Overview
Description:
"Exploring Materials - Liquid Crystals" is a hands on activity demonstrating that the way a material behaves on the macroscale is affected by its structure on the nanoscale. Visitors investigate the properties of a heat sensitive liquid crystal and make their own liquid crystal sensor to take home.
Checklist
Scientist reviewed
Peer reviewed
Visitor evaluation
Permissions
Creative Commons
Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike
Standards
Physical science:
K-4: Light, heat, electricity, and magnetism
K-4: Properties of objects and materials
5-8: Properties and changes of properties in matter
9-12: Structure and properties of matter
Science and Technology:
K-4: Abilities of technological design
K-4: Abilities to distinguish between natural objects and objects made by humans
K-4: Understanding about science and technology
5-8: Abilities of technological design
5-8: Understanding about science and technology
9-12: Abilities of technological design
9-12: Understanding about science and technology
Science as inquiry:
K-4: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
K-4: Understanding about scientific inquiry
5-8: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
5-8: Understanding about scientific inquiry
9-12: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
9-12: Understanding about scientific inquiry
Resources
Files:
Spanish files:
Evaluations
This product does not have any linked evaluations.
This activity is extremely
This activity is extremely popular with all age groups...who doesn't like color! Where else are you likely to hear someone say "Don't squish the crystals"?
The LCD cards worked best for us when we allowed the visitors to paint the liquid crystal mixture on thick enough to make the black square opaque.
This activity has something for everyone, and it proved to also be a great way to get our volunteers excited about nano!
Thanks!
Steve Madewell