Annual Report 2007 - The Australian Nanotechnology Network

Science “toys” workshop
An entertaining hands-on workshop where students study a variety of physics “toys” to discover what
they do that’s strange and then work out why they do it. Tops that flip upside down, water vortices and
upside down fountains are just some of the experiments they’ll explore. In the process students learn
valuable problem solving skills, develop their analytical thinking ability, and learn about physics topics
such as energy, angular momentum, conservation of energy and fluid dynamics.
Two students from Yirara college
investigate how vibrations produce
sounds by experimenting with tuning
forks
“Tippee tops” flip upside down and
spin on their stick, due to an
unexpected case of conservation of
energy!
Investigating how whirlpools help to move water and
air around reinforces concepts from the show,
including the Airzooka
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