| MadSci Network: Physics |
My interpretation of the question is that the son must build a 3-dimensional model of some element, say hydrogen. I would pick the hydrogen atom because it is the simplest consisting of one proton and one electron. [The element hydrogen is diatomic with two electrons and two protons. Chemistry and physics texts and many general science texts would have a picture you could work from. These web sites could also be used. http://www.colorado.edu/physics/2000/waves_particles/orbit_movie.html This link is to a Colorado University site that describes a late nineteenth century model of atomic hydrogen. It includes a QuickTime movie of the model. It is important to note that when you drop the electron into the box you can give it an inertial kick to keep it from falling into the proton. If you give it just the right kick it will go into a stable orbit. Otherwise it will be gobbled up by the proton, or fly away into outer space. This is often called the solar system model. http://www.colorado.edu/physics/2000/waves_particles/wavpart2.html This link is to a CU site describing the Bohr model of atomic hydrogen. This was developed in the early twentieth century. It explained some, but by no means every, puzzling observations. It is still essentially a solar system model. http://www.colorado.edu/physics/2000/quantumzone/bohr.html This link is to a CU site that introduces the student to quantum mechanics. Quantum mechanics grew out of the Bohr model, but it went much farther and explained much more. The transistor, the laser, MRI and much more are the direct result of quantum mechanics. The quantum mechanical model is not a solar system model. These CU links are likely accessible to many sixth grade students. http://www.falstad.com/qmatom/index.html This link is to a model of the quantum mechanical hydrogen atom. The pictures are beautiful, but few sixth grade students could understand them without a great deal of help.
Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Physics.