CoolStuff Blogs

Our blogs are created with educators from around the country, and offer a fun and engaging way to discover new ideas and inspiration for your classroom.

Standing Waves
Standing Waves
In this blog, Aaron Debbink walks you through a digital resource that gives students a conceptual understanding of “standing waves”.
Reflection, Refraction, Diffraction & Interference...That's COOL!
Reflection, Refraction, Diffraction & Interference...That's COOL!
Use the Mini Ripple Tank to address the wave-energy standards and to teach about the properties of waves by showing how water waves behave.
Sound and Waves Demonstrations
Sound and Waves Demonstrations
The first step to Visualize Acoustics! The Mechanical Wave Complete Bundle is an important addition to the laboratory of any teacher who is passionate about the physics of waves or...
Doing the Wave: Connecting Physics to Baseball
Doing the Wave: Connecting Physics to Baseball
Ever heard the crack of a bat when a hitter launches a home run? Well, there’s a wave that’s responsible for that sound. Watch this video to learn how waves...
Top 10 Demonstrations with Tuning Forks
Top 10 Demonstrations with Tuning Forks
Here are 10 enriching demonstrations to use in your classroom with tuning forks and everyday lab items.
Standing Waves Like You've Never Seen Them Before
Standing Waves Like You've Never Seen Them Before
In this CoolStuff post, explore how springs can visually demonstrate standing waves by manipulating the frequency.
Big Standing Wave - Small Effort!
Big Standing Wave - Small Effort!
This CoolStuff post utilizes the Super Springy to conceptualize the relation between the time, frequency, and length of a wave.
Resonance Bowl: The Original Standing Wave Demo!
Resonance Bowl: The Original Standing Wave Demo!
The Resonance Bowl dates back to the Han Dynasty (202 BC - AD 9) making this an ancient, but still highly effective, way to discuss and demonstrate standing waves.
Captivate Your Students on Valentine's Day
Captivate Your Students on Valentine's Day
Take advantage of the sweetie-filled holiday to capture your students attention and teach some physics in the process.
Pendulum Wave: Seems like magic, but it's physics!
Witness the Pendulum Waves' potential to provide students an opportunity to look deeply into the conceptual nature of transverse waves and strengthen their critical thinking skills.
Sound and Waves: Good Vibrations Part 2
Sound and Waves: Good Vibrations Part 2
In this installment, we will present additional demonstrations that not only show how sound waves are produced, but also reveal how they may be recorded and reproduced.
Sound and Waves: Good Vibrations Part 1
Sound and Waves: Good Vibrations Part 1
It is estimated that human beings receive over 90% of their information from light and sound. Use the following experiments to gain first hand experience with the properties of waves...