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For people, place, prosperity and planet, we deliver impact with measurement science

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Skills and learning

Measurement
at home

#MeasurementAtHome

Make sure you measure up 

Our measurement challenges are a chance for everyone to have some fun and learn about the science of measurement. How heavy, how long, how fast, how bright....? All these measurements will be investigated and you will find out why measurement matters in our everyday lives.

This is your chance to be curious, take some measurements and compare your results. Join in, have fun and learn some real practical science!

Follow us on social media and share pictures of your tests using the hashtag #MeasurementAtHome.

*Our latest challenge –  What is the difference between heat and temperature?

 

Support NPL's new STEM initiative  

These challenges are  created to support purposeful and varied practical science as recommended by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and are led by Outreach Manager, Andrew Hanson MBE.

If you would like to suggest experiments we can include, please get in touch.  

Please pass the details to friends and family - get involved and share the science!

 

All our Measurement at home challenges are listed below

What is the difference between heat and temperature

Read about the experiment, when NPL heated a ‘Christmas pudding’ (made from carbon) to 2,200 ºC. You may be surprised how our pudding’s heat compares to that of a snowman, a cooked turkey and a candle flame.​

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Pollution monitor

How dirty is the air near you? Is it better inside or outside? For this experiment homemade monitors measure air for a week. Though most pollution is invisible this experiment can indicate air quality. Pollution levels are a key part of the climate change issue, of which NPL is involved.

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Hot mug challenge​

How much variation is there in how long containers keep drinks warm for?​ How much effect does a lid have?​ What does this experiment have to do with reducing the impact of heating houses upon climate change?​ Find out how to take the hot mug challenge.

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Ice cube melt

Does ice melt fastest on land, in fresh water, or in salty water? You may be amazed with your results and observations. This challenge links to what can happen as glaciers and polar icecaps melt.

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How much is a teaspoon?

This challenge will ask the question: can you trust a teaspoon to give you the right dose of medicine? It will also explain how increased numbers of measurements increase precision.

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Reaction Time

Is your dominant hand faster or slower to react? Does age affect reaction time? What is gravity? Find out with our Reaction time challenge.

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Candle power

How powerful is a candle? Is the total power (light plus heat) of a candle more or less than for a typical domestic LED lightbulb? What is meant by ‘energy efficient lighting’?

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Osmosis​ expanding vegetables

How much can vegetables ‘grow’ in 90 minutes? Do all vegetables change size by the same amount through osmosis and how does water salinity affect change in vegetable size?

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Where on Earth am I?

Is GPS better indoors or outdoors? How accurate is GPS? What is the difference between accuracy, resolution and precision? Find out how good your Global Positioning System (GPS) is?

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Give me a second

Can you make a 1 second pendulum? What is the length of a 1 second pendulum?  Find out what is the best thing to make a bob from and why are some pendulums better than others.

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Measuring tap water temperature using sugar

What is your tap water temperature? Can you use dissolving sugar to measure tap water temperature? Find out why tap water is at the temperature it is.

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Vitruvian People

Are you taller or wider? Was an ancient Roman architect right about human proportions? If you measure more than once, do you get the same value and how much taller are you after lying down for 15 minutes?

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Measuring the speed of sound using toilet rolls

How fast does sound travel? Can you measure the speed of sound? NPL uses this technique to measure temperature very accurately

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Temperature bounce

How does temperature affect bounciness? After a night in the freezer, will balls bounce more or less? This test uses the metre, which NPL measures very accurately.

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Invent a unit

Can you dream up a new measurement unit? Metres, seconds, newtons, amps are examples of units that we all use to measure things.

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Break a flake

How strong are your breakfast cereal flakes? How do you think cereal type and flake width affects break point? This experiment finds the break point of cereal flakes.

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Contact us

Our research and measurement solutions support innovation and product development. We work with companies to deliver business advantage and commercial success.
Contact our Customer Services team on +44 20 8943 7070

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