To conduct this simple hands-on project within the lab, you should first lay out a step ladder adjacent to a thick foam mat. Set up a video camera to record the experiment and train it on the landing area of the foam mat so you can see which item lands first. Start the camera recording, climb the ladder and hold two same-sized but differently weighted items at the same height and drop them. For example, you could drop a shotput and a tennis ball. Repeat the experiment procedure at least ten times to eliminate anomalies. Watch your video footage and examine which of the two items lands first and second, and why there might be any differences.
Stretch out a latex balloon by inflating and deflating it before putting the longer side of a bendy straw through the neck of the balloon and taping it over so it is air tight --- now, the only way you can inflate the balloon is by blowing through the straw. Bend the neck of the straw 90 degrees and tape the neck of the balloon to the top of a toy car. Set your contraption on a flat surface, inflate the balloon fully by blowing through the straw and then release the straw so the car races along the table.
Buy five pairs of AA batteries from different companies, including those that promise a high performance. Mark each of your batteries with a letter of the alphabet, so one brand's batteries would be A and B and the next brand would be C and D. Test the starting voltage of each battery by setting your multimeter to read volts. Note the voltage for each battery before lining up five identical flashlights and inserting the pairs of batteries. Switch on the flashlights and start a timer. After three hours, remove the batteries from each flashlight and test the voltage level once more. Note this, reinsert the batteries into their flashlights and repeat the three-hour process at least once more. Chart the voltages for each brand of battery and compare the performance among brands.
Cut four 6-by-6-inch squares of cardboard and paint them different colors, including black and white. When dry, stick the four pieces of cardboard to a flat surface and line up four identical desk lamps directly above each piece of cardboard --- make sure the cardboard is separated enough, so one desk lamp does not interfere with another cardboard square. Slide a thermometer underneath each piece of cardboard, switch on the desk lamps and start a stopwatch. Note the temperature of each every five minutes. End your experiment after at least an hour before graphing the results for each different color and determining which color absorbs the most heat.