Science/Laboratory
Raymond E. Barrett’s Build-It-Yourself Science Laboratory took on an audacious task: to
show readers how to build a complete working science lab (starting with a workbench) for
chemistry, biology, and physics—and how to perform experiments with those tools. The
instructions and experiments may appear fearless and bold by today’s standards, but
many from previous generations fondly remember how we as a society used to approach
scientific learning.
Updated for today’s world with annotations and sourcing notes by Windell Oskay of Evil
Mad Scientist Laboratories, Make: The Annotated Build-It-Yourself Science Laboratory
shows you how to reinvigorate scientific exploration at school, home, or work.
In Make: The Annotated Build-It-Yourself Science Laboratory, you’ll make:
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A carbon-arc furnace that can melt metal
Your own laboratory glassware
A cosmic ray-detecting cloud chamber
Microscopes—from 25× to 160× power
Barometers, thermometers, and hygrometers
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Magnets, motors, batteries, and capacitors
A microtome, anemometer, and seismograph
A telescope, spectroscope, and nephoscope
Oxygen and hydrogen generators
A Campbell-Stokes sunshine recorder
As you build your equipment, you’ll get ready for the over 1600 experiments in the book:
Isolating hydrogen, growing crystals, finding lifeforms in a drop of water, measuring
everything from mass to conductivity to metabolism rates to cosmic radiation, building an
electric motor, and tracking the moons of Jupiter!
Build Over 200 Pieces of Science Equipment!
US $24.99 CAN $28.99
ISBN: 978-1-4571-8689-9
The Annotated Build-It-Yourself Science Laboratory Barrett/Oskay
Make: The Annotated
Build-It-Yourself Science
Laboratory
Make: The Annotated
Build-It-Yourself
Science Laboratory
Raymond Barrett and Windell Oskay
Make: The Annotated Build-It-Yourself Science Laboratory
by Raymond Barrett and Windell Oskay
Copyright © 2015 Windell Oskay. All rights reserved.
Based upon: Build-It-Yourself Science Laboratory by Raymond E. Barrett. Illustrated by Joan Metcalf. Originally
published by Doubleday & Company, Inc.
Printed in the United States of America.
Published by Maker Media, Inc., 1160 Battery Street East, Suite 125, San Francisco, California 94111.
Maker Media books may be purchased for educational, business, or sales promotional use. Online editions are
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Editor: Brian Jepson
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May 2015:
Indexer: WordCo Indexing Services
Interior Designer: David Futato
Cover Designer: Riley Wilkinson
Illustrator: Joan Metcalf
First Edition
Revision History for the First Edition
2015-04-24: First Release
See http://oreilly.com/catalog/errata.csp?isbn=9781457186899 for release details.
Make:, Maker Shed, and Maker Faire are registered trademarks of Maker Media, Inc. The Maker Media logo is a
trademark of Maker Media, Inc. Make: The Annotated Build-It-Yourself Science Laboratory and related trade dress are
trademarks of Maker Media, Inc.
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the designations have been printed in caps or initial caps.
While the publisher and the author have used good faith efforts to ensure that the information and instructions
contained in this work are accurate, the publisher and the author disclaim all responsibility for errors or omissions, including without limitation responsibility for damages resulting from the use of or reliance on this work.
Use of the information and instructions contained in this work is at your own risk. If any code samples or other
technology this work contains or describes is subject to open source licenses or the intellectual property rights
of others, it is your responsibility to ensure that your use thereof complies with such licenses and/or rights.
978-1-457-18689-9
[LSI]
Praise for The Annotated BuildIt-Yourself Science Laboratory
My father’s purpose in life was to see the excitement of discovery
from children experimenting. He was an innovator believing that
students learned best by independent hands-on experiences
with everyday items. It’s wonderful seeing Windell Oskay bringing this book back to stimulate the next generation of children.
—Stephen Barrett
At first glance, projects in this book (such as building a carbon
arc furnace or a hydrogen generator) may seem intimidating,
even dangerous, and that is exactly the point! The science practices and skills explored through the real experiences in this publication will build the critical thinking and careful observation
skills needed to support teachers and students to develop a real
understanding of science. As relevant today as when it was first
published, this book will support curious people of all ages to engage in serious fun—the starting points for falling in love with
science all over again!
—Mike Petrich, Tinkering
Studio—Exploratorium
Much, much more than a DIY Lab. It’s really a fairly full course in
experimental science.
—Forrest M. Mims III, Author
and Amateur Scientist
Table of Contents
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi
Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv
Original Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxi
Original Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxiii
PART I.
Chemistry
1. General Laboratory Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Science Laboratory Workbench . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Gravity Wash Bottle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Light Bulb Chemistry Flask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Cutting Glass Tubing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Bending Glass Tubing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Graduated Cylinder and Chemistry Flask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Alcohol Burner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Broad Flame Alcohol Burner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Pipette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Mouth Pipette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Blowtorch Type of Alcohol Burner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Large Pipette-Glass Blowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Burette Clamp and Test Tube Holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Mason Jar Chemistry Flask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Funnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
String Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Plant Pot Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Tripod and Adjustable Rings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Support Stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Ring Support for Support Stand and Test Tube Holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Bottle Etcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Glass Cutter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
v
Bottle Cutter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Salt Water Rheostat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Carbon Arc Furnace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Adjustable Glass Bottle Etcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Test Tubes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Test Tube Racks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Retort and Liebig Condenser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Distillation Condenser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Clothes Hanger Chemistry Stands—Filter Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Graduated Beaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Stirring Rod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Petri Dish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Measuring Spoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Acid Bottle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Wash Bottle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Asbestos Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Drilling Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Litmus Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Sensitive Gram Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Metric Weights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Soda Straw Chemical Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Bridge for Pneumatic Trough . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Thistle Tube . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Hydrogen Generator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Oxygen Generator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Chemical Source of Hydrogen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Safety Gas Generator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
X Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
T Tube . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Adjustable Clamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Crystal Coal Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Growing Crystal Candy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Growing Gem Crystals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Recipes for Growing Crystals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Polarimeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Hydrometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Cartesian Diver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Problems to Investigate in the Study of Chemistry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
PART II.
Physics
2. Astronomy and Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Star Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Refracting Telescope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Spectroscope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Astrolabe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
vi
Make: The Annotated Build-It-Yourself Science Laboratory
Dip Circle Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Universal Sundial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Planetarium Model of the Solar System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Umbrella Planetarium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Planetarium Projector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Foucault Pendulum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Sunspot Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Moon Range Finder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Water Faucet Vacuum Pump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Vacuum Jar Pressure Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Vacuum Pump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Vacuum Jar—Bell Jar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Solar Furnace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Solar Distillation Apparatus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Constellarium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Problems to Investigate in the Study of Astronomy and Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
3. Atomic Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Radiometric Dating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Spinthariscope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Dosimeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Diffusion Cloud Chamber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
4. Electricity and Magnetism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Making a Magnet (or Recharging a Magnet) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Magnetometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Needle Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Watch Spring Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Columbus Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Iron Filings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Electroscope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Pith Ball Electroscope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Electronic Electroscope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Electrophorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Leyden Jar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Solenoid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Lemon Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Blotting Paper Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Electric Cell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Galvanoscope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Storage Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Mercury Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Safety Pin Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Rheostat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Push Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Pencil Rheostat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Table of Contents
vii
Current Reverser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Conductivity Tester . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
AC or DC Power Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Variable Load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Lamp Bank Rectifier and Battery Charger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Carbon Rods—Carbon Electrodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Electrolysis Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Test Tube Electric Motor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Bolt and Nut Motor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Doorbell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Electric Buzzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Telegraph Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Telegraph Sounder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Telegraph Solenoid Sounder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
International Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Current Flow Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Analog Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Digital Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Problems to Investigate in the Study of Electricity and Magnetism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
5. Force, Measurement, and Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Spring Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Rubber Band Weighing Scales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Meter Stick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Optical Micrometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Centrifugal Force Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Hand Stroboscope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Motorized Stroboscope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Water Hourglass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Stop Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Harmonograph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
6. Geology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
General Equipment Needed for Geology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Rock and Mineral Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Specific Gravity Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Bead Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Special Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Seismograph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Volcano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
7. Meteorology (Weather) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Anemometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rain Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Wind Vane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Nephoscope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
viii
Make: The Annotated Build-It-Yourself Science Laboratory
175
176
177
178
Beaufort Wind Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Wind Chill Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Balloon Barometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Aneroid Barometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Hair Hygrometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Wet- and Dry-bulb Hygrometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
What Determines Weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Mercury Barometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Chemical Weather Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Air Current Detector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Air Thermometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Cloud Jar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Air Barometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Convection Current Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Sunshine Recorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Radiometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Weather Balloon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Problems to Investigate in the Study of Meteorology (Weather) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
PART III.
Biology
8. General Biology Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Light Source for a Microscope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Water Drop Magnifying Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Eyedropper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Low-Power Microscope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Leeuwenhoek-type Microscope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Bacteria Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Micrograph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Polarized Light Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Microbiology Cultures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Growing Brine Shrimp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Microscope Slide Making . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Microtome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Precision Microtome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Animal Maze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Insect Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Killing Jar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Insect Mounting Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Quick Freeze Chamber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Chest Cavity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Metabolism Chamber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Aquarium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Terrarium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Dissecting Needle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Dissecting Pins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Table of Contents
ix
Dissecting Knife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Animal Cage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Problems to Investigate in the Study of Biology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
PART IV.
Appendix
Appendix A. Sourcing Chemicals and Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Appendix B. Weights and Measures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Appendix C. Temperature Conversion Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Appendix D. Table of the Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Appendix E. Extended Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
x
Make: The Annotated Build-It-Yourself Science Laboratory
Foreword
In this book, you will learn how to make some
amazing things: a carbon arc furnace, cloud
chamber, mechanical stroboscope, radiometer,
optical micrometer, electromagnet, microtome,
spectroscope, and so many others. You will
blow glass, catch bugs, and cut the ends off of
power cords. You will learn how acids and alkalis taste, what kinds of things live in a drop of
water, and how your lungs draw in air. You will
measure mass, density, volume, pressure, temperature, time, humidity, cosmic rays, conductivity, and optical polarization. You will isolate
hydrogen, build an electric motor, grow rock
candy crystals, and literally burn a record of the
day’s weather using a Campbell–Stokes sunlight recorder.
While there are a lot of neat things to build, not
everything is about making equipment. To look
at the apparatus alone would be to miss the
point; to not see the forest for the trees. At its
heart, this is a science book. Every project comes
with a set of questions for you to investigate,
frequently challenging you, asking Can you
work like a scientist? Beyond these is something
yet more: one of the most extraordinary collections of “science fair” research project ideas ever put to paper, with over 1,600 open-ended
questions for investigation, spanning the fields
of chemistry, physics, biology, and geology.
All considered, this is one of the finest handson science project books ever written. Originally published in 1963, it has held up quite well,
especially when you consider the pace of scientific and technical progress over the last half
century. One reason is that it feels authentic,
rather than dumbed down or bowdlerized:
There are a fair number of deliciously real (i.e.,
potentially dangerous) projects that would
never be allowed in young-adult science books
today, yet were perfectly acceptable in a less litigious age. We understand many hazards better today, but as surely as night follows day,
nothing in this book is any more dangerous than
it was when the book was first published.
My own personal experience with this book began when I was 10 years old, in 1984, at Ainsworth Elementary School in Portland, Oregon.
My fifth grade classroom made regular trips to
the school library. It was at one of our regular
trips that the librarian spoke to us all about the
Dewey Decimal System, and how the library
was organized. While I was already an avid
reader, I had always simply browsed (as kids of
a certain age do) among the set-out books on
display whenever I visited the library. Learning
about the Dewey Decimal System changed all
that. The science books were in the 500s, and
since I already knew that I was going to be a sci-
xi
entist when I grew up, the 500s were where I
should be spending my time.
The science book section in a school library is
apt to be inhabited by all kinds of titles, including the abstract, the esoteric, the dull, and
(hopefully) the amazing. Perhaps it is little wonder that this one caught my attention, with its
bold and inviting title: BUILD-IT-YOURSELF SCIENCE LABORATORY. Because, well, that was exactly what I wanted to do.
What I don’t know is how many other people
had this kind of experience growing up. In a
sense, simply by attending school in Portland, I
was (unknowingly) growing up within the author’s local sphere of influence. Raymond E.
Barrett was a teacher in the Portland school district for seven years before he was hired in 1959
as the education director of OMSI, the Oregon
Museum of Science and Industry—a post
where he remained for 22 years. At OMSI, Barrett developed new hands-on, experiential approaches to teaching science. He broadened
the appeal with classes, workshops, and camps.
He provided leadership for science education
both in the Pacific Northwest and across the
nation, teaching teachers better ways to teach
science.
During his years as a teacher, and later in his
first few years at OMSI, Barrett began to develop a set of lesson plans for do-it-yourself science projects targeted at middle and high
school students. The plans were designed to
stimulate interest in the sciences, invoking Galileo, Newton, and Faraday, who (as the story
goes) constructed their laboratories from the
simplest possible materials. Through the plans,
one could build or improvise some 200 pieces
of laboratory equipment from mostly household materials, and use them in over 2,000 experiments.
The early 1960s were in so many ways a different time. There was the Sputnik crisis, still lingering. America’s cold war adversaries were
smart and technological; we had to compete.
xii
The space race was on. The United States had a
credible human spaceflight program, and
putting earthlings on the moon was a realistic
priority. Science education was booming. And
people were hungry for better ways to teach
science.
For all of these reasons—plus the fact that it
was simply good—Barrett’s “build it yourself
science” program became so popular that individuals and institutions across the US ordered
more than 4,000 sets of his mimeographed lesson plans. It even led to Barrett having his own
local television show, teaching science with
home-built equipment. The program’s fame
eventually attracted the attention of the Doubleday company, which contracted Barrett to
collect his lesson plans into book form. Barrett
refined and expanded his plans, and the results
are here in the book that you have before you,
illustrated by OMSI staff artist Joan Metcalf.
By the time that I had come across the book in
the mid 1980s, the book was already 20 years
old, and Barrett had already retired from OMSI.
As a child, I remember being particularly delighted at one little “discovery” that I made
while working on a project from the book. I had
been looking at tiny protists in drops of pond
water through my school-grade microscope,
but found them hard to see, since they were
small, fast, and transparent. A project in the
book talked about using crossed polarizers in a
microscope to look at crystals or a fish tail, but
it seemed like they would be able to solve the
problem with the microbes. I modified my microscope to have polarized filters above and
below the sample (“Polarized Light Filters” on
page 215), having scrounged the filters from a
set of improvised 3D glasses. Through crossed
polarizers, you can only see things between
them that rotate the polarization of light; everything else will simply be black. And wow, what
an effect: the protists were still small and fast,
but now they were glowing white on a black
background. I had (re)discovered a primitive
Make: The Annotated Build-It-Yourself Science Laboratory
form of dark-field microscopy, and it was amazing.
In modern times, our contemporary maker and
maker education movements have helped to
rekindle our cultural interest in hands-on education, especially in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and
STEAM (STEM with art) fields, in a way that
hasn’t been seen since the 1960s.
In some ways, it is an uphill battle. We live in an
era now where zero tolerance guidelines mean
that kids routinely get suspended or expelled
from school for possession of “dangerous”
items like scissors. A professor friend of mine relayed to me an anecdote about a parent who
recently called in to complain that their child
was being placed at risk of infection from sharing needles because their youth e-textile class
did not routinely sterilize their sewing needles.
You might find that it’s not trivial to draw blood
with fat kid-friendly sewing needles, let alone
puncture two different students such that you
would have a credible risk of infection. Did they
simply confuse this “sharing needles” with the
very high risk of sharing hollow hypodermic
needles among intravenous drug-users?
There are signs of hope. Gever Tulley and Julie
Spiegler’s book 50 Dangerous Things (you
should let your children do) was a great reminder
that well-planned but potentially risky activities
are an incredible teaching tool for learning how
to do things safely and well. And makerspaces
and maker education are helping people to recognize that children and young adults need
time to play, tinker, explore, make things with
their hands, and learn on their own. Learning
how to build things is an important part of developing physical intuition, learning about how
the world really works, and helping to hone
critical thinking skills.
And for me personally, this is the book that
taught me how to make things.
—Windell H. Oskay, October 2014
Preface
xiii
Getting Started
On the Nature of This
Annotated Edition
• Chemical formulas for minerals, which
have been updated with current notation.
This edition of Build-it-yourself Science Laboratory has been adapted from the 1960s original in
order to make it more accessible and useful to
modern readership, while at the same time preserving its general character and set of experiments.
• The wind chill table, which has been
updated with current values.
We have left the original text uncensored and
“as-is” to the extent that it is practical. Rather
than directly editing the text, we have in most
cases added footnotes1 or extended notes in a
new Appendix E where appropriate.
• One missing illustration referred to in
the text, which has been synthesized.
Exceptions to this rule include:
• Minor technical and typographical
errors.
• Minor wording and
changes for clarity.
punctuation
• Specific postal addresses for mail-order
supplies, which have been removed.
• Specific dollar price estimates, which
have been updated to current values.
• The original illustrations, which have
been cleaned up and retouched for
clarity and layout reasons.
• One project, based around a (now) particularly rare neon bulb, has been replaced with a modern LED-based apparatus that serves the same function.
The text describing the original apparatus is preserved in the appendix.
• The foreword and new prefaces that
have been added: this section and the
others up through and including “Conventions Used in This Book” on page 19.
• Appendix A, which describes sources
for chemicals and other materials, has
been rewritten with modern sources.
1 There were no footnotes in the original text; all footnotes are added annotations.
xv
• The data table appendices (Appendix B, Appendix C, and Appendix D),
which have been replaced with new
versions.
Finding Materials
The supplies and chemicals specified within the
experiments were, of course, intended to be a
set of “easily obtainable” materials. However,
the set of materials that might be described
that way has changed greatly over the last half
century. You might understand if a few of them
are simply (or practically) unavailable in the
modern era. One of the motivations for this annotated edition is to make the book more usable by filling in these gaps with modern sources
and (in some cases) modern substitutes.
We might broadly group the hard-to-find materials into a few categories:
• Materials that were once in widespread
use, but have fallen out of favor for
technological reasons. For example,
ditto fluid (once used as widely for
school handouts as laser printers are
today) or the chemicals used for developing photographic film. By and large,
these chemicals are still available from
specialty sources or on the Internet—
just no longer from your corner drugstore.
• Materials that are genuinely hazardous
and rarely used (by individuals) for reasons of safety. Substances such as mercury and asbestos are still legal and in
widespread industrial use, but have either been banned or fallen out of favor
in many of their former applications.
Kitchen potholders are no longer lined
with asbestos, and oral thermometers
are more likely to be digital than mercury-filled. And that is not a bad thing. In
the one place where asbestos actually
comes up—an asbestos tile to protect
xvi
your desk from hot glassware—we’ll
suggest that you use a regular kitchen
trivet instead.
• Materials that are no longer produced,
for example, vacuum tubes for radios.
• Materials that are hard to purchase
without appropriate credentials. Many
chemical supply companies will only
sell to institutions or approved companies. As an independent or amateur scientist, nothing could be more frustrating. We will endeavor to provide alternate sources or substitutes when barriers like these might become issues.
For all of these and additional material needs,
please see the annotations throughout the text
and in Appendix A. You may also want to look
on our website, http://biyscience.com, for an online list of sources for materials, complete with
purchasing links.
Making Versus Buying Versus
Printing
There are many places in this book where you
might reasonably judge it to be more prudent,
quick, or cost-effective to simply purchase a
given piece of equipment, rather than fabricating it from the given instructions. And, if you
have the resources and inclination to do so,
there is no shame whatsoever in doing exactly
that.
But acknowledging that fact, why should you
even consider making such basic things as your
own directional compass or thermometer,
when you could simply buy them—and shiny
new digital versions, at that? The answer, of
course, is that there is often great value both in
learning how to make things and in learning
how things work. In making something, you
learn about its principles of operation, about
mechanisms and fabrication, and you develop
your own physical intuition. As an experimental
scientist, you will inevitably need to make some
Make: The Annotated Build-It-Yourself Science Laboratory
new kind of apparatus in your work; something
that you can’t simply purchase because it has
never existed before. Experience with making
things and developing that physical intuition—
your sense of what will and will not work when
you build things—can give you a tremendous
head start.
There are also any number of cases where it
may be helpful (or just fun!) to take advantage
of computerized tools, such as 3D printers or laser cutters, to help fabricate your equipment.
Doing so may save you time, improve the quality of your output, or allow customization that
isn’t otherwise straightforward. You might have
your own 3D printer or laser at home, or access
to one at your school, local library, hackerspace,
or makerspace. If not, online services such as
Shapeways and Ponoko offer easy access to 3D
printing and laser cutting (respectively) at a
modest price.
If you do have easy access to a 3D printer, it
may be tempting to just print every piece of apparatus that you might need. However, some
consideration should be given to what materials things actually need to be made out of.
Most common, low-cost 3D printers make objects out of plastic, either by melting filament
or polymerizing a resin. Thus, as compared with
laboratory glassware, 3D printed objects will
typically have a low maximum service temperature (because of melting), be flammable (because they are plastic), and be more chemically
reactive. For general-purpose applications, like
making models and mounting optics, almost
any material may be used, but there are cases
where more robust or inert materials like glass
or metal are required. This can be a little trickier
than it sounds. For example, a test tube rack—
one of those “obvious” things that people like
to print in 3D—really needs to be able to handle hot test tubes, right from an alcohol burner.
Safety
There are both era-appropriate and updated
safety tips throughout the text, but it is important for you to understand that modern safety
practice demands additional attention beyond
simply reading a few lines of warning text. It is
not so much the case that a given experiment is
“safe” or “unsafe”—rather, it is the human element, you, the experimenter, that renders a situation safe or unsafe. Some of the experiments
and fabrication procedures explained in this
book carry a risk of serious injury, death, or severe property damage. And yet all of them can
be performed safely when carried out with diligence and care.
Use a consistent approach to every experiment
and step of fabrication: onsider the safety implications of what you will be doing, make sure
that you are (along with anyone else in the vicinity) aware of the potential hazards, and take
appropriate precautions. If you aren’t certain
that you understand the safety implications,
then it is your unwavering obligation to seek
and obtain outside assistance before proceeding.
Although we cannot anticipate every situation,
here are some of the types of things that you
will need to think about: If something could potentially fly out at you, make sure that you’re
wearing approved safety glasses with side protection. If there’s fire or extreme heat, have a
charged fire extinguisher on hand and a working phone—just in case you need to call the fire
department. If there’s exposed line (wall/mains)
voltage, make sure that you have access to a
circuit breaker to shut it off. If you’re working
with a knife or scissors, be careful not to cut
yourself. And so on.
Electrical safety is a topic of particular concern,
since there are projects that involve exposed
electric wiring. A common rule of thumb is that
electronics are safe to touch below 25 V AC or
60 V DC. However, there is credible evidence to
suggest that there is no level of voltage that it is
Preface
xvii
100% safe to touch. You can minimize risk
when working with line voltage by using a
fused isolation transformer and having an easily accessible power switch (such as a wall
switch or power strip) that is upstream and separate from any power switch on your project.
If you are a young person, some of the projects
will require adult supervision. Discuss your
projects with an adult to figure out which
projects. Regardless of your age, good safety
practice requires that you have another responsible human being nearby when working with
power tools or any project that could produce
potentially lethal hazards such as fire or exposed line voltage.
If we could give one “soundbite” of advice for
staying safe, it would be this: Pay careful attention to what you are doing, and approach every
new situation with patience and above all,
common sense.
International Power and Units
The projects in this book that involve line voltage are designed for use with the power grid in
the US, 117 V AC, at 60 Hz. If you live in an area
with different wall power, do not assume that a
project involving line voltage can be built
without accounting for the change.
Most projects in this book use inches and other
US units, rather than metric units. Please see
Appendix B for a list of unit conversions.
On Independent Thinking
The many projects and questions in this book
are designed to improve your critical thinking
skills and provide less hand holding than you
may be used to in other contexts. Here are
some things that you may want to consider as
you approach new problems.
• Questions do not always have answers.
• Some questions that the book asks will
require research to answer, and not
xviii
just of the experimental sort. (Who was
von Jolly, and what was his method for
measuring the mass of the earth? You’ll
need to find that out first, before trying
to reproduce his results.)
• Some ingenuity will occasionally be required. If a procedure calls for rubber
tubing and glass tubing that will be
connected together, the author has assumed that you can make it work, even
if the parts don’t fit together precisely
when you first sit down and try. (Do
you need to get different size tubing?
Make an adapter? Shim it with tape?)
• Some degree of responsibility is always
required. In terms of safety practice,
care with chemicals, care with animals,
and so on. If something could potentially go terribly wrong, stop and re-evaluate the situation and your approach.
You are not yet properly prepared.
Cultural Influences
Little shows the age of the original book better
than two places where the author tacitly assumed that a scientist or the director of a research laboratory would be male. That may
have been culturally acceptable in the 1960s,
but it has no place any longer. Today, the director of the National Science Foundation is an astrophysicist, Dr. France A. Córdova. She is not
the first woman to direct the NSF. Anyone with
the drive to do so can be a scientist; assumptions to the contrary are universally harmful to
our society.
Cigar boxes and cigarettes find their way into a
few of the projects. Much like asbestos and
mercury, the health risks of tobacco are better
understood today. While there is little good
that might be said about cigarettes, cigar boxes
are an excellent class of project box that there
isn’t really a good replacement for today. Fortunately, it’s possible to purchase “cigar boxes”
Make: The Annotated Build-It-Yourself Science Laboratory
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