Physical Science Explored Lab & Activity Supplies
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.
- Level B Students: purchase the Level B Physical Science Kit
- Level C Students: purchase the Level B Physical Science Kit + the Level C add-on (you will need BOTH)
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
- Ruler
- Textbook
- 25 mL or 50 mL graduated cylinder
- Stopwatch
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
- Plastic bottle
- Balloon
- Teaspoon
- 25 or 50 mL Graduated cylinder
- Funnel
- Baking Soda
- Vinegar
- Salt
- Small pot
- Stove
- Ice cube
Lesson 5: Calculating & Comparing Density
- Density cylinders (aluminum, brass, steel, copper)
- 25 mL or 50 mL graduated cylinder
- Scale
- Water
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
- Disposable aluminum pie pan
- 2 disposable pipettes
- Ethanol
- Well plate
- Calcium chloride
- Candle wax (scrape a small amount off of any household candle)
- Sodium chloride (table salt)
- Sugar
- Sharpie marker
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
- 2 dice
- Masking tape
- Marker
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
- Hydrogen peroxide (6% is ideal, but 3% will also work)
- 1 Packet (1 Tablespoon) dry yeast
- 25mL or 50 mL graduated cylinder
- Dish soap
- Food coloring
- Tray or baking sheet (something to catch the foam that overflows)
- 2 beakers
- Copper (II) sulfate
- Steel wool
- Sodium hydroxide
- Disposable pipettes
- Vinegar
Lesson 15: Solubility of Epsom Salts and Sodium Carbonate
- 25 mL or 50 mL graduated cylinder
- 2 – 100 mL beakers
- 250 mL beaker
- 3.00 g Magnesium Sulfate (epsom salts)
- 3.00 g Sodium carbonate (washing soda)
- Scale
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
-
Scissors
-
6 plastic straws
-
Stopwatch
Lesson 24: Investigating Human Work and Power
- Scale
- Stopwatch
- Large bottle filled with water (500 mL – 1 L water or soda bottle)
- Meter stick
- Pole (2-3 cm diameter dowel, ~½ meter long)
- Rope/string to tie bottle to dowel with ½-1 m length between
Lesson 25: Exploring Conduction
- Candle
- Ruler
- Lighter or matches
- Clothespin
- 3 Metal wires about 30 cm long (different thickness, but made of the same material)
- Stopwatch
- Newspaper or parchment paper
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)
More Lessons Coming Soon!
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
- 50 mL erlenmeyer flask
- Hot Plate
- Balloon
- 35 mL Syringe (without a needle)
- Small Marshmallow
- Empty Soda Can
- Tongs
- Bowl of Ice Water
- Graduated cylinder
Lesson 8: Stability and Types of Bonding
- 6 inch cotton swabs
- 2 beakers (or small glass bowls)
- Candle
- Lighter or matches
- Calcium chloride
- Copper chloride
- Potassium chloride
- Iron chloride
- Sodium chloride (table salt)
- Safety goggles
- Gloves
Lesson 12: Names and Formulas for Molecular Compounds
- 2 glass bowls
- 4 grams borax
- White Elmer’s glue
- Plastic spoon
Lesson 15: Solutions
- Well plate
- Disposable pipettes
- Sodium carbonate
- Copper (II) sulfate
- Calcium chloride
- Sodium hydroxide
- Iron (III) chloride
- Sodium phosphate
- 6 pieces of glassware
- Water
Lesson 20: Acceleration
-
Toy car
-
Ramp (cardboard or wooden board)
-
Stopwatch
-
Sharpie
-
Tape measure (metric preferred)
Lesson 22: Gravity and Projectile Motion
- 100 Wooden craft sticks
- White glue
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)
More lessons coming soon!
