A portable fan is a staple of life in hot climates or places that do not have air-conditioning. Portable fans are used in homes, offices, schools and stores. A fan is something that students can have access to easily and cheaply, and they're easy to run, using minimal electricity. Therefore, students can use them in science experiments at any age level.
Fan-Powered Boat
"Can I make a portable-fan powered boat?" is a science experiment that students in grades three and up might do with a portable fan. A student needs a battery-operated fan and a small, flat boat. It might be a boat that he made or found, but it needs to be very light. It should be made out of paper or plastic. Using the battery-powered fan, students will try to figure out if they can make the boat move across the water. Some possible results include strapping the fan to the back of the boat and using the air movement to push the boat, or placing the blades of the fan into the water--providing that they are waterproof--and using the fan as a propeller.
Fans as Wind
"What Will the Wind Move?" is a science experiment in which the main point is to see what objects will be moved by a portable fan. Students can drop several different types of objects from a height in front of the fan, and see if the objects land directly on the ground or if they are moved by the wind. Objects might include feathers, pieces of paper, rocks, balls or peanuts. Students can experiment to see if the wind has a stronger effect on objects that are heavy, light, big, small, round, flat or any other descriptive that they would like.
Fans and Drying
"How Does a Fan Affect Drying?" is an experiment for any age level. In this experiment, student use a portable fan to try to dry liquids on different surfaces. Students might get two sheets of paper wet and hang one in front of a fan and hang the other in an area where the fan is not blowing, and then time them to see how long it takes for them to dry. Students might also place a shallow pan of water in front of a fan and another in a different area of the room, and then measure how quickly the water in both pans evaporates.
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