pressure

Air is largely invisible, but we can feel it and see its effects when the wind blows. This set of five simple activities provides opportunities for...

Thermometers measure temperature. Daniel Fahrenheit is credited with the invention of the first thermometer, which was constructed using glass and mercury. In this activity, students will...

Rain gauges are one of the most ancient weather instruments. The ancient Greeks and people in India were the first known to keep rainfall records, about...

Barometers work on the principle that the air pressure can change. High air pressure tends to indicate fair weather, and low air pressure can indicate poor...

English astronomer John Robinson invented the anemometer in 1846. Anemometers measure wind speed and have become one of the essential tools for weather forecasting. ‘Anemos’ is...

The earliest weather vane we know about was in Greece in 48 BC, erected in honour of the Greek god Triton. It became quite popular for...

Taking science and technology to new heights. Rocket science includes ideas of forces and motion, how rockets work and some of the challenges for those wanting...

Are you looking for ways to teach forces? If you’re new to the Science Learning Hub, you may want to start with our introductory video on...

Isn’t it funny to think that the Earth is moving! If we stand perfectly still and look into the distance, the Earth appears to be perfectly...

In this activity, students indirectly measure atmospheric pressure using a plastic drink bottle and a ping pong ball. They will then use this measure to calculate...

Rocket science includes ideas of forces and motion, how rockets work and some of the challenges for those wanting to make rockets go faster and higher....

In this activity, students investigate the motion of a rocket using a spreadsheet with graphs of motion included. They adjust variables and investigate how height and...

In this activity, students make a water bottle rocket. They investigate the variables that affect the height and distance travelled by the rocket. By the end...

In this activity, students make an effervescent canister rocket using baking soda and vinegar. They develop their understanding of rocket propulsion and investigate the amount of...

In this activity, students design and build a balloon-powered car to better understand the science ideas related to rocket propulsion. They use ideas of mass and...

In this activity, students view a slide show presentation introducing some rockets, their purposes and distances travelled in space. By the end of this activity, students...

Position: Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Canterbury University and Director of the Advanced Energy and Material Systems Lab. Field: Energy and materials engineering. Professor Susan Krumdieck...

Position: CEO and technical director, Rocket Lab Field: Rocket engineering Sir Peter Beck is CEO and technical director of Rocket Lab, a New Zealand rocket technology...

How does the acceleration of a model rocket compare to the Space Shuttle? By using the resultant force and mass, acceleration can be calculated. Forces acting...

Hypersonic vehicles are perhaps a dream of the future, but if they have a chance of happening, research is important to develop materials that will handle...

Chemical rocket engines use a fuel (something to burn) and an oxidiser (something to react with the fuel). Together, they are referred to as the propellant....

What is a rocket pushing against to make it start moving? Is it pushing against the ground? The air? The flames? To make any object start...

Dr Susan Krumdieck from the University of Canterbury is helping to develop new materials for possible future hypersonic vehicles that travel 10 times the speed of...

University of Canterbury PhD students Malcolm Snowdon and Avinash Rao are developing flight control systems for rockets. They use electronic sensors to measure any changes in...