Hobbies And Interests
Materials
There are two main ways in which you can emulate a solar eclipse using household products. In one example, you can see what area of the Earth a solar eclipse affects. The other allows you to see what a solar eclipse looks like from Earth's perspective. For both projects, you will need a flashlight to serve as the sun. However, the objects that represent the moon and Earth vary. For the first project, you need an orange for the Earth and a ball of clay about one-quarter the size of the orange for the moon. The second project requires a quarter to represent the moon.
Procedure
If you choose to show what area of the Earth a solar eclipse affects, you are able to show everyone at once the effects of the eclipse. However, to demonstrate what a solar eclipse looks like from Earth's perspective, each person must participate one at a time to learn how the eclipse works. To create a solar eclipse with a flashlight, orange and ball of clay, lay the orange on a table with the clay ball positioned two to three feet away. Stand back from the table and aim the flashlight at the clay ball. The clay ball will cast a shadow on the Earth, representing the area of the Earth that experiences a solar eclipse. For the flashlight and quarter, each person should stand in front of the flashlight and hold the quarter in front of his face. The flashlight should be aimed at the right side of the person's face. Closing one eye may help each person to see the effects of the eclipse better.
Variations
Most science projects involve noting differences in at least one aspect of the project based on variables. While an actual solar eclipse actually has few variables, you can still conduct your experiment with a variable, such as distances, to note what would happen in each scenario. For instance, observe what would happen if the sun were farther from or closer to the Earth. To implement this variable, change the distance of the flashlight. Another distance factor in the experiment with the orange and clay ball would be to observe what would happen if the moon was a different distance from the Earth.
Observations
During the process of the project, you should make an effort to record all of your observations to develop conclusions about a solar eclipse. For instance, the sun and moon must line up exactly right for any type of solar eclipse to occur. The sun and moon are also in constant motion, which dictates how long a solar eclipse lasts -- often not long, especially since the sun and moon travel in opposite directions. To determine this, one person can move the flashlight slowly to the left, while you or someone else moves the clay ball slowly to the right, observing what happens to the shadow.