This collection of STEM resources is based on scientific calculation. Resources are listed in order of stage.
problem
Big and small numbers in the living world
Age
11 to 16
Challenge level
Work with numbers big and small to estimate and calculate various quantities in biological contexts.
problem
Big and small numbers in the physical world
Age
14 to 16
Challenge level
Work with numbers big and small to estimate and calculate various quantities in physical contexts.
problem
Does this sound about right?
Age
14 to 16
Challenge level
Examine these estimates. Do they sound about right?
problem
Big and small numbers in biology
Age
14 to 16
Challenge level
Work with numbers big and small to estimate and calulate various quantities in biological contexts.
problem
Big and small numbers in chemistry
Age
14 to 16
Challenge level
Get some practice using big and small numbers in chemistry.
problem
More or less?
Age
14 to 16
Challenge level
Are these estimates of physical quantities accurate?
problem
Bigger or smaller?
Age
14 to 16
Challenge level
When you change the units, do the numbers get bigger or smaller?
problem
Time to evolve
Age
14 to 16
Challenge level
How many generations would link an evolutionist to a very distant
ancestor?
problem
Global warming
Age
14 to 16
Challenge level
How much energy has gone into warming the planet?
problem
Big and small numbers in physics
Age
14 to 16
Challenge level
Work out the numerical values for these physical quantities.
problem
Approximately certain
Age
14 to 18
Challenge level
Estimate these curious quantities sufficiently accurately that you can rank them in order of size
problem
Carbon footprints
Age
14 to 16
Challenge level
Is it really greener to go on the bus, or to buy local?
problem
Constantly changing
Age
14 to 16
Challenge level
Many physical constants are only known to a certain accuracy. Explore the numerical error bounds in the mass of water and its constituents.
problem
Heavy hydrocarbons
Age
14 to 18
Challenge level
Explore the distribution of molecular masses for various hydrocarbons
problem
Molecular sequencer
Age
14 to 18
Challenge level
Investigate the molecular masses in this sequence of molecules and deduce which molecule has been analysed in the mass spectrometer.
problem
Perfect eclipse
Age
14 to 16
Challenge level
Use trigonometry to determine whether solar eclipses on earth can be perfect.
problem
Construct the solar system
Age
14 to 18
Challenge level
Make an accurate diagram of the solar system and explore the concept of a grand conjunction.