Physics Inside Out is a program on Purdue’s West Lafayette campus, offered each summer to students in current grades 7 and 8.

Based on interactive hands-on lessons and activities, students learn about fundamental principles of physics and their applications.

We designed some planetary science activities:

Magnetic Dipoles

In this activity, students explored planetary magnetic fields by modeling a magnetic dipole in both 2D and 3D. Using a bar magnet and a small compass, they traced magnetic field lines on paper to create a 2D map of the field. To visualize the field in three dimensions, students built “magnetic dipole jars” by suspending iron filings in glycerin and dropping a magnet through the center—revealing the full structure of a dipole field as it would appear around a planet.

Impact Cratering

In this hands-on activity, students explored the science of impact cratering and how planetary scientists use craters to study a planet’s surface, history, and composition. They constructed crater boxes using layers of flour, powdered detergent, and creative “regolith” materials like cocoa powder, sprinkles, and crushed graham crackers to simulate planetary surfaces. By dropping rocks into their boxes, students created impact craters and observed the patterns of ejecta and layering. Using UV flashlights, they illuminated their craters to reveal glowing detergent beneath the surface—demonstrating how tools like spectroscopy can detect features invisible to the naked eye. This mirrored real planetary science techniques, such as how the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter used ultraviolet imaging to detect water ice in shadowed lunar craters.