The summer holidays are fast approaching. And while restrictions in the UK will be lifted in the weeks to come, there’s no reason why all those engineering families out there should stop engaging in interesting and fun DIY projects to do in the comfort of their own homes.
So, continuing the challenges we set over the lockdowns, we present the Summer STEM Challenge to further encourage creative and practical thought in the summer (and hopefully warmer) months.
This week, Lockdown Challenge’s Neil Downie turns physics into what looks like magic with just a tube and a brush, with googly eyes.
STEM Challenge #47: Whack-a-Rat and the Rat-O-MaticA magician puts a rat-shaped brush into the bottom of a drainpipe, and then, holding the pipe near the top, hits the top industriously with a hammer. The rat tail disappears inside the pipe, and after a minute the brushy nose pops up at the top. How did that happen? Try it yourself to prove it isn’t magic.
You can...