Density in Space

Follow along with an easy at-home experiment, and see the differences between Earth and space!

About Density in Space

Getting Started

Do you know why things float in space? Check out this video, made in partnership with Science with Tom that explains it – it might not be why you think!

Density in Space Activity

Make your own MixStix to see how density and gravity works on Earth and compare it to what you watched in the video.

Materials

Clear plastic tubes with caps (like these)
BBs of various densities (like these)

Key Concepts

Microgravity and Weight
Particle Collision

Instructions

Use the funnel to insert two or three types of BBs into the MixStix, and close the tubes
Shake the stick up and observe the results
How are the different colored BBs distributed through the MixStix? What patterns do you see?
Tap the MixStix on the ground and observe any changes in how the BBs are arranged
What do you notice now?
Add water to the MixStix and shake it up again grown in microgravity below
How does that change the distribution of the BBs? grown in microgravity below
Watch the video and compare your results on Earth with the results of the experiment in microgravity in space

Want to build your own in-space experiment?

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