Physical Science Explored Lab & Activity Supplies

 

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Below you’ll find options for where to purchase the few specialty items required, along with a complete list of lab supplies needed for each lesson in Physical Science Explored.

Please note: If your student is taking the  Level C version of this class, there are a few additional supplies required which are listed at the bottom of the page.

Lab Supplies on a Budget

Many of the labs and activities in this course require easy-to-find items you probably have around the house or can find inexpensively at a local store. 

If you aren’t able to fit the specialty supplies into your budget, we’ve included demonstration videos for most the labs in this course. This will allow your student to still observe the lab and answer the lab questions, but will help keep the class more affordable. 

Where to Buy Supplies?

 

1. Purchase the First Semester Physical Science Explored Custom Kit 

Cornerstone Educational Supplies has created a lab kit with the specialty supplies for the first semester for those who would like to complete all of the labs. Families may pick and choose which labs to complete. However, if you would like to do all or most of the labs, this is the most economical way to purchase the specialty lab supplies. 

2. Purchase supplies a la carte:

Most families won’t complete all of the labs. For those who will be picking and choosing which labs or want to purchase just a few supplies at a time, use the links in the list below to purchase items a la carte from Home Science Tools. 

Canadian Families

Please see this page for a special note on sourcing lab supplies.  

Lab Supplies for Physical Science Explored

Below are lab supplies listed by lesson. Alternatively, you can see a list of supplies listed by specialty supplies and household supplies here.

Complete Lab Supply List by Lesson

Lesson 1: Freezing Liquids & Exploring the Scientific Method
  • 3 household liquids (water, milk, orange juice, or whatever you have on hand!)
  • Ice cube tray
  • Timer
  • Plate 

Lesson 2: Scientific Measurements

Lesson 3: Bullseye! Activities to Explore Accuracy & Precision
  • 3 pieces of scrap paper
  • Trash can
  • 3 coins
  • Plastic cup (or any object to use as a target)

Lesson 4: Physical vs Chemical Changes

Lesson 5: Calculating & Comparing Density

Lesson 6: Building Bohr Models
  • String 
  • M&M’s
    (alternative: beads, legos, or other small objects)
  • Colored pencils
  • Periodic table

Lesson 7: Research Your Favorite Element
  • No supplies needed


Lesson 8: Exploring Properties of Ionic & Molecular Compounds


Lesson 9: Exam 1 (No Lab)

Lesson 10: Growing Ionic Crystals
  •  1/2 cup epsom salt
  • Food coloring (optional)
  • 250 mL beaker, half pint mason jar, or similar sized glass dish

Lesson 11: Ionic Compounds Dice Lab


Lesson 12: Exploring Covalent Compounds

  •  No supplies needed


Lesson 13: Balancing Chemical Equations and Exploring Conservation of Mass

  • Colored pencils
  • M&Ms – Four colors, 20 of each color
  • Alka Seltzer tablet
  • Scale
  • Graduated cylinder
  • 12 oz plastic bottle with cap


Lesson 14: Types of Reactions Lab

Lesson 15: Solubility of Epsom Salts and Sodium Carbonate 


Lesson 16: Acids and Bases in your Home

  • pH paper
  • 10 substances found around your house


Lesson 17: The Half-life of Radioactive Pennies

  • 128 pennies
  • Jar with lid

Lesson 18: Exam 2 (No Lab)

 

Lesson 19: Calculating Velocity

  • Tape measure (metric preferred)
  • Sidewalk chalk, tape, or rope
  • Stopwatch

 

 

Lesson 20: Exploring Acceleration

  • Toy Car
  • Ramp (cardboard or wooden board)
  • Stopwatch
  • Sharpie
  • Tape measure (metric preferred)

 

Lesson 21:  Exploring Inertia

  • Cup
  • Index Card
  • 5 pennies
  • 5 quarters
  • 2 objects with noticeably different masses (ex: bowling ball and ping pong ball)
  • Tablecloth, table, and dishes (preferably non-breakable, but sturdy)

Lesson 22: Explorations in Gravity and Air Resistance

  • 2 small balls with different masses (tennis ball, ping pong ball, baseball, etc.)
  • Piece of paper
  • Stopwatch
  • Paper napkin
  • String or yarn
  • Tape 
  • Large paperclip

Lesson 23: Building a Slingshot

  • 3 cardboard rectangles (10 cm x 15 cm)

  • Ruler, meter stick, or tape measure

  • Glue

  • 3 pushpins

  • String (3-4 inches)

  • Rubber band

  • Marble

  • Scale

  • Scissors

  • 6 plastic straws

  • Stopwatch 

Lesson 24: Investigating Human Work and Power

Lesson 25: Exploring Conduction

Lesson 26: Simple Machines Challenge: Rescuing the Circus Elephant

  • Pencil with eraser
  • Ruler
  • Colored pencils or markers
  • White paper

Lesson 27: Exam 2 (No Lab)

Lesson 28: Hands-On Wave Dynamics with a Slinky

  • Masking tape
  • Slinky
  • Meter stick
  • Stopwatch
  • 2 helpers (or a helper and a stationary object)

Lesson 29: Frequency of Sounds

  • Plastic or metal ruler
  • Thin rubber band
  • Thick rubber band
  • Soda bottle

Lesson 30: Light & Color Dynamics

Lesson 31: Bending Light: Reflection & Refraction Diagrams

Lesson 32: Conductivity in Action

Lesson 33: Circuit Discovery: Building and Understanding Connections

Lesson 34: The Science of Compass-Making

Level C: Additional Supplies

Student’s in Physical Science Explored PLUS will require a few additional supplies for certain lessons. Below is a list of supplies and links.  

 Lesson 5: Exploring Gas Laws

Lesson 8: Stability and Types of Bonding

Lesson 12: Names and Formulas for Molecular Compounds

Lesson 15: Solutions

Lesson 20: Lesson 20 Lab Extension

  • Ramp (cardboard or wooden board)
  •  Stopwatch
  •  Sharpie
  • Tape measure (metric preferred)
  • Toy car

Lesson 22: Gravity and Projectile Motion

Lesson 23: Newton’s 3rd Law

  • Cord (optional)
  • Small bucket with a sturdy handle
  • Sand, rocks, small weights, or any objects with known weight amounts
  • Scale
  • Ruler
  • Safety glasses

Lesson 26: Simple Machines

  • Tape Measure
  • Stopwatch
  • Masking Tape (or objects to mark starting/finish lines)

Lesson 28: Mapping Wave Motion with a Simple Pendulum 

Lesson 30: Light & Color Dynamics

Lesson 34: Electromagnet Exploration: Coils & Cores

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