Simple Physics Experiments with Everyday Materials

School Library Journal

Gr 3-6-This collection delivers what it promises-basic science experiments using common materials. Many are classic demonstrations of heat, water, air, and sound, with clear instructions and appropriate safety precautions noted. Black-and-white cartoon animals appear throughout, giving the book a primary-grade look. However, it is in the explanation of the science that the book runs into real trouble. Several of these descriptions are incomplete or inaccurate. The problem is exacerbated by the author's reliance on molecular explanations rather than macroscopic properties such as density, volume, and temperature. For instance, readers are told that when salt dissolves in water, salt molecules fill in the spaces between water molecules (it's more complex than that), and that oil won't dissolve in water because the molecules don't fit together (wrong). Providing experiment books for this age group has become a competitive arena; libraries will have no problem finding titles that cover and discuss the same topics better.-Alan Newman, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC