Showing titles in How Things Work

Did you know hot air balloons were dreamed up by a French boy in the 1700s? Joseph Montgolfier devoted his life to experiments that he hoped would allow him to fly. With the help of his little brother, his invention allowed humans to fly for the first time in history!

Do your shoes fasten with Velcro straps? Have you ever wondered where this strange invention comes from? Sometimes nature provides excellent inspiration for new solutions! Plant burs stuck in his dog's fur gave Swiss engineer George de Mestral a good idea.

Kaboom! Find out how explosions are used to demolish large buildings. Demolition experts say it's the safest way. Learn why!

Ever wonder why a smoke alarm goes off? A battery, siren, and metal can work together to detect smoke and sound the alarm when catching a whiff of smoke.

Follow the construction workers as they move from the ground up to build a skyscraper.

A bioengineer at Tel Aviv University in Israel explains how to extract renewable energy from a potato.

Have you ever wondered how fireworks work? This article gives you information about how these spectacular shows are created.

Do you know where your clothes come from? Learn about the processes of making certain materials that are used in clothing! Guess what plant or animal that rubber boots come from? What material is made from plastic bottles? You’ll be surprised to learn how the clothes you wear everyday are manufactured!

Have you ever wondered how buildings are created? Architects have to use lots of different shapes in order to build a structure. Many geometric shapes are needed to create building designs. Can you find the different shapes in historical landmarks from all over the world?

Have you ever seen a bird nest? Birds make all kinds of different nests! Nests are made from lots of different kinds of materials and are shaped differently. Learn about the different kinds of nests that are made by different species of birds!

What would we do without wheels? We use wheels for all kinds of things, including transportation. Learn about alternatives for transportation other than the wheel! Do you use any of these different ways of moving around?

Have you ever wondered how big cities are created? Learn how small towns start with just a few houses and farms, and then grow into large cities with many roads, buses, and skyscrapers! See how cities grow and change throughout history by the growing population of people living, working and shopping among each other.

Bridges are engineering marvels! It takes a civil engineer, chief engineer, structural engineer and environmental engineer to build a bridge. There are different kinds that each require a special construction process to build. Learn how different bridges such as beam, suspension and arch bridge types are designed and built, as well as the construction workers needed at specific stages.

Have you ever wondered how a penny or dime is made? Coins are made from metal in factories called mints. First, an artist draws a picture of the coin, next clay is used to make a mold made from plastic. Then a machine engraves and designs a piece of metal–these metal pieces will be used to make stamps called dies. In the United States, there are only four factories–can you guess where?

Popcorn is a yummy snack–how is popcorn cooked? From an un-popped kernel, heat boils the water that the kernel naturally has inside it. The water turns into steam after it builds up inside. Scientists used cameras to discover how corn popped! What’s inside the kernel to make an explosive change happen–turning a kernel of corn into a tasty buttery treat–popcorn?

Ada wants to win a prize one day for her inventions. She has many ideas. When it’s time to clean up her blocks, Ada has a great idea to make clean-up time easier. Ada thinks to use her father’s old socks to invent a way to stay on her two feet on an icy day! Ada’s ideas to recycle old things makes her a great inventor!

What does a light bulb require to burn bright? What happens when a light bulb burns out? Discover how filament, made of one of the heaviest metals, a mixture of two gases, a 60-watt light bulb, and electric currents make this bright idea more than just a bright light! The amazing science behind the light bulb awaits you!

Many inventors throughout history have built cars. Some tried powering their machines with steam, others tried modeling their designs on horse-drawn carriages, and one even found a way to make the car work on land and sea!

If you’re looking for a great invention, look no further than your bathroom or kitchen! Did you know that the first flushing toilet was invented four thousand years ago? Or that a melted chocolate bar sparked the discovery of the microwave? Learn about these great inventions and more!

Auto racing is all about aerodynamics. Racecars use two different forces, lift and drag, to fly around the track. Find out how the cars use these forces, and then “fly” your own racecar with a fun experiment!