IB Extended Essay: Physics Topic w/ Home Materials

[quantumdoodle]

Hi guys
I'm planning to write my 4000 word extended essay based on physics, is there any topic that's easy to conduct a experiment with home-materials?
I'm think something in electromagnetism would be great. please help

 

[Delphi51]

How about experimenting with wifi directional antennas? If you have home wireless, you could use a notebook computer to measure the signal strength at various distances. Then get a USB stick wifi adapter, put it on a USB extension cord and take the measurements again. Then try putting the USB adapter inside a tin can, metal bowl, mesh made of wire, etc. See how much better the reception is. There are some sites on the net giving examples that produced substantial gain. Some RVs sport such antennas to get the wifi signal in large campsites.

 

[quantumdoodle]

hmmm nice idea, thank! well, it's just that i can't think up thing that's argumentitive, how can a science topic be argumentative... not like I'm doing relativity right now

 

[Delphi51]

Argumentative . . . how about "are EM waves from cell phones, power lines and wireless harmful to humans?

 

[quantumdoodle]

hmmm... not sure, it's a pretty broad topic and kindda going away from physics... well thanks for the help anyways