While teaching STEM Club these past few weeks, I came to realize the kids were not as familiar with the forms of energy as I had predicted. I thereby decided to take a detour – exploring the differences between potential and kinetic energy in a little more depth.
We thereby did two activities this week – one to explore how the height of a swinging mass is related to its energy (or ability to do work) and another to explore how wind generates mechanical energy. I am excited to share these activities with you today.
Swing It!
Experimental Question:
How will the height from which an object falls affect the distance another object moves when struck?
Materials Needed:
- Clamp or Duck Tape
- 50 gram mass
- String
- Block of Wood
- Meterstick
Procedure:
- Tie one end of the string to a 50 gram mass (perhaps a D-cell battery).
- Attach the clamp to the edge of your table. Tie the loose end of the string to the clamp. Alternatively, you can use Duck Tape to secure the string to the edge of a table.
- Adjust the string so that the mass almost touches the floor. Make a small pencil mark on the floor under the mass.
- Set a block of wood on the mark. Practice swinging the mass so that it knocks the wood straight across the floor.
- While keeping the string tight, pull back the mass until it is exactly 10 cm above the floor.
- Let the mass swing down and hit the wood.
- Measure how far it moves from the mark on the floor and record the distance in the table below.
- Repeat steps 5-7 three times and calculate the average distance the block traveled.
- Raise height to 15cm and finally 20cm – repeating steps 5-7 again.
Conclusion:
- In what way was work done in this activity?
- Where did the energy to do this work come from?
- At which height was there the most energy to do the work?
Wind Powered Cars
We converted toy cars into wind-powered cars by building and attaching turbines. Students made modifications to help their cars travel as fast as possible. In the end, we evaluated the advantages and disadvantages of wind energy.
Materials Needed:
- Turbine pattern printed onto card stock
- Jumbo paperclip
- Duct tape
- Scissors
- Toy car
- Straw
Procedure:
- Place a toy car on a flat surface. Ask students to suggest ways to make it move without touching it. Ideas may include attaching a motor or knocking something into it. If this were a real car, what would give it power? Gasoline (fossil fuels) Are there some other alternative resources we could use that are renewable? Students may be most familiar with solar energy.
- Explain that students will be using wind to power a toy car.
- Cut out the turbine pattern as indicated and attach to the back of the toy car as described.
Science Logic: Electricity & Magnetism
These lessons – including lab sheets with data tables, detailed instructions for how to convert the toy cars, and activities to explore watt usage at home – will be included in the Science Logic: Electricity & Magnetism unit that I hope to release by Summer 2016.
Until then, they are available as a freebie For Subscribers Only.
17 comments
mstuthill
September 18, 2015 at 11:58 am
Would you have the directions for the wind powered toy cars?
Eva Varga
September 23, 2015 at 9:28 am
Hi! We are in the process of moving presently and I sadly, do not have access to this file. Essentially, the template is a small fan or turbine shape. A straw is poked through the middle of the turbine and taped securely in place. The blades of the turbine were then bent at a slight angle. The opposite end of the straw was attached to the car with tape. To move the car, the student generates wind by blowing onto the turbine. They make adjustments to the turbine and position of the straw to improve performance.
Tina Pivarnik
February 29, 2016 at 7:07 pm
Do you happen to have the directions for the wind powered toy car now? (February 29, 2016)
Eva Varga
March 2, 2016 at 8:17 am
YES!! Thank you so much for the reminder. I am so sorry that I overlooked the request for this earlier. I’ve written up an in-depth lesson plan and will be sending it out to newsletter subscribers today.
Angela
April 23, 2016 at 7:46 pm
I would like the template and directions for the wind powered toy car.
Eva Varga
April 25, 2016 at 6:23 am
I was delayed in publishing the curriculum featuring this lesson. I have thereby emailed you a direct link to this lesson upon your request. Have fun!
Katie
May 2, 2016 at 5:15 pm
Can I get the template and directions also?
Eva Varga
May 3, 2016 at 9:15 am
I would be happy to provide these instructions to my newsletter subscribers. This freebie and many others are available on my Subscriber Only page.
Debbie
May 24, 2016 at 12:17 pm
I would love to have the template and directions please.
Eva Varga
May 25, 2016 at 7:13 am
As a newsletter subscriber, YES! I’ve sent you an email to help clarify how to access the printables.
Emily Andris
May 26, 2016 at 11:49 am
I would also love the template and directions!
eandris
May 31, 2016 at 3:54 pm
I would love to have the template for the paper wind turbines!
Eva Varga
June 6, 2016 at 7:20 am
The lesson and template will be available for my newsletter subscribers as a free download until the curriculum is released.
violet
September 8, 2016 at 1:38 pm
Hello, I am a newsletter subscriber and would love the lesson to this!
Eva Varga
September 12, 2016 at 6:44 am
Hi Violet! Thank you for subscribing to my newsletter. I have sent you an email with the link and password to access these materials. Enjoy!
Rezk
April 24, 2017 at 9:36 am
I would love to have the template and directions please
my e-mail
rizkmarey@gmail.com
Eva Varga
April 27, 2017 at 6:56 am
Thank you for your interest in the template and directions for Forms of Energy: Potential and Kinetic Energy. Presently, it is available as a freebie for my newsletter subscribers.
Link to subscribe
Comments are closed.