The Physics of Fun

Description

Learn physics on the fly with this activity-based book for ages 12 to 15 that explores the connections between science, sports, and entertainment! Why are you able to jump so much higher from a trampoline than from the ground? What forces are at work when you do an ollie on a skateboard? How does a counter rotation work on a snowboard? The answer is: physics! In The Physics of Fun, kids ages 12 to 15 explore the science behind awesome activities that kids love. What do skateboarding, snowboarding, trampolining, singing in a band, and playing video games all have in common, besides being fun? They are all made possible with physics! From Newton's laws of motion to the behavior of electrons, the science of physics is an integral part of any amusement park, play center, trampoline park, or home gaming center. The Physics of Fun offers detailed explanations of the science behind five familiar pastimes, along with hands-on investigations that use the scientific and engineering design methods to enable kids to apply their learning to a wide array of science challenges. Projects include using a skateboard to demonstrate inertia, investigating the transfer and conservation of energy on a trampoline, observing sound waves with water, and building a guitar to explore the sound waves made by its strings. Links to online media, discussion questions, and career connections offer middle schoolers the chance to do some real, hands-on science around activities they already love to do! Additional materials include a glossary, index, and a list of current reference works, websites, and internet resources. What do physics have to do with having fun? Everything! In The Physics of Fun, kids ages 12 to 15 explore the science behind skateboarding, snowboarding, trampolining, singing in a band, and playing video games. From Newton's laws of motion to the behavior of electrons, the science of physics is an integral part of any back yard, video arcade, or home gaming center. Projects include using a skateboard to demonstrate inertia, investigating the transfer and conservation of energy on a trampoline, and building a guitar to explore sound waves. Discussion questions, career connections, and links to online media offer middle schoolers the chance to do some real, hands-on science around fun activities they already love!

Carla Mooney has written more than 70 books for children and young adults. She is an award-winning author of several books for Nomad Press, including Inside the Human Body; The Human Genome: Mapping the Blueprint of Human Life; Industrial Design: Why Smartphones Aren't Round and Other Mysteries with Science Activities for Kids; Big Data: Information in the Digital World with Science Activities for Kids; and Globalization: Why We Care about Faraway Events. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Alexis Cornell is a graduate of The Center for Cartoon Studies. She has illustrated several books for Nomad Press, including Climate Change: The Science Behind Melting Glaciers and Warming Oceans; Rocks and Minerals: Get the Dirt on Geology; Gender Identity: Beyond Pronouns and Bathrooms; Feminism: The March Toward Equal Rights for Women; and Big Data: Information in the Digital World with Science Activities for Kids. She lives in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Praise for other books by Carla Mooney The Human Genome: Mapping the Blueprint of Human Life School Library Journal "In this installment of the "Inquire & Investigate" series, Mooney provides a succinct overview of the human genome. The introduction and the six brief chapters open with a clever cartoon. . . The language is accessible for middle and high school readers. Side notes, callouts, key questions, and world connections highlight noteworthy subjects throughout the text. There are activities and experiments related to genetics. Charts, graphs, and time lines enhance the reader's understanding of the material. VERDICT A useful addition to middle and high school collections that rely on print materials for report writing. Big Data: Information in the Digital World with Science Activities for Kids School Library Connection Part of the Technology Today series, this title is a solid, well-written, and nicely formatted introduction to the concept of data as it exists in our world. Mooney's book is comprehensive in scope, but clear and organized in delivery, explaining the history, nature, and ever-expanding extent of data, and the purposes of data collection, recoding, and analysis. A basic timeline, for instance, beginning with the 1085 census recorded in the Domesday Book and ending with the mention of the 2.2 billion monthly users of Facebook, is supplemented in the text by information about the history and development of computers and their growing ability to collect, record, and store vast amounts of data. Further definitions and additional facts are provided in sidebars, and various QR codes link to primary resources and other materials. The related activities are engaging, well-explained, and instructive, although a few require a degree of prior knowledge. These are used to illustrate concepts, such as binary numbers and processes or data collection through polls. . . An excellent purchase indeed. Glossary. Highly Recommended