasses and magnifiers that you already have around the house.
• Optional: if you want to make the Newtonian telescope, then pick up a concave mirror AND a small mirror (like a mosiac mirror from the craft store, or mirror from a compact).
• Diffraction grating (you can use an old CD in a pinch)
• Sheet of mylar (5” x 8” or larger) and cardboard OR use three rectangular mirrors approx. 8” x 1”
• Scissors, tape
• Optional: wooden clothespins (about 4)
• Optional: red, green, and blue colored light sticks (Make sure the light inside the red stick really glows RED, not the usual green liquid enclosed in a red-colored tube.)
• For the last few items on this list, you can select from either group:

Group A: Three flashlights, three colors of nail polish (red, green, and blue), clear tape (or plastic wrap) OR…

Group B: Three ‘party bulb’ lights (green, blue, and red colored incandescent light bulbs) in clip-on lamps

Lasers

• Red laser pointer (NOT GREEN!)
• Small mirrors (mosaic mirrors are cheapest)
• 3 large paper clips
• 3 brass fasteners
• 5 index cards
• 2 pins
• 2 razor blades
• 4 clothespins
• Scissors, tape
• White wall (or white paper stuck to the wall)
• PLUS materials from Light Waves 1 & 2

For Grades 9-12:

Laser Light Show

• Red laser pointer (RS #63-1064)
• 2 3VDC motors (RS #273-223)
• 2 gears** or corks (you’ll need a solid way to attach the mirror to the motor shaft tip)
• 2 1” round mirrors (use mosaic mirrors)
• 2 DPDT switches with center off (RS #275-1533)
• 20 alligator clip leads (RS #278-1157) OR insulated wire if you already know how to solder
• 2 AA battery packs with 4 AA’s (RS #270-408)
• 2 1K or 5K-ohm potentiometers (RS #271-1714)
• Zip-tie (from the hardware store)
• ½ ” or ¾ ” metal conduit hangers (size to fit your motors from the hardware store)
• 3 sets of ¼ ” x 2″ bolts, nuts, and washers
• 1 tupperware container (at least 7” x 5”) with lid
• Basic tools (scissors, hot glue gun, drill, wire strippers, pliers, screwdriver)

**If you have trouble finding these parts (with the ** next to them), just send us an email.

Laser Communicator

This project requires soldering. We’ll teach you how to solder, but you need a soldering iron. If you don’t have a soldering iron, save this project for another time.

• Red laser pointer
• 220-ohm resistor (RS #271-1313)
• 8-ohm audio transformer (RS #273-1380)
• 9V battery clip (RS #270-325) & 9V battery
• CdS cell (RS #276-1657)
• SPST push-button switch (RS #275-646) or similar
• Audio plug (RS #274-287) – save the second one in the package for Unit 11
• Bi-polar LED (RS #276-012)
• 2 AA battery packs with 3 AA’s (RS #270-408)
• Crystal earphone (Part: ‘EAR1’ from www.crystalradiosupply.com) OR get a Mini Audio Amplifier (RS #277-1008)

  Note: If you’re ordering a ceramic earphone, get at least three for later projects in Alternative Energy.

• Tools (scissors, hot glue gun, wire strippers, pliers, soldering iron with stand, solder)