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©2013SuperchargedScience Page2 www.SuperchargedScience.com
IntroductionGreetings,andwelcometotheunitonEnergy.Ihopeyouwillfindthishelpfulinpreparingtoteachyourstudents,exhaustivelythoroughincontentandawholelotoffun,becausethat’swhenstudentsandteachersdotheirbestwork.
Thiscurriculumcoursehasbeenpreparedtobecompletedoveramulti‐weekperiodoftime,completingtwolessonsperweek.Youwillfindthatthereare14lessonsoutlinedtotakeyoufromanintroductionofEnergyonthroughseveraladvancedalternativeenergylessonscomplexenoughtowinaprizeatthesciencefair.Ifyoucompletethiscourseandsendyourkidsoff,you’llfindtheirhighschoolteachersentirelyblownawaybytheirmasteryofthesubject,andthenwillreallybeabletoflywiththem.EachlessonhasaTeacherPageandaStudentWorksheet.
ThefollowingfeaturesoneachsetoftheTeacherPages:
Overview:Thisisthemaingoalofthelesson. SuggestedTime:Makesureyouhaveenoughforcompletingthislesson. Objectives:Thesearethecoreprinciplescoveredwiththislesson. Materials:Gatherthesebeforeyoustart. LabPreparation:Thisoutlinesanypreparationyouneedtodoaheadoftime. Lesson:Thisoutlineshowtopresentthetopictothestudents,stirsupinterestandgetsthestudents
motivatedtolearnthetopic. LabTime&Worksheets:Thisincludesactivities,experiments,andprojectsthatreinforcetheconceptsand
reallybringsthemtolife.You’llalsofindworksheetsthatmakeuptheirScientificJournal. BackgroundLessonReading:Thisisoptionaladditionalreadingmaterialyoucanutilizeaheadoftimeto
helpyoufeelconfidentwhenthestudentsaskquestionsduringtheLabTime.Idon’trecommendgivingthisreadingtothekidsbeforehand.Ifyoumustshareitwiththem,thendosoafterthestudentshavegottenachancetorollaroundwiththeactivities.Bydoingthis,itteacheskidstoasktheirownquestionsbygettingcuriousabouttheconceptsthroughtheexperiments,thewayrealscientistsdointherealworld.
Exercises&AnswerKey:Howwelldidyouteach?Howwelldidtheylearn?Timetofindout. Closure:Beforemovingon,askyourstudentsiftheyhaveanyrecommendationsorunansweredquestions
thattheycanworkoutontheirown.Brainstormingextensionideasisagreatwaytoaddmoresciencestudiestoyourclasstime.
ImmediatelyfollowingtheTeacherPagesare“StudentWorksheets”foreachoftheactivities.Eachsetofstudentworksheetshasthefollowingsections:
Overview WhattoLearn Materials LabTime&Worksheets Exercises
Inadditiontothelessons,wehavealsopreparedthefollowingitemsyou’llfinduseful:
ScientificMethodGuide MasterMaterialsandEquipmentList LabSafetySheet
WrittenQuiz(withAnswerKey)
LabPracticalTest(withAnswerKey)
MasterMaterialsListforAllLabs
Thisisabrieflistofthematerialsthatyouwillneedtodoalloftheactivities,experimentsandprojectsineachsection.Thesetofmaterialslistedbelowisjustforonelabgroup.Ifyouhaveaclassoftenlabgroups,you’llneedtogettensetsofthematerialslistedbelow.Fortenlabgroups,aneasywaytokeeptrackofyourmaterialsistogiveeachgroupanumberfromonetoten,andmakeuptenseparatelabkitsusingsmallplastictubsorbaskets.Putonenumberoneachitemandfilleachtubwiththematerialslistedbelow.Labelthetubswiththesectionname,likeEnergyStudyKitandyouwillhaveaneasywaytokeeptrackofthematerialsandbuildaccountabilityintotheprogramforthekids.Copytheselistsandsticktheminthebinforeasytracking.Feelfreetoreuseitemsbetweenlessonsandunitsections.Mostmaterialsarereusableyearafteryear.(RS=RadioShack)
alligatorclipleads(RS#278‐1156) bi‐polarLED(RS#276‐012) blackspraypaint CDs(3oldones) coin copperflashingsheet(½sq.foot) drillwith1/16″bit drinkingbird electricfan electricstove(notgas) electricaltape electricalwire(3‐conductorsolidwire) fishingline(15lb.testorsimilar) foamblock(about6”long) hairdryer holepunch lampwithanincandescentbulb largeplastic2Lsodabottle lightweightstring(about4feetlong) magnifyinglens multimeter(RadioShack#22‐810) nylonbushing(fromhardwarestore) oldinnertubefromabikewheel packofsteelwool
paperclips papercups permanentmarker pinwheel(canbepurchasedormadefrom
constructionpaper) plasticstraw(longerthanthewidthofthe
shoebox) pliers propeller pushpin razor salt(1/4cup) sandpaper sheetmetalshears silverorwhitespraypaint smallcandleoralcoholburner smallshoebox(children’ssize) superglue Swissarmyknife(withcanopeneroption) tape threesodacans watchorclock wirecutters
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TableofContents
Introduction...............................................................................................................................................................................................................2
MasterMaterialsListforAllLabs.....................................................................................................................................................................3
UnitPrep.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................5
LabSafety...................................................................................................................................................................................................................6
TeachingScienceRight.........................................................................................................................................................................................7
EducationalGoalsforEnergy2.........................................................................................................................................................................9
Lesson#1:Cansolarenergybeconcentrated?.........................................................................................................................................11
Lesson#2:SolarBattery....................................................................................................................................................................................15
Lesson#3:SolarDrinkingBird.......................................................................................................................................................................20
Lesson#4:Canwindbeusedasasourceofenergy?............................................................................................................................24
Lesson#5:WindTurbine...................................................................................................................................................................................29
Lesson#6:Canwaterbeusedtostoreenergy?.......................................................................................................................................33
Lesson#7:Firewaterballoon.........................................................................................................................................................................37
Lesson#8:Balloongymnastics.......................................................................................................................................................................42
Lesson#9:Ghostcoin..........................................................................................................................................................................................46
Lesson#10:What’saJoule?..............................................................................................................................................................................51
Lesson#11:MeasuringPower........................................................................................................................................................................54
Lesson#12:Steamboats.....................................................................................................................................................................................58
Lesson#13:StirlingEngine..............................................................................................................................................................................63
Lesson#14:PeanutEnergy...............................................................................................................................................................................70
Part2Evaluation...................................................................................................................................................................................................76
Part2Quiz................................................................................................................................................................................................................78
Part2LabPractical...............................................................................................................................................................................................81
TheScientificMethod..........................................................................................................................................................................................83
VocabularyfortheUnit.......................................................................................................................................................................................85
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UnitPrepThisisashortlistofthingsthatyoumaywanttoconsiderasyouprepareforthisunit.
StudentLabBooks:Ifyou’rethekindofteacherwholikestopreparelabbooksforyourkids,nowisagoodtimetodothis.YoucancopytheIntroductionforKidsandtheStudentWorksheetsforeachoftheexperiments,3‐holepunchthem,andstickitinabinder.You’llwantonebinderperstudent.
ScienceJournals:Oneofthebestthingsyoucandowithyourstudentsistoteachthemhowtotakenotesinajournalasyougoalong.Thisisthesamewayscientistsdocumenttheirownfindings,andit’salotoffuntolookbackatthesplatteredpageslateronandseehowfaryou’vecome.Ialwaysjotdownmyquestionsthatdidn’tgetansweredwiththeexperimentacrossthetopofthepagesoIcanresearchthesetopicsmore.
MasterSetofMaterials:Ifyouplanondoingallthelabsinthisunit,you’llwanttostartgatheringyourmaterialstogether.There’samastermaterialslistsoyou’llhaveeverythingyouneedwhenyouneedit.
TestCopies:Studentswilltaketwotestsattheendofeachsection.Therearequizzesandlabpracticaltestsyoucancopyandstashawayforwhenyouneedthem.
ClassroomDesign:Asyouprogressthroughtheunits,you’llbemakingdemosoftheexperimentsandkidswillbemakingposters.Youcanhangtheseuponyourbulletinboards,stringthemfromtheceiling,ordisplaytheminauniqueway.Ialwaysliketosnapphotosofthekidsdoingtheirexperimentsandhangthoseupalongwiththeirbestlabssotheycanseetheirprogressaswegoalong.
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LabSafetyGoggles:Theseshouldbewornwhenworkingwithchemicals,heat,fire,orprojectiles.Theseprotectyoureyesfromchemicalsplatter,explosions,andtinyfast‐movingobjectsaimedattheeyes.Ifyouwearglasses,youcanfindgogglesthatfitoverthem.Don’tsubstituteeyeglassesforgoggles,becauseofthelackofsideprotection.Eyeglassesdon’tprovidethisimportantsideeyeprotection.
CleanupMesses:Yourlabareashouldbeneat,organized,andspotlessbeforeyoustart,duringyourexperiment,andwhenyouleave.Scientistswastemoretimehuntingforlostpapers,piecesofanexperiment,andtryingtorepositionsensitiveequipment…allofwhichcouldhaveeasilybeenavoidedhadtheybeentaughtorganizationalskillsfromthestart.
DisposeofPoisons:Ifapoisonoussubstancewasused,created,orproducedduringyourexperiment,youmustfollowtheproperhandlingproceduresfordisposal.You’llfinddetailsforthisintheexperimentsasneeded.
SpecialNotesonBatteries:Donotusealkalinebatterieswithyourexperiments.Findthesuper‐cheapkindofbatteries(usuallylabeled“HeavyDuty”or“SuperHeavyDuty”)becausethesetypesofbatterieshaveacarbon‐zinccore,whichdoesnotcontaintheacidthatalkalinebatterieshave.Thismeanswhenyouwireupcircuitsincorrectly(whichyoushouldexpecttodobecauseyouarelearning),thecircuitswillnotoverheatorleak.Ifyouusealkalinebatteries(likeEnergizerandDuracell)andyourstudentsshortacircuit,theirwiresandcomponentswillgetsuper‐hotandleakacid,whichisverydangerous.
NoEatingorDrinkingintheLab:Allfoodsanddrinksarebannedfromyourclassroomduringscienceexperimentation.Whenyoueatordrink,youruntheveryrealriskofingestingpartofyourexperiment.Forelectricityandmagnetismlabs,alwayswashyourhandsafterthelabisovertorinseofftheleadfromtheelectricalcomponents.
NoHorsePlay:Whenyougoofaround,accidentshappen,whichmeanschemicalsspill,circuitsshort,andallkindsofhazardscanoccurthatyouweren’texpecting.Neverthrowanythingtoanotherpersonandbecarefulwhereyouputyourhands–itcouldbeinthemiddleofasensitiveexperiment,especiallywithmagnetismandelectricity.Youdon’twanttoruntheriskofgettingshockedorelectrifiedwhenit’snotpartofyourexperiment.
Fire:Ifyouthinkthere’safireintheroom(evenifyou’renotsure),letyourteacherknowrightaway.Iftheyarenotaround(theyalwaysshouldbe),smotherthefirewithafireblanketoruseafireextinguisherandsendsomeonetofindanadult.Stop,drop,androll!
Questions:Ifyou’renotsureaboutsomethingstopandask,nomatterwhatit’sabout.Ifyoudon’tknowhowtoproperlyhandleachemical,dopartofanexperiment,ask!Ifyou’renotcomfortabledoingpartoftheexperiment,thendon’tdoit.
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TeachingScienceRightTheseactivitiesandexperimentswillgiveyouatasteofhowsciencecanbetotallycoolANDeducational.Butteachingscienceisn’talwayseasy.There’salotmoretoitthanmosttraditionalsciencebooksandprogramsaccomplish.Ifyourstudentsdon’trememberthesciencetheylearnedlastyear,youhaveaproblem.
Whatdokidsreallyneedtoknowwhenitcomestoscience?Kidswhohaveasolidscienceandtechnologybackgroundarebetterequippedtogotocollege,andwillhavemanymorechoicesoncetheygetoutintotherealworld.
Learningscienceisn’tjustamatterofmemorizingfactsandtheories.Onthecontrary,it’sdevelopingadeepcuriosityabouttheworldaroundus,ANDhavingasetoftoolsthatletskidsexplorethatcuriositytoanswertheirquestions.Teachingscienceinthiskindofwayisn'tjustamatterofputtingtogetheratextbookwithafewscienceexperimentsandkits.
Scienceeducationisathree‐stepprocess(andImeanteachingscienceinawaythatyourstudentswillreallyunderstandandremember).
Herearethesteps:
1.Getkidsgenuinelyinterestedandexcitedaboutatopic.
2.Givethemhands‐onactivitiesandexperimentstomakethetopicmeaningful.
3.Teachthesupportingacademicsandtheory.
Mostsciencebooksandcurriculumjustfocusonthethirdstepandmaythrowinanexperimentortwoasanafterthought.Thisjustisn’thowstudentslearn.Whenyouprovideyourstudentswiththesethreekeys(inorder),youcangiveyourstudentsthekindofscienceeducationthatnotonlyexcitesthem,butthattheyrememberformanyyearstocome.
Sowhatdoyoudo?First,don’tworry.It’snotsomethingthattakesyearsandyearstodo.Itjusttakescommitment.
Whatifyoudon’thavetime?WhatI’mabouttodescribecantakeabitoftimeasateacher,butitdoesn’thaveto.Thereisawaytoshortcuttheprocessandgetthesameresults!ButI’lltellyoumoreaboutthatinaminute.First,letmetellyouhowtodoittherightway:
PuttingItintoAction
Stepone:Getstudentsgenuinelyinterestedandexcitedaboutatopic.Startbydecidingwhattopicyouwantyourstudentstolearn.Then,you’regoingtogetthemreallyinterestedinit.Forexample,supposeIwantmyfifth‐gradestudentstolearnaboutaerodynamics.I’llarrangeforthemtowatchavideoofwhatit’sliketogoupinasmallplane,orevenfindsomeonewhoisapilotandcancometalkwiththekids.Thisisthekindofexperiencethatwillreallyexcitethem.
Steptwo:Giveyourstudentshands‐onactivitiesandexperimentstomakethetopicmeaningful.ThisiswhereItakethatexcitementandletthemexploreit.Ihaveflyinglessonvideos,airplanebooks,andrealpilotsinteractwithmystudents.I’llalsoshowvideosonhowpilotsplanforaflight.Mystudentswilllearnaboutnavigation,figuringouthowmuchfuelisneededfortheflight,howtheweighttheplanecarriesaffectstheaerodynamicsofit,andsomuchmore.(AnddidIjustseeaspotforafuturemathlessonalso?)I’llusepilottrainingvideostohelpus
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figurethisout(shortofalivedemo,avideoisincrediblypowerfulforlearningwhenusedcorrectly).
Mystudentsareincrediblyexcitedatthispointaboutanythingthathastodowithairplanesandflying.Theyareallpositivetheywanttobepilotssomedayandarealreadywantingflyinglessons(remember‐theyareonlyfifth‐graders!).
Stepthree:Teachthesupportingacademicsandtheory.Now,it’stimetointroduceacademics.Honestly,Ihavemypickofsomanytopics,becauseflyingincludessomanydifferentfields.Imeanmystudentsuseanglesandmathinflightplanning,mechanicsandenergyinhowtheengineworks,electricityinalltheequipmentonboardtheplane,andofcourse,aerodynamicsinkeepingtheplaneintheair(tonamejustafew).
I’mgoingtousethisasthefoundationtoteachtheacademicsideofallthetopicsthatareappropriate.Westartwithaerodynamics.Theylearnaboutliftanddrag,makepaperandbalsa‐woodglidersandexperimentbychangingdifferentparts.Theycalculatehowbigthewingsneedtobetocarrymoreweight(jellybeans)andthentrytheirmodelswithbiggerwings.Thenwemoveontothegeometryusedinnavigation.Insteadofdrawinganglesonablanksheetofpaper,ourworkspaceismadeofairplanemaps(freefromtheairport).We’reactuallyplanningpartofthenextflightmystudentswill“take”duringtheirgeographylesson.Suddenly,anglesarealotmoreinteresting.Infact,itturnsoutthatweneedabitoftrigonometrytofigureoutsomethings.
Ofcourse,a10‐yearoldcan’tdotrigonometry,right?Wrong!Theyhavenoideathatit’susuallyforhighschoolandlearnaboutcosinesandtangents.Throughoutthis,I’mgivingthemchancestotalkwiththepilotinclass,sharewhatthey’velearnedwitheachother,andevenplanarealflight.Howcoolisthattoakid?
Thekeyistofocusonbuildinginterestandexcitementfirst,andthentheacademicsareeasytogetstudentstolearn.Trystartingwiththeacademicsand...well,we’veallhadtheexperienceoftryingtogetkidsdosomethingtheydon’treallywanttodo.
TheShortcut:Okay,sothismightsoundlikeit’stime‐intensive.Ifyou’rethinking“Ijustdon’thavethetimetodothis!”Ormaybe“Ijustdon’tunderstandsciencewellenoughmyselftoteachittomystudentsatthatlevel.”Ifthisisyou,you’renotalone.
Thegoodnewsis,youdon’thaveto.Theshortcutistofindsomeonewhoalreadyspecializesintheareayouwantyourstudentstolearnaboutandexposethemtotheexcitementthatthepersongetsfromthefield.Then,insteadofyoubeingtheonetoinventanentirelynewcurriculumofhands‐onactivitiesandacademics,useasolidscienceprogramorcurriculum(livevideos,notcartoons).Thiswillprovidethemwithboththehands‐onexperimentsandtheacademicbackgroundtheyneed.
Ifyouuseaprogramthatisself‐guided(thatis,itguidesyouandyourstudentsthroughitstep‐by‐step),youdon’tneedtobehassledwiththepreparation.That’swhatthisunitisintendedtodoforyouandyourstudents.Thisprogramusesthesecomponentsandmatchesyoureducationalgoalssetbystatestandards.
Thisunitimplementsthethreekeystepswejusttalkedaboutanddoesthisallforyou.Myhopeisthatyounowhavesomenewtoolsinyourteachingtoolboxtogiveyourstudentsthebeststartyoucan.Iknowit’slikeawildrollercoasterridesomedays,butIalsoknowit’sworthit.Havenodoubtthatthatthecaringandattentionyougivetoyourstudents’educationtodaywillpayoffmanifoldinthefuture.
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EducationalGoalsforEnergy2
Allthedifferentformsofenergy(heat,electrical,nuclear,soundetc.)canbebrokendownintotwocategories:potentialandkineticenergy.
Thinkofpotentialenergyasthe“could”energy.Thebattery“could”powertheflashlight.Thelight“could”turnon.I“could”makeasound.Thatball“could”falloffthewall.Thatcandybar“could”givemeenergy.Potentialenergyistheenergythatsomethinghasthatcanbereleased.Forexample,thebatteryhasthepotentialenergytolightthebulboftheflashlightiftheflashlightisturnedonandtheenergyisreleasedfromthebattery.
Yourlegshavethepotentialenergytomakeyouhopupanddownifyouwanttoreleasethatenergy(likeyoudowheneverit’stimetodoscience!).Thefuelinagastankhasthepotentialenergytomakethecarmove.
Kineticenergyistheenergyofmotion.Kineticenergyisanexpressionofthefactthatamovingobjectcandoworkonanythingithits;itdescribestheamountofworktheobjectcoulddoasaresultofitsmotion.
Whethersomethingiszooming,racing,spinning,rotating,speeding,flying,ordiving…ifit’smoving,ithaskineticenergy.Howmuchenergyithasdependsontwoimportantthings:howfastit’sgoingandhowmuchitweighs.Abowlingballcruisingat100mphhasalotmorekineticenergythanacottonballmovingatthesamespeed.
Inthissectionoflessons,we’regoingtotalkaboutthetwomaincategoriesofenergy:potentialandkinetic.Wewilltalkabouttransferofenergyandwewillalsodiscussconservationofenergyandenergyefficiency.
Herearethescientificconcepts:
Energycanbecarriedfromoneplacetoanotherbyheatflow,orbywavesincludingwaterwaves,lightandsound,orbymovingobjects.
Whenfuelisconsumed,mostoftheenergyreleasedbecomesheatenergy. Heatflowsinsolidsbyconduction(whichinvolvesnoflowofmatter)andinfluidsbyconductionandalso
byconvection(whichinvolvesflowofmatter). Heatenergyisalsotransferredbetweenobjectsbyradiation;radiationcantravelthroughspace. ThesunisthemajorsourceofenergyforphenomenaontheEarth'ssurface,poweringwinds,ocean
currents,andthewatercycle. SolarenergyreachesEarththroughradiation,mostlyintheformofvisiblelight. HeatfromEarth'sinteriorreachesthesurfaceprimarilythroughconvection. Convectioncurrentsdistributeheatintheatmosphereandoceans. Differencesinpressure,heat,airmovement,andhumidityresultinchangesofweather. Theutilityofenergysourcesisdeterminedbyfactorsthatareinvolvedinconvertingthesesourcesto
usefulformsandtheconsequencesoftheconversionprocess. Considerdifferentnaturalenergyandmaterialresources,includingair,soil,rocks,minerals,petroleum,
freshwater,wildlife,andforests,andclassifythemasrenewableornonrenewable. Studythenaturaloriginofthematerialsusedtomakecommonobjects.
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Bytheendofthelabsinthisunit,studentswillbeableto:
Designandbuildexperimentsthatdemonstratethatsourcesofstoredenergytakemanyforms,suchasfood,fuel,andbatteries.
KnowhowtodemonstratehowsolarenergyreachesEarththroughradiation,mostlyintheformofvisiblelight.
Understandhowtodeterminethatenergycanbecarriedfromoneplacetoanotherbywaves,suchaswaterwavesandsound,byelectriccurrent,andbymovingobjects.
Differentiateobservationfrominference(interpretation)andknowscientists’explanationscomepartlyfromwhattheyobserveandpartlyfromhowtheyinterprettheirobservations.
Measureandestimatetheweight,lengthandvolumeofobjects. Formulateandjustifypredictionsbasedoncause‐and‐effectrelationships. Conductmultipletrialstotestapredictionanddrawconclusionsabouttherelationshipsbetween
predictionsandresults. Constructandinterpretgraphsfrommeasurements.
Followasetofwritteninstructionsforascientificinvestigation.
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Lesson#1:Cansolarenergybeconcentrated?TeacherSection
Overview:Todaythestudentswilllearnmorespecificpropertiesofsolarenergyastheyobserveacoolopticaltrickwithsomeeasy‐to‐obtainmaterials.
SuggestedTime:30‐45minutes
Objectives:Thisexperimentallowsthekidstoseetheinfluenceofthesuninspecificwaysontheearth,aswellastheimplicationsforourenergyneedsandconsumption.
Materials(perlabgroup)
Lampwithanincandescentbulb Magnifyinglens
LabPreparation
1. Printoutcopiesofthestudentworksheets.2. ReadovertheBackgroundLessonReadingbeforeteachingthisclass.3. Watchthevideoforthisexperimenttoprepareforteachingthisclass.
BackgroundLessonReading
TheUnitedStatesDepartmentofEnergy’sNationalRenewableEnergyLaboratoryinColoradousessolarenergytooperateaspecialfurnace.Thishigh‐temperaturesolarfurnaceusesalenstoconcentratesunlight.Aheliostat(adeviceusedtotrackthemotionofthesunacrossthesky)isusedsothattheimagereflectedfromamirrorisalwaysdirectedatthesamespot.Thelensisusedtoconcentratesunlightfromamirrortoanareaaboutthesizeofapenny.Thisconcentratedsunlighthastheenergyof20,000sunsshininginonespot.
Inlessthanhalfasecond,thetemperaturecanberaisedto1,720°C(3,128°F),whichishotenoughtomeltsand.Thishigh‐temperaturesolarfurnaceisbeingusedtohardensteelandtomakeceramicmaterialsthatmustbeheatedtoextremelyhightemperatures.
Concentratedsunlightalsohasbeenusedtopurifypollutedgroundwater.Theultravioletradiationinsunlightcanbreakdownorganicpollutantsintocarbondioxide,water,andharmlesschlorineions.ThisprocedurehasbeensuccessfullycarriedoutattheLawrenceLivermoreLaboratoryinCalifornia.Inthelaboratory,upto100,000gallonsofcontaminatedwatercouldbetreatedinoneday.
Lesson
Thecurvedshapeofthemagnifyinglenscauseslightraystobendandfocusonanimage.Whenwelookthroughthelens,wecanuseittomakewritingorsomeotherobjectappearlarger.However,themagnifyinglenscanalsobeusedtomakesomethingsmaller.Thelightfromthebulbisbentandfocusedonthewallwhenthelensisheldfarfromthelampandclosetothewall.Theimageismuchbrighterthanthesurroundings.Thisisbecauseallthelightfallingonthesurfaceofthelensisconcentratedintoamuchsmallerarea.
©2013SuperchargedScience Page12 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Whensunlightisconcentratedbypassingitthroughalens,theresultcanbeanintenselybrightandhotspotoflight.Evenasmallmagnifyingglasscanincreasetheintensityofthesunenoughtosetwoodandpaperonfire.Weareusingalightbulbratherthansunlightforthisexperimentbecauseconcentratedsunlightcanbeveryharmfultoyoureyes.NEVERLOOKATACONCENTRATEDIMAGEOFTHESUN.
Doyouknowofanycommonwaysthatsolarenergycanbeconcentratedforouruse?Whataboutheatinghomes?Evencoolinghomesinhotterclimates?Providingelectricity?Didyouknowthatsolarenergycanevenbeusedtobreakdownpollutantstocleanwater?Anyothers?
LabTime
1. Reviewtheinstructionsontheirworksheetsandthenbreakthestudentsintotheirlabgroups.2. Handeachgrouptheirmaterialsandgivethemtimetoperformtheirexperimentandwritedowntheir
observations.3. Theresultsofthisexperimentmaybeeasiesttoobserveifdoneatnightinadarkroom.Askanadultto
removethelampshadefromalampthatusesasingleincandescentbulb.Anincandescentbulbisthetypethatgetsquitehotwhenused.Turnonthelamp.Turnoffalltheotherlightsintheroom.
4. Standabouttwofeetfromthewallthatisthegreatestdistancefromthelamp.Thereshouldbenothingbetweenyouandthelampbulb.Placethemagnifyingglassonthewallsothatthelensisflatagainstthewall.Now,slowlymovethelensawayfromthewallandtowardthelight.Keepthelensparalleltothesurfaceofthewall.Asyoumovethelensoutward,watchthewall.
5. Recordyourobservationsontheworksheet.
Note:Thisexperimentcanbedoneinafewalternateways.
1. Tracetheexactsizeandshapeofthemagnifyinglensonapieceofpaper.Cutoutthispieceofpaperandtapeinonthewall.Focustheimageofthelamponthispieceofpaperandcopythebulbimageonthepaper.Comparethesizeofthebulbimagetothesizeofthepieceofpaper.Howmuchbiggeristhelensthanthefocusedimageofthebulb?Usethisratioofsizestoestimatetheincreaseinthebrightnessoftheimage.
2. Canyouexplainwhytheimageofthebulbisupsidedownwhenitisprojectedonthewall?Seeifyoucanfindinformationaboutopticsinabookorencyclopediathatcouldhelpyouexplainthisreversaloftheimage.
3. Repeatthisexperimentusingtwomagnifyinglenses.Observetheeffectofmovingthepositionsofthetwolensesrelativetoeachotherandthewall.
Exercises
1. Namethreeusesforsolarenergy:(electricity,airconditioning/climatecontrol,watertreatment,solarfurnace,oven
2. Whattypeofheatenergyistransmittedbythesun?(radiation)3. Circleallthefollowingphenomenainfluencedbythesun:(wind,climate,weather)
Closure:Beforemovingon,askyourstudentsiftheyhaveanyrecommendationsorunansweredquestionsthattheycanworkoutontheirown.Brainstormingextensionideasisagreatwaytoaddmoresciencestudiestoyourclasstime.
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Lesson#1:CanSolarEnergyBeConcentrated?StudentWorksheet
Name______________________________________________________________________
Overview:Todayyou’lluseaplainoldlightbulbtolearnmoreaboutthespecialwaysthatthesun’senergyisusedandharnessed,andespeciallytheimplicationsthatithasonourenergyneeds.
WhattoLearn:Thisexperimentwillteachyouhowthesun’sraysinteractwithourplanet,andhowinturnweusethisenergyinanumberofways.
Materials
Lampwithanincandescentbulb Magnifyinglens
LabTime
1. Theresultsofthisexperimentmaybeeasiesttoobserveifdoneatnightinadarkroom.Askanadulttoremovethelampshadefromalampthatusesasingleincandescentbulb.Anincandescentbulbisthetypethatgetsquitehotwhenused.Turnonthelamp.Turnoffalltheotherlightsintheroom.
2. Standabouttwofeetfromthewallthatisthegreatestdistancefromthelamp.Thereshouldbenothingbetweenyouandthelampbulb.Placethemagnifyingglassonthewallsothatthelensisflatagainstthewall.Now,slowlymovethelensawayfromthewallandtowardthelight.Keepthelensparalleltothesurfaceofthewall.Asyoumovethelensoutward,watchthewall.
3. Recordyourobservationsontheworksheet.
ConcentratedSolarObservations:
Describeordrawtheimageonthewallinthespacebelow:
Howbrightisthisimage?Howbig?
Whathappenswhenyoumovethelens?Thebulb?Whyisthishappening?
©2013SuperchargedScience Page14 www.SuperchargedScience.com
ExercisesAnswerthequestionsbelow:
1. Namethreeusesforsolarenergy:a. b. c.
2. Whattypeofheatenergyistransmittedbythesun?a. Conductionb. Convectionc. Plasmad. Radiation
3. Circlethefollowingphenomenainfluencedbythesun:a. Pressureb. Climatec. Weatherd. Wind
©2013SuperchargedScience Page15 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Lesson#2:SolarBatteryTeacherSection
Overview:Thisisafavoriteexperimentofmine,sinceitreallydemonstratesthephotoelectriceffectinausefulway.Here’sthedeal:Electronscanbeeitherfreeorattachedtotheatom,andwhenyouhitametalplacewithUVlight,someoftheattachedelectronsbreakfreeandstartcurrentflowinginacircuit.
SuggestedTime:30‐45minutes
Objectives:Kidswillbemakingtheirveryownhomemadesolarcellbyusingtheideasbehindfreeandboundelectrons,thephotoelectriceffect,andelectricalcircuits.Althoughthere’snotenoughcurrenttolightanLED,youwillbeabletoreadthecurrentandvoltageonadigitalmultimeter.
Materials(perlabgroup)
½sq.footofcopperflashingsheet(checkthescrapbinatahardwarestore) Alligatorclipleads(RS#278‐1156) Multimeter(RadioShack#22‐810) Electricstove(notgas) Largeplastic2Lsodabottle ¼cupsalt Sandpaper&sheetmetalshears
LabPreparation
1. Printoutcopiesofthestudentworksheets.2. ReadovertheBackgroundLessonReadingbeforeteachingthisclass.3. Watchthevideoforthisexperimenttoprepareforteachingthisclass.
BackgroundLessonReading
We’lltakeadvantageofthephotoelectriceffectforthisexperiment.ThiscuprousoxidesolarcellejectselectronswhenplacedinUVlight–andsunlighthasenoughUVlighttomakethissolarcellwork.Thosefreeelectronsarenowfreetoflow–whichisexactlywhatwe’remeasuringwiththevoltmeter.
Semiconductorsarethesecrettomakingsolarcells.Asemiconductorisamaterialthatispartconductor,partinsulator,meaningthatelectricitycanflowfreelyornot,dependingonhowyoustructureit.Therearelotsofdifferentkindsofsemiconductors,includingcopperandsilicon.
Insemiconductors,there’sagap(calledthebandgap)that’slikeagiantchasmbetweenthefreeelectrons(electronsthathavebeenknockedoutofitsshell)andboundelectrons(electronsstillattachedtotheatom).Electronscanbeeitherfreeorattached,butitcostsacertainamountofenergytogoeitherway(kindoflikeatollbooth).
Whensunlighthitsthesemiconductormaterialinthesolarcell,someoftheelectronsgetenoughenergytojumpthegapandgetknockedoutoftheirshelltobecomefreeelectrons.Thefreeelectronszipthroughthematerialand
©2013SuperchargedScience Page16 www.SuperchargedScience.com
createaflowofelectrons.Whenthesungoesdown,there’snosourceofenergyforelectronstogetknockedoutoforbit,sotheystayputuntilsunrise.
Lesson
Thisisthekindofenergymostpeoplethinkofwhenyoumention”alternativeenergy,”andforgoodreason!Withoutthesun,noneofanythingyouseearoundyoucouldbehere.Plantshaveknownforeverhowtotaketheenergyandturnitintousablestuff…sowhycan’twe?
Thetruthisthatwecan.Whilenormallyittakesfactoriesthesizeofacityblocktomakeasiliconsolarcell,we’llbemakingacoppersolarcellafteraquicktriptothehardwarestore.We’regoingtomodifythecopperintoaformthatwillallowittoreactwithsunlightthesamewaysilicondoes.Theimageshownhereisthetypeofcopperwe’regoingtomakeonthestovetop.
Thissolarcellisarealbattery,andyou’llfindthateveninadarkroomyou’llbeabletomeasureatinyamountofcurrent.However,eveninbrightsunlight,you’dneed80millionofthesetolightaregularincandescentbulb.
LabTime
1. Reviewtheinstructionsontheirworksheetsandthenbreakthestudentsintotheirlabgroups.2. Handeachgrouptheirmaterialsandgivethemtimetoperformtheirexperimentandwritedowntheir
observations.3. First,we’llpreparethecopper.Usethemetalshearstocutthesheetsothatitfitsontopoftheelectric
burner.Becareful,theedgeswillbesharp!4. Washthesheetverycarefullywithsoapandwateronbothsides.Onceit’sdry,usethesandpaperto
scruboffanylooseparticles.Takeyourtimeandscrubitalloveronbothsides.5. Placethecopperontheburnerandturnittothehighestsetting.Leaveitforaboutahalfhour.Watch
thecopperforthefirstfewminutes.Whatdoyounotice?6. Youcanprepareyourwaterbottlewhilethesheetiscooking.Cuttheneckoffthebottle.7. Aftercooking,turnofftheburnerandallowthecoppertocoolontheburnerforanothertwenty
minutes.Itwillshrinkandyoushouldnoticeablacklayerwhichmayflakeoff.Wewantthelayerunderneaththeblacklayer.Washthecoppertoremoveanylargerblackpieces.
8. Cutthesheetintwo,andthenbendthesheetsothatitcanfitintothebottle.Wewantthesmoothestsidetofaceoutward.Takeafresh,uncookedpieceofcopperandplaceitinside.It’simportantthatthetwosheetsdon’ttouch.
9. Takesomesaltandpouritinthere.Pourwaterintothebottle,leavingaboutaninchofairinthetopofthebottle.Stiritupwithaspoonsothatthesaltandwaterformasolution.
10. Turnonyourmultimeter,andattachthepositivesidetotheuncookedsideofcopper,andthenegativetothecookedsideofcopper.Setthemetertoreadamps.
11. Readthemeterinbothsunlightandshade.Whatdoyounotice?Recordyourdataintheworksheet.
Exercises
1. Thesunlightcausestheelectronstoflowfromthecuprousoxidebecauseofthe:(photoelectriceffect)2. Whatmaterialdomostsolarcellsuseinsteadofcopper?(silicon)3. Whatpartoftheelectromagneticspectrumismostactiveinthisexperiment?(UVlight)4. Whenyoureadamps,youread:(current)
©2013SuperchargedScience Page17 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Closure:Beforemovingon,askyourstudentsiftheyhaveanyrecommendationsorunansweredquestionsthattheycanworkoutontheirown.Brainstormingextensionideasisagreatwaytoaddmoresciencestudiestoyourclasstime.
©2013SuperchargedScience Page18 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Lesson#2:SolarBatteryStudentWorksheet
Name______________________________________________________________________
Overview:Thisisafavoriteexperimentofmine,sinceitreallydemonstratesthephotoelectriceffectinausefulway.Here’sthedeal:electronscanbeeitherfreeorattachedtotheatom,andwhenyouhitametalplacewithUVlight,someoftheattachedelectronsbreakfreeandstartcurrentflowinginacircuit.
WhattoLearn:Thislessonwillhelpyoulearnhowsolarenergyreachestheearthintheformofradiationandtakesmultipleforms,mostlyvisiblelight.
Materials
½sq.footofcopperflashingsheet(checkthescrapbinatahardwarestore) Alligatorclipleads(RS#278‐1156) Multimeter(RadioShack#22‐810) Electricstove(notgas) Largeplastic2Lsodabottle ¼cupsalt Sandpaper&sheetmetalshears
LabTime
1. First,we’llpreparethecopper.Usethemetalshearstocutthesheetsothatitfitsontopoftheelectricburner.Becareful,theedgeswillbesharp!
2. Washthesheetverycarefullywithsoapandwateronbothsides.Onceit’sdry,usethesandpapertoscruboffanylooseparticles.Takeyourtimeandscrubitalloveronbothsides.
3. Placethecopperontheburnerandturnittothehighestsetting.Leaveitforaboutahalfhour.Watchthecopperforthefirstfewminutes.Whatdoyounotice?
4. Youcanprepareyourwaterbottlewhilethesheetiscooking.Cuttheneckoffthebottle.5. Aftercooking,turnofftheburnerandallowthecoppertocoolontheburnerforanothertwenty
minutes.Itwillshrinkandyoushouldnoticeablacklayerwhichmayflakeoff.Wewantthelayerunderneaththeblacklayer.Washthecoppertoremoveanylargerblackpieces.
6. Cutthesheetintwo,andthenbendthesheetsothatitcanfitintothebottle.Wewantthesmoothestsidetofaceoutward.Takeafresh,uncookedpieceofcopperandplaceitinside.It’simportantthatthetwosheetsdon’ttouch.
7. Takesomesaltandpouritinthere.Pourwaterintothebottle,leavingaboutaninchofairinthetopofthebottle.Stiritupwithaspoonsothatthesaltandwaterformasolution.
8. Turnonyourmultimeter,andattachthepositivesidetotheuncookedsideofcopper,andthenegativetothecookedsideofcopper.Setthemetertoreadamps.
9. Readthemeterinbothsunlightandshade.Whatdoyounotice?Recordyourdataintheworksheet.
©2013SuperchargedScience Page19 www.SuperchargedScience.com
SolarBatteryData
Location MultimeterReading(Amps)
FullSunlight
Shade
Partialsunlight
ExercisesAnswerthequestionsbelow:
1. Thesunlightcausestheelectronstoflowfromthecuprousoxidebecauseof:a. Photosynthesisb. Theelectromagneticspectrumc. Thephotoelectriceffectd. Thephotochemicalprinciple
2. Whatmaterialdomostsolarcellsuseinsteadofcopper?
3. Whatpartoftheelectromagneticspectrumismostactiveinthisexperiment?a. VisibleLightb. UltravioletLightc. GammaRaysd. Microwaves
4. Whenyoureadamps,youread:a. Currentb. Voltagec. PowerDrawd. Work
©2013SuperchargedScience Page20 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Lesson#3:SolarDrinkingBirdTeacherSection
Overview:Thedrinkingbirdisaclassicsciencetoythatdipsitsheadupanddownintoaglassofwater.It’sfilledwithaliquidcalledmethylenechloride,andtheheadiscoveredwithredfeltthatgetswetwhenitdrinks.Buthowdoesitwork?Isitperpetualmotion?We’lltakealookatwhat’sgoingonwiththebird,whyitworks,andhowwe’regoingtomodifyitsoitcanrunonitsownwithoutusinganywateratall!
SuggestedTime:30‐45minutes
Objectives:Thislessonallowsstudentstolearnaboutthesun’sinfluenceontheEarth,air,andwater.They’llseeenergytransferredandusedwiththeirowneyes.
Materials(perlabgroup)
drinkingbird silverorwhitespraypaint blackspraypaint razor mugofhotwater sunlightorincandescentlight
LabPreparation
1. Printoutcopiesofthestudentworksheets.2. ReadovertheBackgroundLessonReadingbeforeteachingthisclass.3. Watchthevideoforthisexperimenttoprepareforteachingthisclass.
BackgroundLessonReading
Thedrinkingbirdisanexampleofaheatengine.Theliquid’sspecialpropertiesallowthemotiontocontinue,solongasthereissomewaterprovidedtothesystem.
What’ssospecialabouttheliquid?Methylenechlorideismadeofcarbon,hydrogen,andchlorineatoms.It’sbarelyliquidatroomtemperature,havingaboilingpointof103.5°F,soitevaporatesquiteeasily.Itdoeshaveahighvaporpressure(6.7psi),meaningthatthemoleculesontheliquidsurfaceleave(evaporate)andraisethepressureuntiltheamountofmoleculesevaporatingisequaltotheamountbeingshovedbackintheliquid(condensed)byitsownpressure.(Forcomparison,thevaporpressureofwaterisonly0.4psi.)
Lesson
Thebirdneedsatemperaturedifferencebetweentheheadandtail.Sincewaterneedsheatinordertoevaporate,theheadcoolsasthewaterevaporates.Thistemperaturedecreaselowersthepressureinsidethehead,pushingliquiduptheinnertube.Withmoreliquid(weightinthehead),thebirdtipsover.Thebirdwetsitsownheadtostartthiscycleagain.
©2013SuperchargedScience Page21 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Thetricktomakingthisworkisthatwhenthebirdistippedover,thevaporfromthebottommovesupthetubetoequalizethepressureinbothsides,orhe’dstayputwithhisheadinthecup.Sadly,thisisn’tperpetualmotionbecauseassoonasyoutakeawaythewater,thecyclestops.Italsostopsifyouenclosethebirdinajarsowatercannolongerevaporateafterawhile.Doyouthinkthisbirdcanworkinarainstorm?InAntarctica?
Vaporpressurecanalsochangewithtemperaturechanges.Thevaporpressuregoesupwhenthetemperaturegoesup.Sincethewetheadiscoolerthanthetail,thevaporpressureatthetopislessthanatthebottom,whichpushestheliquidupthetube.SoitreallydoesmatterwhetherthebirdisoperatinginArizonaortheAmazon.Thebirdwilldipmoretimesperminuteinadesertthanarainforest!Thisisbecauseevaporationwillworkmorequicklyinthedesert.
Buttodaywewanttolearnhowtomodifythebirdsothatitisentirelysolarpowered.That’swhatthislabisallabout.Questionstoaskare:Whatispoweringthebirdnow,ifnotwater?
LabTime
1. Reviewtheinstructionsontheirworksheetsandthenbreakthestudentsintotheirlabgroups.2. Handeachgrouptheirmaterialsandgivethemtimetoperformtheirexperimentandwritedowntheir
observations.3. Takethebirdoutofitsholder,andcarefullyremovethetailfeather,hat,andfeltsection.Removeanyglue
withascraperorhotwater,whichwillallowthegluetoloosenandeasilypeeloff.Becarefulnottoholdthebirdbythehead,becauseitishollowandcanbreakifyougriptootightly!
4. Paintthetop(withthepeak,fromwhichthehatwasremoved)eitherwhiteorsilver.Paintthebottomblack.Allowittodry.
5. Whenthepaintisdry,reattachthebirdtoitsstand,andplaceitinthesun.Adjustthefasteningbanduntilthebirdissecure,ifneeded.
6. Liquidisbeingheatednowinthebird,sothebirdwillbegintippingaswaterbeginsmovingfromthebottomtothetop.Thebottomofthebirdisnowblack,andblackabsorbsmoreenergyandheatsupthetailofthebird.Sincethetailsectioniswarmer,thepressuregoesupandtheliquidgetspushedupthetube.Bycoveringtheheadwithwhite(orsilver)paint,youarereflectingmostoftheenergysoitremainscool.RememberthatwhitesurfacesactlikemirrorstoIRlight(whichiswhatheatenergyis).
Exercises
1. Wheredoesmostoftheenergyonearthcomefrom?(thesun)2. Whatisonewaythatweuseenergyfromthesun?(plants,solarpower)3. Whatistheprocessbywhichtheliquidisbeingheatedinsidethebird?(evaporation)
Closure:Beforemovingon,askyourstudentsiftheyhaveanyrecommendationsorunansweredquestionsthattheycanworkoutontheirown.Brainstormingextensionideasisagreatwaytoaddmoresciencestudiestoyourclasstime.
©2013SuperchargedScience Page22 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Lesson#3:SolarDrinkingBirdStudentWorksheet
Name______________________________________________________________________
Overview:Thedrinkingbirdisaclassicsciencetoythatdipsitsheadupanddownintoaglassofwater.It’sfilledwithaliquidcalledmethylenechloride,andtheheadiscoveredwithredfeltthatgetswetwhenitdrinks.Buthowdoesitwork?Isitperpetualmotion?We’lltakealookatwhat’sgoingonwiththebird,whyitworks,andhowwe’regoingtomodifyitsoitcanrunonitsownwithoutusinganywateratall!
WhattoLearn:You’lllearnmoreaboutthesunthanaboutthebirditself,andespeciallyaboutthesun’sinfluenceontheEarth,air,andwater.
Materials
drinkingbird silverorwhitespraypaint blackspraypaint razor mugofhotwater sunlightorincandescentlight
LabTime
1. Takethebirdoutofitsholder,andcarefullyremovethetailfeather,hat,andfeltsection.Removeanygluewithascraperorhotwater,whichwillallowthegluetoloosenandeasilypeeloff.Becarefulnottoholdthebirdbythehead,becauseitishollowandcanbreakifyougriptootightly!
2. Paintthetop(withthepeak,fromwhichthehatwasremoved)eitherwhiteorsilver.Paintthebottomblack.Allowittodry.
3. Whenthepaintisdry,reattachthebirdtoitsstand,andplaceitinthesun.Adjustthefasteningbanduntilthebirdissecure,ifneeded.
4. Liquidisbeingheatednowinthebird,sothebirdwillbegintippingaswaterbeginsmovingfromthebottomtothetop.Thebottomofthebirdisnowblack,andblackabsorbsmoreenergyandheatsupthetailofthebird.Sincethetailsectioniswarmer,thepressuregoesupandtheliquidgetspushedupthetube.Bycoveringtheheadwithwhite(orsilver)paint,youarereflectingmostoftheenergysoitremainscool.RememberthatwhitesurfacesactlikemirrorstoIRlight(whichiswhatheatenergyis).
©2013SuperchargedScience Page23 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Observations
1. Whatishappeningtoyourdrinkingbird?
2. Doesitworkbetterwithhotorcoldwater?
3. Doesitworkinanenclosedspace,suchasaninvertedaquarium?
4. Onarainydayordry?
5. Inthefridgeoronaheatingpad?
ExercisesAnswerthequestionsbelow:
1. Wheredoesmostoftheenergyonearthcomefrom?a. Undergroundb. Thesunc. Theoceans
2. Whatisonewaythatweuseenergyfromthesun?
3. Whatistheprocessbywhichtheliquidisbeingheatedinsidethebird?a. Precipitationb. Pressurec. Evaporationd. Transpiration
©2013SuperchargedScience Page24 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Lesson#4:Canwindbeusedasasourceofenergy?
TeacherSection
Overview:Thestudentswillconstructtheirownwindmillanduseittocollectpaperclipsunderitsownpower.Intheprocessthey’lllearnimportantconceptsaboutalternativeenergyandthegrowingimportanceofrenewableresourceslikewindpower.
SuggestedTime:30‐45minutes
Objectives:Thisexperimentallowsthestudentstolearnabouttheenergyrequirementsofourplanet,aswellasthewaythatthesuninteractsandinfluencesdifferentphenomenaonthesurface.
Materials(perlabgroup)
Pinwheel(canbepurchasedormadefromconstructionpaper) Paperclips Tape Smallshoebox(children’ssize) Electricfan Lightweightstring(about4feetlong) Plasticstraw(longerthanthewidthoftheshoebox) Holepunch
LabPreparation
1. Printoutcopiesofthestudentworksheets.2. ReadovertheBackgroundLessonReadingbeforeteachingthisclass.3. Watchthevideoforthisexperimenttoprepareforteachingthisclass.
BackgroundLessonReading
Onewaytostoretheenergyproducedbyawindmillistoliftaweight.Whentheweightisallowedtofall,workcanbeproduced.Weightsinagrandfatherclockareusedtostoreenergyandcanrunaclockforaweekorlonger.Awindmill’senergycanbeusedtopumpwatertoastorageareaatahigherelevation.Later,thiswatercanbeallowedtofallthroughaturbinewhichturnsageneratorandproduceselectricity.
Electricitycanalsobeproduceddirectlyfromwindpower.Theshaft,orrodtowhichthewindmillbladesareattached,canbeusedtoturnagenerator.Ageneratorordynamoisusedtoconvertmechanicalenergyintoelectricalenergy.Powerconversionunitscanchangethedirectcurrentthatwindgeneratestoanalternatingcurrent.Thealternatingcurrentcanbefeddirectlyintoutilitylinesandusedinourhomes.
©2013SuperchargedScience Page25 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Thesunistheoriginalsourceofwindpower.Withoutthesuntoheattheearth,therewouldbenowind.Theenergyofthesunheatstheearth,butallpartsoftheeartharenotatthesametemperature.Thesedifferencesintemperatureareresponsibleforglobalandlocalpatternsofwind.Forexample,duringthedayaconstantwindblowsfromtheseatowardthelandalongcoastalregions.Airabovethehotterlandrisesandcooler,heavierairabovetheoceanmovesintotakeitsplace.
Thepowerofthewindcanbeharnessedtodowork.Thewindhasbeenusedtomovesailingships.Thewindhasenoughpowertomoveshipsacrossoceansandaroundtheworld.Windmillshavebeenusedforpumpingwaterandturningstonestogrindgrain.MillionsofwindmillshavebeenusedontheplainsofAmerica,Africa,andAustraliatopumpwaterfromdeepwellsforlivestockandhumans.
Inthiscentury,windmillsorwindengineshavebeenusedtogenerateelectricity.Morethan15,000windengineswereinstalledinCaliforniainthe1980s.Thesewindengineshavethecapabilitytoproduceupto1.5billionwattsofelectricity.InCaliforniain1987,windwasusedtoproduceasmuchelectricityasthecityofSanFranciscousesinanentireyear.
Lesson
TheUnitedStateshaslargereservesofcoal,naturalgas,andcrudeoil(whichisusedtomakegasoline).However,theUnitedStatesusestheenergyofmillionsofbarrelsofcrudeoileveryday,anditmustimportabouthalfitscrudeoilfromothercountries.
Burningfossilfuels(oil,coal,gasoline,andnaturalgas)producescarbondioxidegas.Carbondioxideisoneofthemaingreenhousegasesthatmaycontributetoglobalwarming.Inaddition,burningcoalandgasolinecanproducepollutionmoleculesthatcontributetosmogandacidrain.
Usingrenewableenergy‐‐suchassolar,wind,water,biomass,andgeothermal‐‐couldhelpreducepollution,preventglobalwarming,anddecreaseacidrain.Nuclearenergyalsohastheseadvantages,butitrequiresstoringradioactivewastesgeneratedbynuclearpowerplants.Currently,renewableenergyproducesonlyasmallpartoftheenergyneedsoftheUnitedStates.However,astechnologyimproves,renewableenergyshouldbecomelessexpensiveandmorecommon.
Hydropower(waterpower)istheleastexpensivewaytoproduceelectricity.Thesuncauseswatertoevaporate.Theevaporatedwaterfallstotheearthasrainorsnowandfillslakes.Hydropoweruseswaterstoredinlakesbehinddams.Aswaterflowsthroughadam,thefallingwaterturnsturbinesthatrungeneratorstoproduceelectricity.
Currently,geothermalenergy(heatinsidetheearth),biomass(energyfromplants),solarenergy(lightfromconcentratedsunlight),andwindarebeingusedtogenerateelectricity.Forexample,inCaliforniatherearemorethan16,000windturbinesthatgenerateenoughpowertosupplyacitythesizeofSanFranciscowithelectricity.
Inadditiontoproducingmoreenergy,wecanalsohelpmeetourenergyneedsthroughconservation.Conservationmeansusinglessenergyandusingitmoreefficiently.
LabTime
1. Reviewtheinstructionsontheirworksheetsandthenbreakthestudentsintotheirlabgroups.
©2013SuperchargedScience Page26 www.SuperchargedScience.com
2. Handeachgrouptheirmaterialsandgivethemtimetoperformtheirexperimentandwritedowntheirobservations.
3. Useaholepunchtopunchholesintheoppositesidesacrossthewidthofthecardboardshoebox.Usethenarrowsidesoftheboxsothetwoholesarelessthan6inches(15centimeters)apart.Makesuretheholesaredirectlyoppositeeachother.Placeaplasticstrawthroughtheholes.Enlargetheholesifyouneedto.
4. Usethebladesfromapinwheelorcutandfoldasquarepieceofconstructionpaperintotheshapeofapinwheel.Attachthebladestooneendofthestraw.
5. Partiallyunfoldasmallpaperclipandinsertitintothelargerendofthestraw.Pushthestraightenedendofthepaperclipthroughthecenterofthepinwheel.Bendthisendofthepaperclipandtapeittotheoutsideofthepinwheel.
6. Setthefanonatableorcountertop.Holdtheshoeboxsothatthepinwheelisfreetoturn.Haveanadultpluginandturnonthefan.Movethewindmillboxtodirectthebreezefromthefantowardthebladesofthepinwheel.Movetheboxuntilyoufindthebestangleofthefantothepinwheelsothatthebladesturnfreely.
7. Turnoffthefan.Tapeoneendofthestringtothesideofthestrawwithnopinwheeljustoutsidethebox,andwrapthestringaroundthestrawafewtimes.Tietheotherendofthestringtoapaperclip.Attachfiveotherpaperclipstothepapercliptiedtothestring.Allowthestringtohangdownsothatthepaperclipsontheendofthestringrestonthefloor.
8. Now,youwilltesttoseeifyourwindmillcanconvertwindpowertodoworkandliftthepaperclipsofftheground.Turnonthefanandholdtheboxwhereyoudidbeforetomakethepinwheelturn.Recordallyourobservationsanddataintheworksheet.
Exercises
1. Namethreesourcesofrenewableenergy:(solar,hydropower,biomass,wind,geothermal)2. Whatdoesthesunhavetodowithwind?(createsareasofhigherandlowerpressureairbyheatingthem,
whichmakestheairmoveaswind)3. Namethreeexamplesofwindpowerinhistoricalorcurrentusage:(windmills,sailing,electricity)
Closure:Beforemovingon,askyourstudentsiftheyhaveanyrecommendationsorunansweredquestionsthattheycanworkoutontheirown.Brainstormingextensionideasisagreatwaytoaddmoresciencestudiestoyourclasstime.
Lesson#4:Canwindbeusedasasourceofenergy?
StudentWorksheet
©2013SuperchargedScience Page27 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Name______________________________________________________________________
Overview:Constructyourownwindmillanduseittocollectpaperclipsunderitsownpower.Intheprocessyou’lllearnimportantconceptsaboutalternativeenergyandthegrowingimportanceofrenewableresourceslikewindpower.
WhattoLearn:Payattentiontohowthesunallowswindtoform,andtheimportanceofwindinourfuture’senergyneedsandconsumption.
Materials
Pinwheel(canbepurchasedormadefromconstructionpaper) Paperclips Tape Smallshoebox(children’ssize) Electricfan Lightweightstring(about4feetlong) Plasticstraw(longerthanthewidthoftheshoebox) Holepunch
LabTime
1. Useaholepunchtopunchholesintheoppositesidesacrossthewidthofthecardboardshoebox.Usethenarrowsidesoftheboxsothetwoholesarelessthan6inches(15centimeters)apart.Makesuretheholesaredirectlyoppositeeachother.Placeaplasticstrawthroughtheholes.Enlargetheholesifyouneedto.
2. Usethebladesfromapinwheelorcutandfoldasquarepieceofconstructionpaperintotheshapeofapinwheel.Attachthebladestooneendofthestraw.
3. Partiallyunfoldasmallpaperclipandinsertitintothelargerendofthestraw.Pushthestraightenedendofthepaperclipthroughthecenterofthepinwheel.Bendthisendofthepaperclipandtapeittotheoutsideofthepinwheel.
4. Setthefanonatableorcountertop.Holdtheshoeboxsothatthepinwheelisfreetoturn.Haveanadultpluginandturnonthefan.Movethewindmillboxtodirectthebreezefromthefantowardthebladesofthepinwheel.Movetheboxuntilyoufindthebestangleofthefantothepinwheelsothatthebladesturnfreely.
5. Turnoffthefan.Tapeoneendofthestringtothesideofthestrawwithnopinwheeljustoutsidethebox,andwrapthestringaroundthestrawafewtimes.Tietheotherendofthestringtoapaperclip.Attachfiveotherpaperclipstothepapercliptiedtothestring.Allowthestringtohangdownsothatthepaperclipsontheendofthestringrestonthefloor.
6. Now,youwilltesttoseeifyourwindmillcanconvertwindpowertodoworkandliftthepaperclipsofftheground.Turnonthefanandholdtheboxwhereyoudidbeforetomakethepinwheelturn.Recordallyourobservationsanddataintheworksheet.
WindEnergyObservations
1. Doesthewindmillturnthestraw?
©2013SuperchargedScience Page28 www.SuperchargedScience.com
2. Doesthestringwraparoundthestrawasthestrawturns?
3. Whathappenstothepaperclips?
4. Howisenergybeingconvertedbyyourwindmill?
ExercisesAnswerthequestionsbelow:
1. Namethreesourcesofrenewableenergy:a. b. c.
2. Whatdoesthesunhavetodowithwind?
3. Namethreeexamplesofwindpowerinhistoricalorcurrentusage:
a. b. c.
©2013SuperchargedScience Page29 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Lesson#5:WindTurbineTeacherSection
Overview:We’lltakealookatpropellerdesignaswebuildaworkingwindturbine.
SuggestedTime:30‐45minutes
Objectives:Thisexperimentshowsthekidshowtheearthprovidesnumerousnaturalresourcesandhowweconvertthemtosuitourneeds,inthiscase,windenergytoelectricity.
Materials(perlabgroup)
AdigitalMultimeter(RadioShack#22‐810) Alligatorclipleads(RS#278‐1156) 1.5‐3VDCMotor(RS#273‐223) 9‐18VDCMotor(RS#273‐256) Bi‐polarLED(RS#276‐012) Foamblock(about6”long) Scrappieceofwoodformounting PropellerfromoldtoyorcheapfanorRadioShackSolarKit277‐1201. Sharpknifeorscissors Hairdryer Hotgluegun
LabPreparation
1. Printoutcopiesofthestudentworksheets.2. ReadovertheBackgroundLessonReadingbeforeteachingthisclass.3. Watchthevideoforthisexperimenttoprepareforteachingthisclass.
BackgroundLessonReading
Windpowerisarecentlyburgeoningsourceofrenewableenergy.Althoughwe’veinvestedinlarge‐scalewindpowerinNorthAmericaforthepastfortyyears,recentprojectsinnorthernandcentralEuropehaveconstructedthemostmassivearraysyetseen.IntheNorthSea,massivefloatingturbinesgenerateenoughelectricitytopowerthousandsofhomes.Althoughlegalandenvironmentalchallengesrestricthowmuchwecanbuildwindfarms(theyarequiteahazardtomigratingbirdpopulations,andevenhaveeffectsonlivestockandhumansettlementsnearthem),theywillprovideanimportantpartofourfutureenergyneeds.
Lesson
Believeitornot,mostoftheelectricityyouusecomesfrommovingmagnetsaroundcoilsofwire!Windturbinesspinbigcoilsofwirearoundverypowerfulmagnets(orverypowerfulmagnetsaroundbigcoilsofwire)bycapturingtheflow.
©2013SuperchargedScience Page30 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Here’showitworks:Whenapropellerisplacedinamovingfluid(likethewaterfromyoursinkorwindfromyourhairdryer),thepropellerturns.Ifyouattachthepropellertoamotorshaft,themotorwillrotate.Ithascoilsofwireandmagnetsinside.Thefastertheshaftturns,themorethemagnetscreateanelectricalcurrent.
Theelectricitytopoweryourcomputer,yourlights,yourairconditioning,yourradioorwhatevercomesfromspinningmagnetsorwires!
LabTime
1. Reviewtheinstructionsontheirworksheetsandthenbreakthestudentsintotheirlabgroups.2. Handeachgrouptheirmaterialsandgivethemtimetoperformtheirexperimentandwritedowntheir
observations.3. Slicethefoamblockinhalflengthwise.Adultsupervisionisneeded!Stackthetwopiecesandhotglue
themtogether.4. Mountyourblocksonapieceofwoodorsturdypaper.Next,attachyourmotortothetopofthefoam.
Makesuretheshaftisoverhangingtheedge,becausewewanttoattachapropeller.5. Attachthepropellertotheshaftofthemotor,andmakesureitisabletospinfreely.6. Mountthesolarcellontoyourbase,andwirethemotorintotheappropriateplacesonthesolarcell.7. Gooutsideandgivethecellatest,makingsurethepropellerspinsaccordingtotheamountofsunlight.8. Disconnectthewiresandsetthesolarcellaside.TakeyourLEDsandspreadtheirmetalwiressothat
youcanstickthemintothefoamblockbelowyourpropeller.9. Takealligatorclipsandattachthemtothewiresofthemotor.Makesuretheclipsareattachedtothe
wiresthemselves,nottheinsulation.10. Weneedtofigureoutifthewiresareconnectedproperly.Useahairdryeronthelowestheatsetting,
highestpower,tospinthepropeller.Experimenttofindthesweetspotwherethepropellerwillspinwell.IfyourLEDsdonotlightup,tryusingthehairdryerontheoppositeside,behindthemotor.Doesitwork?Ifnot,thenreversethewires.
11. DisconnectthealligatorclipsfromtheLEDsandattachthemultimetertothemotor.Clickthedialthreetimestothelefttogettherightrangeofvoltage.Usethehairdryeragainandrecordyourreadingfromthemultimeteronyourworksheet.Whataboutifyouarrangethedryertoblowfromtheotherside?
Exercises
1. Trueorfalse:Electricityinawindturbineiscreatedbymagnetsintheturbine:(true)2. Whatisoneadvantageofusingwindforelectricity?(nopollution,lessrelianceonfossilfuels)3. Whatmightbeoneproblemwithconstructingwindfarmstomeetallourenergyneeds?(mightkill
birds)
Closure:Beforemovingon,askyourstudentsiftheyhaveanyrecommendationsorunansweredquestionsthattheycanworkoutontheirown.Brainstormingextensionideasisagreatwaytoaddmoresciencestudiestoyourclasstime.
©2013SuperchargedScience Page31 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Lesson#5:WindTurbineStudentWorksheet
Name______________________________________________________________________
Overview:We’lltakealookatpropellerdesignaswebuildaworkingwindturbine.
WhattoLearn:Weuseallkindsofresourcestomeetourenergyneeds.You’lllearnhowwindenergyissoimportant,andtheprinciplesbehindhowenergyisconvertedsothatwecanuseit.
Materials
AdigitalMultimeter(RadioShack#22‐810) Alligatorclipleads(RS#278‐1156) 1.5‐3VDCMotor(RS#273‐223) 9‐18VDCMotor(RS#273‐256) Bi‐polarLED(RS#276‐012) Foamblock(about6”long) Scrappieceofwoodformounting PropellerfromoldtoyorcheapfanorRadioShackSolarKit277‐1201. Sharpknifeorscissors Hairdrier Hotgluegun
LabTime
1. Slicethefoamblockinhalflengthwise.Adultsupervisionisneeded!Stackthetwopiecesandhotgluethemtogether.
2. Mountyourblocksonapieceofwoodorsturdypaper.Next,attachyourmotortothetopofthefoam.Makesuretheshaftisoverhangingtheedge,becausewewanttoattachapropeller.
3. Attachthepropellertotheshaftofthemotor,andmakesureitisabletospinfreely.4. Mountthesolarcellontoyourbase,andwirethemotorintotheappropriateplacesonthesolarcell.5. Gooutsideandgivethecellatest,makingsurethepropellerspinsaccordingtotheamountofsunlight.6. Disconnectthewiresandsetthesolarcellaside.TakeyourLEDsandspreadtheirmetalwiressothat
youcanstickthemintothefoamblockbelowyourpropeller.7. Takealligatorclipsandattachthemtothewiresofthemotor.Makesuretheclipsareattachedtothe
wiresthemselves,nottheinsulation.8. Weneedtofigureoutifthewiresareconnectedproperly.Useahairdryeronthelowestheatsetting,
highestpower,tospinthepropeller.Experimenttofindthesweetspotwherethepropellerwillspinwell.IfyourLEDsdonotlightup,tryusingthehairdryerontheoppositeside,behindthemotor.Doesitwork?Ifnot,thenreversethewires.
9. DisconnectthealligatorclipsfromtheLEDsandattachthemultimetertothemotor.Clickthedialthreetimestothelefttogettherightrangeofvoltage.Usethehairdryeragainandrecordyourreadingfromthemultimeteronyourworksheet.Whataboutifyouarrangethedryertoblowfromtheotherside?
©2013SuperchargedScience Page32 www.SuperchargedScience.com
WindTurbineDataTable
WindDirectionorConfiguration Reading(Voltage)
Frontofpropeller
Rearofpropeller
ExercisesAnswerthequestionsbelow:
1. Trueorfalse:Electricityinawindturbineiscreatedbymagnetsintheturbine:a. Trueb. False
2. Whatisoneadvantageofusingwindforelectricity?
3. Whatmightbeoneproblemwithconstructingwindfarmstomeetallourenergyneeds?
©2013SuperchargedScience Page33 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Lesson#6:Canwaterbeusedtostoreenergy?TeacherSection
Overview:Todaythestudentswillgetasenseoftemperatureanditseffectsonthepropertiesofwater.Theywilllearnabouttheimportantdynamicsoftheinteractionofthesunwiththeearth’swaterbodies.
SuggestedTime:30‐45minutes
Objectives:Thekidswilllearnspecificwaysthatthesuninteractswiththeearth’ssurface,andtheimplicationsthishasontheearth’senergyusageandneeds.
Materials(perlabgroup)
Papercups
Measuringcups Hotwater Watchorclock Sink Refrigerator(withfreezercompartment)
LabPreparation
1. Printoutcopiesofthestudentworksheets.2. ReadovertheBackgroundLessonReadingbeforeteachingthisclass.3. Watchthevideoforthisexperimenttoprepareforteachingthisclass.
BackgroundLessonReading
Thesun’sraysinteractwiththeearthinanumberofdifferentways,andscientistsaregettingmorecreativeintheirattemptstoharnesstheabundantenergythatcomesdowntoinfluencethesurface.Solarpondsarelargebodiesofwaterthatcanstoreheatduringthedaytimeandreleaseitduringtheeveningtobeusedbysomenearbyarea.Theyinvolveplacingalayeroffreshwateratopsaltwater,whichremainsheavierandsinkstothebottom.Thefreshwaterinsulatesthebottomlayerofwaterandcanretainquiteabitofheat.
Inafreshwaterpond,asthewateronthebottomisheatedbysunlight,thehotwaterbecomeslighterandrisestothetopofthepond.Thisconvectionormovementofhotwatertothetoptendstocarryawayexcessheat.However,inasaltwaterpond,thereisnoconvectionsoheatistrapped.InIsraelaseriesofsaltwater,solarpondsweredevelopedaroundtheDeadSea.Theheatstoredinthesesolarpondshasbeenusedtorunturbinesandgenerateelectricity.
Foranotherexampleofwaterstoringlargeamountsofheatenergy,considerthecityofSanFrancisco.Itliesattheendofapeninsula,surroundedonthreesidesbywater.Ifyou’veevervisitedthecityduringthesummer,you’llbesurprisedbyhowcolditcanget!Thisisbecausethewaterabsorbsalargeamountoftheenergyfromthesun,leavingthelandmasscolderthanthecontinentalinland.ThisiswhythecityofOaklandacrossthebaycanbeexperiencingcompletelydifferentweatherjustafewmilesaway.
©2013SuperchargedScience Page34 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Lesson
Temperatureisameasureoftheaveragehotnessofanobject.Thehotteranobject,thehigheritstemperature.Asthetemperatureisraised,theatomsandmoleculesinanobjectmovefaster.Themoleculesinhotwatermovefasterthanthemoleculesincoldwater.Rememberthattheheatenergystoredinanobjectdependsonboththetemperatureandtheamountofthesubstance.Asmalleramountofwaterwillhavelessheatenergythanalargeramountofwateratthesametemperature.
Increasingthetemperatureofalargebodyofwaterisonewaytostoreheatenergyforlateruse.Alargecontainerfilledwithsaltwater,calledbrine,maybeusedtoabsorbheatenergyduringthedaywhenitiswarm.Thisenergywillbeheldinthesaltwateruntilthenightwhenitiscooler.Thisstoredheatenergycanbereleasedatnighttowarmahouseorbuilding.Thisisonewaytostorethesun’sheatenergyuntilitisneeded.
LabTime
1. Reviewtheinstructionsontheirworksheetsandthenbreakthestudentsintotheirlabgroups.2. Handeachgrouptheirmaterialsandgivethemtimetoperformtheirexperimentandwritedowntheir
observations.3. Turnonthehotwaterfaucetandwaituntilthewaterishot.Becarefulnottoburnyourself!4. Add¼cupofhotwatertothefirstpapercup,and1cupwatertothesecondpapercup.5. Placebothcupsinthefreezercompartmentoftherefrigerator.Besuretolabelyourcups!6. Checkthewaterafter30minutes.Recordyourdataintheworksheet.7. Returntothefreezerandcheckthetemperatureagainafter45minutes.Recordyourdata.8. Keepcheckingthecupsatfifteen‐minuteintervalsuntilonehasfrozen.Recordyourdatainthesheet.
Exercises
1. Whattypeofheattransferisatworkinasolarpond?(convection)2. Whatunitsdoweusetomeasureenergy?(Joules)3. Drawadiagramofasolarpondinthespacebelow:(shouldshowsaltwateronbottom,layeroffresh
water,andheatstoredintheupperlayerbythesun’sraysfromabove)
Closure:Beforemovingon,askyourstudentsiftheyhaveanyrecommendationsorunansweredquestionsthattheycanworkoutontheirown.Brainstormingextensionideasisagreatwaytoaddmoresciencestudiestoyourclasstime.
©2013SuperchargedScience Page35 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Lesson#6:CanWaterbeusedtostoreenergy?StudentWorksheet
Name______________________________________________________________________
Overview:Oursuncanbeusedforallkindsofthings.Inourworldthatissufferingfromanenergycrisis,weneedtobemoreproactivetoaddresstheseneeds.Didyouknowthatlargebodiesofwaterareusedtostoreheat?Findouthowtoday!
WhattoLearn:Thislabwillallowustoseehowwaterinteractswiththeheatenergyofthesun.Rememberthekeytermswe’velearnedsofar:conduction,convection,etc.Whattypeofheattransferdoweobservehere?
Materials
Papercups Measuringcups Hotwater Watchorclock Sink Refrigerator(withfreezercompartment) Thermometer
LabTime
1. Turnonthehotwaterfaucetandwaituntilthewaterishot.Becarefulnottoburnyourself!2. Add¼cupofhotwatertothefirstpapercup,and1cupwatertothesecondpapercup.3. Placebothcupsinthefreezercompartmentoftherefrigerator.Besuretolabelyourcups!4. Checkthewaterafter30minutes.Recordyourdataintheworksheet,takingthetemperatureofeachcup
andseeingifthewaterhasfrozen.5. Returntothefreezerandcheckthetemperatureagainafter45minutes.Recordyourdata.6. Keepcheckingthecupsatfifteen‐minuteintervalsuntilonehasfrozen.Recordyourdatainthesheet.
WaterEnergyDataTable
Time(minutes) Temperature(Cup1) Temperature(Cup2) Frozen?(Cup1) Frozen?(Cup2)
0
30
45
60
75
©2013SuperchargedScience Page36 www.SuperchargedScience.com
1. Whatconclusionscanyoudrawabouttherelationshipbetweenthewater’samountanditsabilitytostoreenergy?Howdoyouknow?
ExercisesAnswerthequestionsbelow:
1. Whattypeofheattransferisatworkinasolarpond?a. Kineticb. Conductionc. Potentiald. Convectione. Radiation
2. Whatunitsdoweusetomeasureenergy?a. Kilowattsb. Joulesc. Newtonsd. Kilowatt‐hours
3. Drawadiagramofasolarpondinthespacebelow:
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Lesson#7:FirewaterballoonTeacherSection
Overview:Heatenergycanbefuntoplaywith,andprovideusfascinatingwaystoobservetheworldaroundusinaction.Thissimpleexperimentexplorestheconceptsofheatcapacityandspecificheat.
SuggestedTime:30‐45minutes
Objectives:Thislabteacheshowheatenergyistransmittedbetweenobjectsthroughconvection,conduction,andradiation.
Materials(perlabgroup)
Balloon Water Matches,candle,andadulthelp Sink
LabPreparation
1. Printoutcopiesofthestudentworksheets.2. ReadovertheBackgroundLessonReadingbeforeteachingthisclass.3. Watchthevideoforthisexperimenttoprepareforteachingthisclass.
BackgroundLessonReading
Heatcapacityishowmuchheatanobjectcanabsorbbeforeitincreasesintemperature.Thisisalsoreferredtoasspecificheat.Specificheatishowmuchheatenergyamassofamaterialmustabsorbbeforeitincreases1°C.
Eachmaterialhasitsownspecificheat.Thehigheramaterial’sspecificheat,themoreheatitmustabsorbbeforeitincreasesintemperature.
Waterisuniqueinthatithasaverylargespecificheat.Liquidwater’sspecificheatisover4,whichisveryhigh.Incomparison,graniteis.8,aluminumis.9,rubbingalcoholis2.4andgoldis.1.
Togetthesameamountofrubbingalcoholandliquidwatertoincreasethesameamountoftemperature,youwouldneedtopumpabouttwicetheamountofheatintothewater.
Togetthesameamountofgoldandliquidwatertoincreasethesameamountoftemperature,youwouldneedtopump40timestheamountofheatintothewater!
Inotherwords,ittakesmoreenergytoheatwaterthanitdoestoheatalcohol,gold,orforthatmattermostotherthings.
©2013SuperchargedScience Page38 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Fortoday’sexperiment:
Sowhydidn’ttheballoonpop?Thewaterabsorbedtheheat!Thewateractuallyabsorbedtheheatcomingfromthematchsothattherubberoftheballooncouldn’theatupenoughtomeltandpoptheballoon.Waterisverygoodatabsorbingheatwithoutincreasingintemperature,whichiswhyitisusedincarradiatorsandnuclearpowerplants.Wheneversomeonewantstokeepsomethingfromgettingtoohot,theywilloftenusewatertoabsorbtheheat.
Thinkofadrysponge.Nowimagineputtingthatspongeunderaslowlyrunningfaucet.Thespongewouldcontinuetofillwithwateruntilitreachedacertainpointandthenwaterstartedtodripfromit.Youcouldsaythatthespongehadawatercapacity.Itcouldonlyholdsomuchwaterbeforeitcouldn’tholdanymoreandthewaterstarteddrippingout.Heatcapacityissimilar.Heatcapacityishowmuchheatanobjectcanabsorbbeforeitincreasesintemperature.Thisisalsoreferredtoasspecificheat.Specificheatishowmuchheatenergyamassofamaterialmustabsorbbeforeitincreases1°C.
Lesson
Ifyou’veeverhadashot,youknowhowcoldyourarmfeelswhenthenurseswipesitwithapadofalcohol.Whathappenedthere?Well,alcoholisaliquidwithafairlylowboilingpoint.Inotherwords,itgoesfromliquidtogasatafairlylowtemperature.Theheatfromyourbodyismorethanenoughtomakethealcoholevaporate.
Asthealcoholwentfromliquidtogas,itsuckedheatoutofyourbody.Forthingstoevaporate,theymustsuckinheatfromtheirsurroundingstochangestate.Asthealcoholevaporated,youfeltcoldwherethealcoholwas.Thisisbecausethealcoholwassuckingtheheatenergyoutofthatpartofyourbody(heatwasbeingtransferredbyconduction)andcausingthatpartofyourbodytodecreaseintemperature.
Asthingscondense(gofromgastoliquidstate)theoppositehappens.Thingsreleaseheatastheychangetoaliquidstate.Thewatergasthatcondensesonyourmirroractuallyincreasesthetemperatureofthatmirror.Thisiswhysteamcanbequitedangerous.Notonlyisithottobeginwith,butifitcondensesonyourskinitreleasesevenmoreheatwhichcangiveyousevereburns.Objectsabsorbheatwhentheymeltandevaporate/boil.Objectsreleaseheatwhentheyfreezeandcondense.
DoyourememberwhenIsaidthatheatandtemperaturearetwodifferentthings?Heatisenergy–itisthermalenergy.Itcanbetransferredfromoneobjecttoanotherbyconduction,convection,andradiation.We’renowgoingtoexploreheatcapacityandspecificheat.
Waterisverygoodatabsorbingheatwithoutincreasingintemperature,whichiswhyitisusedincarradiatorsandnuclearpowerplants.Wheneversomeonewantstokeepsomethingfromgettingtoohot,theywilloftenusewatertoabsorbtheheat.
Thinkofadrysponge.Nowimagineputtingthatspongeunderaslowlyrunningfaucet.Thespongewouldcontinuetofillwithwateruntilitreachedacertainpointandthenwaterstartedtodripfromit.Youcouldsaythatthespongehadawatercapacity.Itcouldonlyholdsomuchwaterbeforeitcouldn’tholdanymoreandthewaterstarteddrippingout.Heatcapacityissimilar.Heatcapacityishowmuchheatanobjectcanabsorbbeforeitincreasesintemperature.Thisisalsoreferredtoasspecificheat.Specificheatishowmuchheatenergyamassofamaterialmustabsorbbeforeitincreases1°C.
©2013SuperchargedScience Page39 www.SuperchargedScience.com
LabTime
1. Reviewtheinstructionsontheirworksheetsandthenbreakthestudentsintotheirlabgroups.2. Handeachgrouptheirmaterialsandgivethemtimetoperformtheirexperimentandwritedowntheir
observations.3. Puttheballoonunderthefaucetandfilltheballoonwithsomewater.4. Nowblowuptheballoonandtieit,leavingthewaterintheballoon.Youshouldhaveaninflated
balloonwithatablespoonortwoofwateratthebottomofit.5. Carefullylightthematchorcandleandholditunderthepartoftheballoonwherethereiswater.6. Feelfreetoholditthereforacoupleofseconds.Youmightwanttodothisoverasinkoroutsidejustin
case!7. Recordobservationsintheworksheetbelow
Exercises
1. Whatisspecificheat?(theamountofheatenergythatmaterialmustabsorbtoincreaseintemperature1degreeC)
2. Nametwotypesofheatenergy(conduction,convection,andradiation)3. Whattype(ortypes)ofheatenergyisatworkintoday’sexperiment?(radiationandconvection)4. TrueorFalse:Waterispooratabsorbingheatenergy.(false)
Closure:Beforemovingon,askyourstudentsiftheyhaveanyrecommendationsorunansweredquestionsthattheycanworkoutontheirown.Brainstormingextensionideasisagreatwaytoaddmoresciencestudiestoyourclasstime.
©2013SuperchargedScience Page40 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Lesson#7:FirewaterballoonStudentWorksheet
Name______________________________________________________________________
Overview:Heatenergycanbeobservedinmanyways.Thissimpleexperimentallowsustoseehowheatistransferred.
WhattoLearn:We’reexploringhowheatenergycanmovebetweenobjectsinavarietyofways.
Materials
Balloon Water Matches,candle,andadulthelp Sink
LabTime
1. Puttheballoonunderthefaucetandfilltheballoonwithsomewater.2. Nowblowuptheballoonandtieit,leavingthewaterintheballoon.Youshouldhaveaninflated
balloonwithatablespoonortwoofwateratthebottomofit.3. Carefullylightthematchorcandleandholditunderthepartoftheballoonwherethereiswater.4. Feelfreetoholditthereforacoupleofseconds.Youmightwanttodothisoverasinkoroutsidejustin
case!5. Recordobservationsintheworksheetbelow
Fire‐WaterBalloonObservations
1. Whatdidthewaterdototheheatofthematch?
2. Whydidn’ttheballoonpop?Whatdoesthistellyouaboutheatenergyinthissystem?
©2013SuperchargedScience Page41 www.SuperchargedScience.com
ExercisesAnswerthequestionsbelow:
1. Whatisspecificheat?a. Thespecificamountofheatanyobjectcanholdb. Theamountofenergyrequiredtoraisethetemperatureofanobjectby1degreeCelsius.c. Thetypeofheatenergyanobjectemitsd. Thespeedofacompound’smoleculesatroomtemperature
2. Nametwotypesofheatenergy:
3. Whattype(ortypes)ofheatenergyisatworkintoday’sexperiment?
4. TrueorFalse:Waterispooratabsorbingheatenergy.a. Trueb. False
©2013SuperchargedScience Page42 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Lesson#8:BalloongymnasticsTeacherSection
Overview:Thislessonisacreativewaytoexplorethemicroscopicscaleofheatenergyandhowmoleculesareaffected.
SuggestedTime:30‐45minutes
Objectives:Thislabhelpsstudentsunderstandhowheatenergyisdistributedinouratmosphereandaffectsthephenomenaweobserve.
Materials(perlabgroup)
water plasticbottle balloon stovetopandsaucepanorthesetupinthevideo
LabPreparation
1. Printoutcopiesofthestudentworksheets.2. ReadovertheBackgroundLessonReadingbeforeteachingthisclass.3. Watchthevideoforthisexperimenttoprepareforteachingthisclass.
BackgroundLessonReading
Thismaterialmaybehelpfultointerprettoday’sexperiment:
Isitwarmerupstairsordownstairs?Theupstairsinahouseiswarmerbecausethepocketsofwarmairrisebecausetheyarelessdensethancoolair.Themorethemoleculesmovearound,themoreroomtheyneed,andthefurthertheygetspacedout.Thinkofaswimmingpoolandapieceofaluminumfoil.Ifyouplaceasheetoffoilinthepool,itfloats.Ifyoutakethefoilandcrumpleitup,itsinks.Themorecompactlyyousquishthemoleculestogether,thedenseritbecomes.
Asforwhymountainsandvalleysareopposite,ithastodowiththeEarthbeingabigmassiveballofwarmrockwhichheatsuptheloweratmosphereinadditiontowindsblowingonmountainsandchangesinpressureasyougainaltitude…inanutshell,it’scomplicated!What’simportanttorememberisthattheEarthsystemisalotbiggerthanourbottle‐saucepanexperiment,andcan’tberepresentedinthisway.
LabTime
1. Reviewtheinstructionsontheirworksheetsandthenbreakthestudentsintotheirlabgroups.2. Handeachgrouptheirmaterialsandgivethemtimetoperformtheirexperimentandwritedowntheir
observations.
©2013SuperchargedScience Page43 www.SuperchargedScience.com
3. Pouracoupleofinchesofwaterintoanemptysodabottleandcapwitha7‐9″balloon.Youcansecuretheballoontothebottlemouthwithastripoftapeifyouwant,butitusuallysealstightwithjusttheballoonitself.
4. Fillasaucepanwithaninchortwoofwater,andaddyourbottle.Heatthesaucepanoverthestovewithadulthelp,keepingacloseeyeonit.Turnofftheheatwhenyourballoonstartstoinflate.Sincewaterhasahighheatcapacity,thewaterwillheatbeforethebottlemelts.(Don’tbelieveme?TrytheFire‐WaterBalloonExperimentfirsttoseehowwaterconductsheatawayfromthebottle!)
5. Whenyou’refinished,stickthewholethinginthefreezerforanhour.Whathappenedtotheballoon?6. Recordallobservationsintheworksheet
Exercises
1. Drawagroupofmoleculesataverycoldtemperatureinthespacebelow.Usecirclestorepresenteachmolecule.(shouldbegroupedverytightly)
2. TrueorFalse:Amoleculethatheatsupwillmovefaster(true)3. TrueorFalse:Amaterialwillbelessdenseatlowertemperatures(false)
Closure:Beforemovingon,askyourstudentsiftheyhaveanyrecommendationsorunansweredquestionsthattheycanworkoutontheirown.Brainstormingextensionideasisagreatwaytoaddmoresciencestudiestoyourclasstime.
©2013SuperchargedScience Page44 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Lesson#8:BalloongymnasticsStudentWorksheet
Name______________________________________________________________________
Overview:Heatcausesallkindsofthingstohappen.We’llzoominonthemicroscaleofmoleculesasweexploreintoday’slesson.
WhattoLearn:Heatenergyinfluencesallkindsofobservablephenomenaonourplanet.
Materials
water plasticbottle balloon stovetopandsaucepanorthesetupinthevideo
LabTime
1. Pouracoupleofinchesofwaterintoanemptysodabottleandcapwitha7‐9″balloon.Youcansecuretheballoontothebottlemouthwithastripoftapeifyouwant,butitusuallysealstightwithjusttheballoonitself.
2. Fillasaucepanwithaninchortwoofwater,andaddyourbottle.Heatthesaucepanoverthestovewithadulthelp,keepingacloseeyeonit.Turnofftheheatwhenyourballoonstartstoinflate.Sincewaterhasahighheatcapacity,thewaterwillheatbeforethebottlemelts.(Don’tbelieveme?TrytheFire‐WaterBalloonExperimentfirsttoseehowwaterconductsheatawayfromthebottle!)
3. Whenyou’refinished,stickthewholethinginthefreezerforanhour.Whathappenedtotheballoon?4. Recordallobservationsintheworksheet
BalloonGymnasticsObservations
1. Whathappenstotheballoonwhentheballoonisheated?Whatishappeningtoitsairmolecules?
2. Whathappenstotheballoonwhenyouputitinthefreezer?Whatishappeningwithitsmoleculesnow?
©2013SuperchargedScience Page45 www.SuperchargedScience.com
ExercisesAnswerthequestionsbelow:
1. Drawagroupofmoleculesataverycoldtemperatureinthespacebelow.Usecirclestorepresenteachmolecule.
2. TrueorFalse:Amoleculethatheatsupwillmovefaster.a. Trueb. False
3. TrueorFalse:Amaterialwillbelessdenseatlowertemperatures.a. Trueb. False
©2013SuperchargedScience Page46 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Lesson#9:GhostcoinTeacherSection
Overview:Thisspookyideatakesalmostnotime,requiresadimeandabottle,andhasthepotentialforcreatingquiteastirinyournextmagicshow.Theideaisbasicallythis:Whenyouplaceacoinonabottle,itstartsdancingaround.Butthere’smoretothistrickthanmeetsthescientist’seye.
SuggestedTime:30‐45minutes
Objectives:Thislessonhelpsunderlinehowheatenergyiscarriedthroughsubstancesandaffectsmatter.
Materials(perlabgroup)
Coin Freezer Plasticbottle(notglass)
LabPreparation
1. Printoutcopiesofthestudentworksheets.2. ReadovertheBackgroundLessonReadingbeforeteachingthisclass.3. Watchthevideoforthisexperimenttoprepareforteachingthisclass.
BackgroundLessonReading
Matterhasatendencytohangoutinfairlystablestatesundernormaltemperatures.Therearethreecommonstatesofmatter;solid,liquid,andgas.Thereisanotherstateofmattercalledplasma,butitisnotcommononEarth.Plasmaisahighlyenergizedgas.Itisusedinfluorescentlights.I’mgoingtoassumeyouknowabitaboutsolids,liquidsandgasessoIwon’tgointomuchdetailaboutthemhere(seeUnit3and8formoreinformation).
WhatIdowanttotalkaboutiswhathappensastemperatureschangeinasubstance.Let’stakeoneoftheneatestsubstancesontheEarth,water.Waterisquitespecialsinceitcanbeinitssolid,liquidandgasstateatrelatively“normal”temperatures.It’squitespecialforavarietyofotherreasons,too,butwe’llleaveitatthatfornow.
Pretendwehaveanicecubeonafryingpan(pooricecube).Rightnowthewaterisinasolidstate.It’sholdingitsshape.Themoleculesinthewaterareheldtogetherbystrong,stiffbonds.Thesebondsholdthewatermoleculesinatight,veryspecificpatterncalledamatrix.
Thismatrixholdsthewatermoleculesinacrystallinepatternandthesolidwaterholdsitsshape.Now,let’sturnontheheat.Theheatistransferredfromthestovetothefryingpantotheicecube.(We’lltalkaboutheattransferabitlater.)
Astheicecubeabsorbstheheat,themoleculesbegintovibratefaster(thetemperatureisincreasing).Whenthemoleculesvibrateatacertainspeed(gainenoughthermalenergy)theystretchthosestrong,stiffbondsenoughthatthebondsbecomemorelikerubberbandsorsprings.Whenthebondsloosenup,thewaterloosensupand
©2013SuperchargedScience Page47 www.SuperchargedScience.com
becomesliquid.Therearestillbondsbetweenthemolecules,buttheyareabitloose,allowingthemoleculestomoveandflowaroundeachother.
Theactofchangingfromasolidtoaliquidiscalledmelting.Thetemperatureatwhichasubstancechangesfromasolidtoaliquidiscalleditsmeltingpoint.Forwater,thatpointis32°For0°C.Nowwewillwatchcarefullyasouricecubecontinuestomelt(littleismoreexcitingthanwatchinganicecubemelt–golf,maybe).Abitafterweseeouricecubegofromsolidtocompletelyliquid,wenoticebubbling.What’sgoingonnow?Ifwewereabletoseethemoleculesofwateratthispointwe’dbequiteamazedatthefantasticscenebeforeus.
At212°For100°Cwatergoesfromaliquidstatetoagaseousstate.Thismeansthatthelooseygooseybondsthatconnectedthemoleculesbeforehavebeenstretchedasfarastheygo,can’tholdonanylongerand“POW!”theysnap.Thosewatermoleculesnolongerhaveanybondsandarefreetoroamaimlesslyaroundtheroom.Gasmoleculesmoveatveryquickspeedsastheybounce,jiggle,crashandziparoundanycontainertheyarein.Theactofchangingfromaliquidtoagasiscalledevaporationorboiling,andthetemperatureatwhichasubstancechangesfromaliquidtoagasiscalleditsboilingpoint.
Idon’tknowaboutyou,butIthinkit’sgettingabithotinhere.Let’sturntheheatdownabitandseewhathappens.Ifourgaseouswatermoleculesgetclosetosomethingcool,theywillcombineandturnfromgaseoustoliquidstate.Thisiswhathappenstoyourbathroommirrorduringashowerorbath.Thegaseouswatermoleculesthatarehavingfunbouncingandjigglingaroundthebathroomgetclosetothemirror.Themirroriscolderthantheair.Asthegasmoleculesgetclose,theyslowdownduetolossoftemperature.Iftheyslowenough,theyformlooseygooseybondswithothergasmoleculesandchangefromgastoliquidstate.
Theactofchangingfromgastoliquidiscalledcondensation.Thetemperatureatwhichmoleculeschangefromagastoaliquidiscalledthecondensationpoint.Cloudsaremadeofhundredsofbillionsoftinylittledropletsofliquidwaterthathavecondensedontoparticlesofsomesortofdust.Nowlet’sturntheheatdownabitmoreandseewhathappens.Asthetemperaturedropsandthemoleculescontinuetoslow,thebondsbetweenthemoleculescanpullthemtogethertighterandtighter.Eventuallythemoleculeswillfallintoamatrix,apattern,andsticktogetherquitetightly.Thiswouldbethesolidstate.Theactofchangingfromaliquidtoasolidiscalledfreezing,andthetemperatureatwhichitchangesiscalled(sayitwithmenow)freezingpoint.
Thinkaboutthisforasecond–isthefreezingpointandmeltingpointofanobjectatthesametemperature?Doessomethinggofromsolidtoliquidorfromliquidtosolidatthesametemperature?Ifyousaidyes,you’reright!Thefreezingpointofwaterandthemeltingpointofwaterareboth32°For0°C.Thetemperatureisthesame.Itjustdependsonwhetheritisgettinghotterorcolderastowhetherthewaterisfreezingormelting.Theboilingandcondensationpointisalsothesamepoint.NowI’mgoingtomessthingsupalittlebit.Substancescanchangestateattemperaturesotherthantheirdifferentfreezingorboilingpoints.Manyliquidschangefromliquidtogasandfromgastoliquidrelativelyeasilyatroomtemperatures.And,believeitornot,solidscanchangetoliquidsandevengasesandviceversaattemperaturesotherthantheusualmelting,freezing,orboilingpoints.Sowhat’sthepointofthepoints?
Atasubstance’sboiling,freezing,etc,points,allofthesubstancemustchangetothenextstate.Theconditionofthebondscannotremainthesameatthattemperature.Forexample,at100°Cwatermustchangefromaliquidtoagas.Thatisthespeedlimitofliquidwatermolecules.At100°Ctheliquidbondscannolongerholdonandallthemoleculesconverttogas.
©2013SuperchargedScience Page48 www.SuperchargedScience.com
LabTime
1. Reviewtheinstructionsontheirworksheetsandthenbreakthestudentsintotheirlabgroups.2. Handeachgrouptheirmaterialsandgivethemtimetoperformtheirexperimentandwritedowntheir
observations.3. Removethecapofanemptyplasticwaterorsodabottleandreplaceitwithadime.4. Stickthewholethinguprightinthefreezerovernight.Makesureyourgroup’sbottleislabeled!First
thinginthemorning,takeitoutandsetitonthetable.Whathappens?5. Recordallobservationsintheworksheet.
Exercises
1. Whenagasturnsintoaliquid,thisiscalled:(condensation)2. Whenwaterboils,whathappenstothebondsbetweenitsmolecules?(Theysnaporbreak.)3. Whatisthebestwaytodescribehowthebondsbetweenwatermoleculesbehavewheninaliquid
state?(rubberbandsorelastic)4. Thecrystallineshapeofasolidisreferredtoas:(amatrix)
Closure:Beforemovingon,askyourstudentsiftheyhaveanyrecommendationsorunansweredquestionsthattheycanworkoutontheirown.Brainstormingextensionideasisagreatwaytoaddmoresciencestudiestoyourclasstime.
©2013SuperchargedScience Page49 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Lesson#9:GhostcoinStudentWorksheet
Name______________________________________________________________________
Overview:Thisspookyideatakesalmostnotime,requiresadimeandabottle,andhasthepotentialforcreatingquiteastirinyournextmagicshow.Theideaisbasicallythis:whenyouplaceacoinonabottle,itstartsdancingaround.Butthere’smoretothistrickthanmeetsthescientist’seye.
WhattoLearn:Heatenergyiscarriedthroughdifferentsubstancesandaffectsthepropertiesofdifferenttypesofmatter
Materials Coin Freezer Plasticbottle(notglass)
LabTime
1. Removethecapofanemptyplasticwaterorsodabottleandreplaceitwithadime.2. Stickthewholethinguprightinthefreezerovernight.Makesureyourgroup’sbottleislabeled!First
thinginthemorning,takeitoutandsetitonthetable.Whathappens?3. Recordallobservationsintheworksheet.
GhostCoinObservations
Drawapictureofthewatermoleculesinsideofthewaterbottlewhenthisexperimentbegins.
Nowdrawapictureofwhattheylooklikeinthemorning.Whathappened?
ExercisesAnswerthequestionsbelow:
©2013SuperchargedScience Page50 www.SuperchargedScience.com
1. Whenagasturnsintoaliquid,thisiscalled:a. Convectionb. Conductionc. Absorptiond. Condensation
2. Whenwaterboils,whathappenstothebondsbetweenitsmolecules?
3. Whatisthebestwaytodescribehowthebondsbetweenwatermoleculesbehavewheninaliquidstate?
a. Solidbridgesb. Rubberbandsc. Nobondsd. Brittlelikechalk
4. Thecrystallineshapeofasolidisreferredtoas:a. amatrixb. avortexc. acrystald. acube
©2013SuperchargedScience Page51 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Lesson#10:What’saJoule?TeacherSection
Overview:Energyshowsupinallkindsofways.We’llseehowtodaythroughasimplelesson.
SuggestedTime:30‐45minutes
Objectives:Energyismeasuredandcanbeobservedasitinfluencesourearthandisconvertedbetweenmultipleforms.
Materials(perlabgroup)
Somethingthatweighsaround100gramsor4ounces,aboutthesameasanapple Ameteroryardstick
LabPreparation
1. Printoutcopiesofthestudentworksheets.2. ReadovertheBackgroundLessonReadingbeforeteachingthisclass.3. Watchthevideoforthisexperimenttoprepareforteachingthisclass.
BackgroundLessonReading
Ifwewishtotalkaboutenergyfurther,weneedtohaveaunitofmeasurement.Forenergy,acoupleofunitsaretheJouleandthecalorie.AJouleistheenergyneededtoliftoneNewtononemeter.ANewtonisaunitofforce.OneNewtonisabouttheamountofforceittakestolift100gramsor4ouncesoranapple.
Ittakesabout66Newtonstolifta15‐poundbowlingballanditwouldtakea250‐poundlinebackerabout1000Newtonstolifthimselfupthestairs!So,ifyouliftedanappleonemeter(about3feet)intotheairyouwouldhaveexertedoneJouleofenergytodoit.
Thecalorieisgenerallyusedtotalkaboutheatenergy,andyoumaybeabitmorefamiliarwithitduetofoodandexercise.AcalorieistheamountofenergyittakestoheatonegramofwateronedegreeCelsius.FourJoulesareaboutonecalorie.
Lesson
A100‐gramobjecttakesaboutoneNewtonofforcetolift.SinceittookoneNewtonofforcetoliftthatobject,howmuchworkdidwedo?Rememberwork=forcexdistancesointhiscasework=1Newtonx20metersorwork=20Joules.
Youmayask,“Butdidn’twemoveit40meters,20metersupand20down?”That’strue,butworkismovingsomethingagainstaforce.Whenyoumovedtheobjectdownyouweremovingtheobjectwithaforce,theforceofgravity.Onlyinliftingitupareyouactuallymovingitagainstaforceanddoingwork.FourJoulesareabout1calorie,sowedid5caloriesofwork.
©2013SuperchargedScience Page52 www.SuperchargedScience.com
“Wow,Icanliftanapple20timesandburn5calories!Hellooooweightloss!”Well…notsofastthereRichardSimmons.Whenwetalkaboutcaloriesinnutritionwearereallytalkingaboutkilocalories.Inotherwords,everycalorieinthatpotatochipisreally1000caloriesinphysics.Soasfarasdietandexercisegoes,liftingthatappleactuallyonlyburned.005caloriesofenergy…rats.
Itisinterestingtothinkofcaloriesastheunitofenergyforhumansorasthefuelweuse.Theaveragehumanusesabout2000calories(foodcaloriesthatis,2,000,000actualcalories)adayofenergy.Running,jumping,sleeping,andeatingallusecalories/energy.Running15minutesuses225calories.Playingsoccerfor15minutesuses140calories.(Rememberthosearefoodcalories,multiplyby1000togetphysicscalories).Thiswebsitehasanicechartformoreinformation:Caloriesusedinexercise.
Everythingweeatrefuelsthatenergytank.Allfoodhascaloriesinitandourbodytakesthosecaloriesandconvertsthemtocalories/energyforustouse.Howdidthefoodgettheenergyinit?Fromthesun!Thesun’senergygivesenergytotheplants,andwhentheanimalseattheplantstheygettheenergyfromthesunaswell.
So,ifyoueatacarrotoraburgeryouaregettingenergyfromthesun!Eatingbroccoligivesyouabout50calories.Eatingahamburgergivesyouabout450calories!Weuseenergytodothingsandwegetenergyfromfood.Theproblemcomeswhenweeatmoreenergythanwecanuse.Whenwedothat,ourbodyconvertstheenergytofat,ourbody’sreservefueltank.Ifyouusemoreenergythenyou’vetakenin,thenyourbodyconvertsfattoenergy.That’swhyexerciseanddietcanhelpreduceyourweight.
LabTime
1. Reviewtheinstructionsontheirworksheetsandthenbreakthestudentsintotheirlabgroups.2. Handeachgrouptheirmaterialsandgivethemtimetoperformtheirexperimentandwritedowntheir
observations.3. Grabyour100‐gramobject,putitonatable.4. Nowliftitoffthetablestraightupuntilyouliftitonemeter(oneyard).5. Liftitupanddown20times.6. Recordyourobservationsintheworksheet.
Exercises
1. Ifsomethinghasaweightof2Newtonsandismovedhalfameter,howmanyJoulesofenergyareexpended?(1Joule)
2. Whatisthesourceofallthisenergywe’reworkingwithhere?(thesun)3. Itdoesn’tcountasworkwhenyoumovetheapplebackdown.Whynot?(Theforceofgravitydoesthe
work,notyourarm.)
Closure:Beforemovingon,askyourstudentsiftheyhaveanyrecommendationsorunansweredquestionsthattheycanworkoutontheirown.Brainstormingextensionideasisagreatwaytoaddmoresciencestudiestoyourclasstime.
©2013SuperchargedScience Page53 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Lesson#10:What’saJoule?StudentWorksheet
Name______________________________________________________________________
Overview:Energyshowsupinallkindsofways.We’llseehowtodaythroughasimplelesson.
WhattoLearn:Energyistheabilitytodowork.You’llgetpracticeplayingwithunitsandlearningabouthowwemeasureenergyandtheformsittake.
Materials
Somethingthatweighsaround100gramsor4ounces,aboutthesameasanapple Ameteroryardstick
LabTime
1. Grabyour100‐gramobject,putitonatable.2. Nowliftitoffthetablestraightupuntilyouliftitonemeter(oneyard).3. Liftitupanddown20times.4. Recordyourobservationsintheworksheet.
JouleObservations
1. Describetheenergyinyourobjectbeforeyoudoanythingtoit.Istheremorethanonewaytosaythis,intermsofunits?
2. Whenyoumovetheobjectoveronemeter,whatareyoudoing?3. Whenyoudothis20times,usemathtosayhowmanyJoulesofworkyouaredoing.4. HowmanyJoulesofworkdoyoudoifyoulifttheapple50times?
ExercisesAnswerthequestionsbelow:
1. Ifsomethinghasaweightof2Newtonsandismovedhalfameter,howmanyJoulesofenergyareused?Showyourwork.
2. Whatisthesourceofallthisenergywe’reworkingwithhere?
3. Itdoesn’tcountasworkwhenyoumovetheapplebackdown.Whynot?
©2013SuperchargedScience Page54 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Lesson#11:MeasuringPowerTeacherSection
Overview:Todaythestudentsgettomeasurepowerforthemselvesandhavesomehandytoolstobeabletorecordandinterpretdataforthemselves.
SuggestedTime:30‐45minutes
Objectives:Thislessonhelpsexplainhowenergyisexpendedandconvertedintodifferentformsthroughouratmosphereaswellasthroughourinteractionanduse.
Materials(perlabgroup)
Meteroryardstick Astopwatchortimer Object
LabPreparation
1. Printoutcopiesofthestudentworksheets.2. ReadovertheBackgroundLessonReadingbeforeteachingthisclass.3. Watchthevideoforthisexperimenttoprepareforteachingthisclass.
BackgroundLessonReading
Weusethesamematerialsaslastlesson,butintroduceanimportantconcept:thatofpower.Powerisworkdoneovertimeandismeasuredinwatts,whichisaJoulepersecond.
Lesson
Thisexperimentoutlinesimportantconceptsinasimpleway.Reviewanynecessarymaterialaboutenergyandworkbeforedoingthisexperiment,whichwillteachusaboutpower.Youcanthrowupadefinitionifithelps.
LabTime
1. Reviewtheinstructionsontheirworksheetsandthenbreakthestudentsintotheirlabgroups.2. Handeachgrouptheirmaterialsandgivethemtimetoperformtheirexperimentandwritedowntheir
observations.3. Grabyour100‐gramobjectandputitonatable.4. Nowliftitoffthetablestraightupuntilyouliftitonemeter(oneyard).5. Startthetimerandatthesametimestartliftingtheobjectupanddown20times.6. Stopthetimerwhenyou’redonewiththe20lifts.7. So,doyouhavethepoweroftheDodgeViper?Hmmm,probablynot,butlet’stakealook.8. Firstofall,figureouthowmuchworkyoudid.Work=forcexdistance,sotaketheforceyouusedand
multiplythatbythedistanceyoumovedit.Inthiscase,youcanmultiply1Newtonx20metersandget20Joulesofwork.
©2013SuperchargedScience Page55 www.SuperchargedScience.com
9. Nowfigureouthowmuchpoweryouused.Powerisworkdividedbytimesotakeyourwork(20Joules)anddivideitbyhowmuchtimeittookyoutodothatwork.Forexample,ifyouliftedtheblock20times(doing20Joulesofwork)in5seconds,youdid20Joules/5seconds=4Wattsofpower.ToconvertWattstohorsepowerwemultiplyby.001sointhisexample,youdid4x.001=.004horsepower.
10. Showyourcalculationsintheworksheetbelow.
Exercises
1. Whatiswork?(forcetimesdistance)2. Whatispower?(workovertime)3. Howdowemeasurework?Nameoneunit.(Joule,calorie)4. Howdowemeasurepower?Nameoneunit.(Watt,horsepower)
Closure:Beforemovingon,askyourstudentsiftheyhaveanyrecommendationsorunansweredquestionsthattheycanworkoutontheirown.Brainstormingextensionideasisagreatwaytoaddmoresciencestudiestoyourclasstime.
©2013SuperchargedScience Page56 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Lesson#11:MeasuringPowerStudentWorksheet
Name______________________________________________________________________
Overview:Todayyou’llmeasurepowerandhavesomehandytoolstobeabletorecordandinterpretdata.
WhattoLearn:You’llbeabletohavehands‐onexperienceandunderstandaworkingdefinitionofenergy,work,andpower.
Materials
Meteroryardstick Astopwatchortimer Object
LabTime
1. Grabyour100‐gramobjectandputitonatable.2. Nowliftitoffthetablestraightupuntilyouliftitonemeter(oneyard).3. Startthetimerandatthesametimestartliftingtheobjectupanddown20times.4. Stopthetimerwhenyou’redonewiththe20lifts.5. So,doyouhavethepoweroftheDodgeViper?Hmmm,probablynot,butlet’stakealook.6. Firstofall,figureouthowmuchworkyoudid.Work=forcexdistance,sotaketheforceyouusedand
multiplythatbythedistanceyoumovedit.Inthiscase,youcanmultiply1Newtonx20metersandget20Joulesofwork.
7. Nowfigureouthowmuchpoweryouused.Powerisworkdividedbytimesotakeyourwork(20Joules)anddivideitbyhowmuchtimeittookyoutodothatwork.Forexample,ifyouliftedtheblock20times(doing20Joulesofwork)in5seconds,youdid20Joules/5seconds=4Wattsofpower.ToconvertWattstohorsepowerwemultiplyby.001sointhisexample,youdid4x.001=.004horsepower.
8. Showyourcalculationsintheworksheetbelow.
MeasuringPowerCalculations
1. Howmuchworkdidyoudo?Showyourwork.(Nopunintended!)
2. Howmuchpowerdidyouuse?Showyourwork.
©2013SuperchargedScience Page57 www.SuperchargedScience.com
ExercisesAnswerthequestionsbelow:
1. Whatiswork?a. Forcedividedbydistanceb. Forcetimesdistancec. Energyrequiredforpowerd. Kineticandpotentialenergy
2. Whatispower?a. Workdividedbytimeb. Workmultipliedbytimec. Energyusedinanexercised. Caloriesovertime
3. Howdowemeasurework?Nameoneunit.
4. Howdowemeasurepower?Nameoneunit.
©2013SuperchargedScience Page58 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Lesson#12:SteamboatsTeacherSection
Overview:Thisexperimentprovidesacreativewaytoseehowsteamcanprovidepowerandofferusinsightintohowpowerisgeneratedthroughthiscommonmeans.
SuggestedTime:30‐45minutes
Objectives:Thislessonteacheshowearth’snaturalresourcescanbeutilizedforourenergyneedsinavarietyofways.
Materials(perlabgroup)
Coppertubing(1/8”‐1/4”diax12”long) Votivecandle Foamblock Scissorsorrazor(withadulthelp) Bathtub
LabPreparation
1. Printoutcopiesofthestudentworksheets.2. ReadovertheBackgroundLessonReadingbeforeteachingthisclass.3. Watchthevideoforthisexperimenttoprepareforteachingthisclass.
BackgroundLessonReading
Yoursteamboatusesavotivecandleasaheatsourcetoheatthewaterinsidethecoppertubing(whichisyourboilingchamber).Whenthewaterisheatedtosteam,thesteampushesoutthetubeatthebackwithasmallburstofenergy,whichpushestheboatforward.
Sinceyourchamberissmall,youonlygetashort”puff”ofenergy.Afterthesteamzipsout,itcreatesalowpressurewhereitoncewasinsidethetube,andthisdrawsinfresh,coolwaterfromthetub.ThecandlethenheatsthisnewwateruntilsteamisproducedandPOP!itgoesouttheback,whichinturndrawsinmorecoolwatertobeheated…andonitgoes.The”clicking”or“puttputt”noiseyouhearisthesteamshootingouttheback.Thisgoesonuntilyoueitherrunoutofwaterorheat.
Troubleshooting:ifyourboatdoesn’twork,itcouldbeafewthings:
Thetubinghasanairbubble.Inthiscase,suckononeoftheendslikeastrawtodrawinmorewater.Heatinganairbubblewillnotmaketheboatmove–itneedstobecompletelyfilledwithwater.
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Yourcoilisnothotenough.Youneedthewatertoturnintosteam,andinorderforthistohappen,youhavetoheatthecoilashotasyoucan.Movethecoilintoabetterpositiontogetheatfromtheflame.
Theexhaustpipesareangleddown.Youwantthesteamtomoveupandoutofyourpipes,notgetsuckedbackin.Adjusttheexittubingtailssotheypointslightlyupwards.
Lesson
Solarcells,windturbines,andhydroelectricpowerplants(liketheHooverdam)areallexamplesofalternativeenergysources.Althoughlotsoffolksstillargueaboutwhat’sconsidered“alternative”ornot,thegeneralideaisthatthesourcesproducethesameenergyatlesscost,bothmoney‐wiseandenvironmentally.
Scientistsarenowworkingonsubstitutesfortraditionalmethodsofgeneratingpower.Forexample,theyhavefiguredoutwaystousealcoholinsteadoffossilfuels,coalinsteadofwood,andpetroleuminsteadofwhaleoil.
Sincealternativeenergyexperimentsinthisarearequirepowerplantsandmachinerythesizeofasmalltown,we’regoingtofocusonaveryspecializedformofalternativeenergycalledrenewableenergy.
Renewableenergyistheenergycreatedfromnaturalsources,likesunlight,water,wind,andtemperaturedifferences(geothermal).We’llmakesolar‐poweredrobots,buildsolarbatteries,lightupbulbsusingablastfromahairdryer,andcapturetheenergyinlightwavesonourbattery‐freeradio.
Steampowermayseemlikeanexampleoftraditionalenergyusage,wheninrealityitisabletosupplyasurprisingamountofrenewableenergyaswaterisheatedinasolarcollectiontower,geothermalplant,orbiomasspowerstation.
LabTime
1. Reviewtheinstructionsontheirworksheetsandthenbreakthestudentsintotheirlabgroups.2. Handeachgrouptheirmaterialsandgivethemtimetoperformtheirexperimentandwritedowntheir
observations.3. Wrapthecoppertubing2‐3timesaroundathickmarker.Youwanttocreatea”coil”withthetubing.Do
thisslowlysoyoudon’tkinkthetubing.Endwithtwo3”paralleltails.(Thisiseasierifyoustartinthemiddleofthetubingandworkoutwardsinbothdirections.)
4. Stickeachtailthroughablockoffoam.Bendthewiressotheyrunalongthelengthofthebottomoftheboat,slightlypointedupwards.(Youcanalsouseaplasticbottlecutinhalf.)
5. Positionavotivecandleonthetopsideoftheboatandanglethecoilsoitsitsrightwheretheflamewillbe.6. Tostartyourboat,fillthebathtubwithwater.Whileyourtubfills,holdthetubingintherunningwaterand
completelyfillthecoilwithwater.7. Haveyouradulthelperlightthecandle.Inamoment,youshouldhearthe“puttputt”soundsoftheboat
working!8. Recordallobservationsintheworksheetbelow.
©2013SuperchargedScience Page60 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Exercises
1. Namethreesourcesofrenewableoralternativeenergy:(wind,solar,water,geothermal,wave,tide,biomass)
2. Whyisitimportanttolookforrenewablesourcesofenergy?(Becauseothersourceslikefossilfuelsarefiniteandwillrunout.)
3. Whatisoneexampleofafossilfuel?(coal,oil,naturalgas)
Closure:Beforemovingon,askyourstudentsiftheyhaveanyrecommendationsorunansweredquestionsthattheycanworkoutontheirown.Brainstormingextensionideasisagreatwaytoaddmoresciencestudiestoyourclasstime.
©2013SuperchargedScience Page61 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Lesson#12:SteamboatsStudentWorksheet
Name______________________________________________________________________
Overview:Thisexperimentprovidesacreativewaytoseehowsteamcanprovidepowerandofferusinsightintohowpowerisgeneratedthroughthiscommonmeans.
WhattoLearn:Manynaturalresourcescanmeetourenergyneeds.Weneedtoconverttheenergystoredinwaterintoenergythatwecanuseaselectricityorheat.
Materials
Coppertubing(1/8”‐1/4”diax12”long) Votivecandle Foamblock Scissorsorrazor(withadulthelp) Bathtub
LabTime
1. Wrapthecoppertubing2‐3timesaroundathickmarker.Youwanttocreatea”coil”withthetubing.Dothisslowlysoyoudon’tkinkthetubing.Endwithtwo3”paralleltails.(Thisiseasierifyoustartinthemiddleofthetubingandworkoutwardsinbothdirections.)
2. Stickeachtailthroughablockoffoam.Bendthewiressotheyrunalongthelengthofthebottomoftheboat,slightlypointedupwards.(Youcanalsouseaplasticbottlecutinhalf.)
3. Positionavotivecandleonthetopsideoftheboatandanglethecoilsoitsitsrightwheretheflamewillbe.4. Tostartyourboat,fillthebathtubwithwater.Whileyourtubfills,holdthetubingintherunningwaterand
completelyfillthecoilwithwater.5. Haveyouradulthelperlightthecandle.Inamoment,youshouldhearthe“puttputt”soundsoftheboat
working!6. Recordallobservationsintheworksheetbelow.
SteamboatObservations
1. Howisyourboatusingenergy?
©2013SuperchargedScience Page62 www.SuperchargedScience.com
2. Taketheweightofyourboatusingascale.Thenmeasurethedistanceittravels.Howmuchworkisyoursteamenginedoing?Showyourcalculationsbelow.
ExercisesAnswerthequestionsbelow:
1. Namethreesourcesofrenewableoralternativeenergy:a.
b.
c.
2. Whyisitimportanttolookforrenewablesourcesofenergy?
3. Whatisoneexampleofafossilfuel?
©2013SuperchargedScience Page63 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Lesson#13:StirlingEngineTeacherSection
Overview:TheStirlingheatengineisverydifferentfromtheengineinyourcar.WhenRobertStirlinginventedthefirstStirlingenginein1816,hethoughtitwouldbemuchmoreefficientthanagasolineordieselengine.However,theseheatenginesareusedonlywherequietenginesarerequired,suchasinsubmarinesoringeneratorsforsailboats.You’regoingtomakeoneoutofsodacansandoldCDs.
SuggestedTime:30‐45minutes
Objectives:Thislessondynamicallyillustrateshowenergyisconvertedintodifferentformstodoworkandmeetourneeds.
Materials(perlabgroup)
threesodacans oldinnertubefromabikewheel superglueandinstantdry electricalwire(3‐conductorsolidwire) 3oldCDs oneballoon penny nylonbushing(fromhardwarestore) smallcandleoralcoholburner fishingline(15lb.testorsimilar)
packofsteelwool drillwith1/16″bit pliers scissors razor wirecutters electricaltape pushpin permanentmarker Swissarmyknife(withcanopeneroption)
LabPreparation
1. Printoutcopiesofthestudentworksheets.2. eadovertheBackgroundLessonReadingbeforeteachingthisclass.3. Watchthevideoforthisexperimenttoprepareforteachingthisclass.
BackgroundLessonReading
Thisenginewasdevelopedbecauseitwasquietandcouldusealmostanythingasaheatsource.Thiskindofheatenginesquishesandexpandsairtodomechanicalwork.There’saheatsource(thecandle)thataddsenergytoyoursystem,andtheresultisyourshaftspins(CD).
Thisengineconvertstheexpansionandcompressionofgasesintosomethingthatmoves(thepiston)androtates(thecrankshaft).Yourcarengineusesinternalcombustiontogeneratetheexpansionandcompressioncycles,whereasthisheatenginehasanexternalheatsource.
Lesson
©2013SuperchargedScience Page64 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Here’showaStirlingengineisdifferentfromtheinternal‐combustionengineinsideyourcar.Forexample,thegasesinsideaStirlingengineneverleavetheenginebecauseit’sanexternalcombustionengine.Thisheatenginedoesnothaveexhaustvalvesastherearenoexplosionstakingplace,whichiswhyStirlingenginesarequieter.Theyuseheatsourcesthatareoutsidetheengine,whichopensupawiderangeofpossibilitiesfromcandlestosolarenergytogasolinetotheheatfromyourhand.
TherearelotsofdifferentstylesofStirlingengines.Inthisproject,we’lllearnabouttheStirlingcycleandseehowtobuildasimpleheatengineoutofsodacans.ThemainideabehindtheStirlingengineisthatacertainvolumeofgasremainsinsidetheengineandgetsheatedandcooled,causingthecrankshafttoturn.Thegasesneverleavethecontainer(remember–noexhaustvalves!),sothegasisconstantlychangingtemperatureandpressuretodousefulwork.Whenthepressureincreases,thetemperaturealsoincreases.Andwhenthetemperatureofthegasesdecreases,thepressurealsogoesdown.(Howpressureandtemperaturearelinkedtogetheriscalledthe“IdealGasLaw”.)
SomeStirlingengineshavetwopistonswhereoneisheatedbyanexternalheatsourcelikeacandleandtheotheriscooledbyexternalcoolinglikeice.Otherdisplacer‐typeStirlingengineshaveonepistonandadisplacer.Thedisplacercontrolswhenthegasisheatedandcooled.
ThisStirlingengineusestheheatfromacoffeecupandthecoolingfromtheambientair.
Inordertowork,theheatengineneedsatemperaturedifferencebetweenthetopandbottomofthecylinder.SomeStirlingenginesaresosensitivethatyoucansimplyusethetemperaturedifferencebetweentheairaroundyouandtheheatfromyourhand.OurStirlingengineusestemperaturedifferencebetweentheheatfromacandleandicewater.
Theballoonatthetopofthesodacanisactuallythe”powerpiston”andissealedtothecan.Itbulgesupasthegasexpands.Thedisplaceristhesteelwoolintheenginewhichcontrolsthetemperatureoftheairandallowsairtomovebetweentheheatedandcooledsectionsoftheengine.
Whenthedisplacerisnearthetopofthecylinder,mostofthegasinsidetheengineisheatedbytheheatsourceandgasexpands(thepressurebuildsinsidetheengine,forcingtheballoonpistonup).Whenthedisplacerisnearthebottomofthecylinder,mostofthegasinsidetheenginecoolsandcontracts.(Thepressuredecreasesandtheballoonpistonisallowedtocontract.)
Sincetheheatengineonlymakespowerduringthefirstpartofthecycle,there’sonlytwowaystoincreasethepoweroutput:Youcaneitherincreasethetemperatureofthegas(byusingahotterheatsource),orbycoolingthegasesfurtherbyremovingmoreheat(usingsomethingcolderthanice).
Sincetheheatsourceisoutsidethecylinder,there’sadelayfortheenginetorespondtoanincreaseordecreaseintheheatorcoolingsource.Ifyouuseonlywatertocoolyourheatengineandsuddenlypopanicecubeinthewater,you’llnoticethatittakesfivetofifteensecondstoincreasespeed.Thereasonisbecauseittakestimefortheadditionalheat(orremovalofheatbycooling)tomakeitthroughthecylinderwallsandintothegasinsidetheengine.SoStirlingenginescan’tchangethepoweroutputquickly.Thiswouldbeaproblemwhengettingonthefreeway!
Inrecentyears,scientistshavelookedtothisengineagainasapossibility,asgasandoilpricesrise,andexhaustandpollutantsareaconcernfortheenvironment.Sinceyoucanusenearlyanyheatsource,it’seasytopickonethathasalow‐fumeoutputtopowerthisengine.Scientistsandengineersareworkingonamodelthatusesa
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Stirlingengineinconjunctionwithaninternal‐combustionengineinahybridvehicle…maybewe’llseetheseontheroadsomeday!
LabTime
1. Reviewtheinstructionsontheirworksheetsandthenbreakthestudentsintotheirlabgroups.2. Handeachgrouptheirmaterialsandgivethemtimetoperformtheirexperimentandwritedowntheir
observations.3. Openeachsodacanandemptythesoda.Removethetopofonesodacanwithyourcanopener.Thisworks
mosteasilybymovingalongtheridgeonthecan’slid.Becarefulnottocutyourself,souseadultsupervision.
4. Takethetopoffthesecondcaninthesameway,andthenremovethebottomofthesecondcancompletely,about¾inchabovethebottom.Useasharprazor.
5. Cuttheneckoffaballoontoserveasthepiston,andfititoverthelidofthecanopenatthetop.Usearubberbandtoattachitatthetopifneeded.Nowcutasquareoutoftheinnertubethatmeasures¾inchoneachside.Gluethetubesquareonthecenteroftheballoonandpushdownsoitstays.Todryitquickly,sprayinstantdryonit.
6. Takeapushpinandpokeaholeinthecenterofthetubesquare.Setthecanaside.7. Takeawaterbottlecapandmarkwherewewilldrillholes.Markonespotonthesideofthecap(about
halfwayup)andatanequalspotopposite.Alsomakeamarkinthecenterofthecap.Drilltheholeswithadulthelp,usingpliersandapieceofwoodtohelpmakepreciseholes.
8. Attachthebottlecaptotheoppositesideofthediaphragmonthesodacan(onthebottom),sotaketheballoonoff,andflipitupsidedown,stretchingitoverthelidagain.Thepointofthepushpinshouldpointup,sothreaditthroughtheholeinthemiddleofthecap.Secureitwithglue,anduseinstantdry.Setthisaside.
9. Grabtheothercanandprepareitfordrilling.Makeamarkabout1inchdownfromthetopofthecan,andmakeasimilarmarkontheexactoppositesideofthecan.Drilltheholes,usingapieceofwoodtohelpsupportthecanifneeded.Remembertouseadultsupervision!
10. Usethecirculartemplateandtapeitinplacetocutaviewinghole.Youwantthetemplatesecuredsothatitisnotonthesamesideastheholes.Markanoutlinewhereyouwillcut,andusearazortocutitout.
11. Bendthewireintheshapeofthecrankshaftaccordingtothetemplate.Useplierstohelp,cuttingthewiretoabout8inchestoensureaprecisefit.Benditwithyourfingerstomatchthetemplate.Maketwomarksaccordingtothetemplateandmakemarksonthewire.Atthispoint,youwillbendtheloopinthecrankshaft90degrees,usingtwopairsofpliersthistime.Makesuretheendsofthecrankshaftareasflatandstraightaspossible.Orientandplacethewireinsidethecanwiththeviewingholecutout.Checktomakesureitcanspinfreely.Securetheendswithpiecesoftapetostopitfromslidingout.
12. Tomakethedisplacer,takea16‐inchpieceofcopperwire,straighteningitasmuchaspossible.Useplierstocreateasmallhookofabout½inch.Usesteelwooltorollthewireup.Itshouldbethediameterofthesodacanoncerolledup.Checkthatitfitsintothebottomofthesodacanwithenoughclearancetofitinandoutfairlyeasily.Usetheplierstoworkthecopperwiretotheheightofthecan.
13. Takeyourfishinglineandcutoffafewinches,tyingitontotheloopofthewireinthedisplacer.Secureitwithsuperglueandinstantdryifnecessary.Threadthefishinglinethroughthediaphragm.Beforeyoudothis,takethediaphragmoffandputitbackonupsidedown,andpullthepushpinout,threadingthefishinglinethatthepushpinmade.Placesomeoilaroundthewiresothatitslidesmoreeasily.Testittoseethatthereisnodragwhenyouliftthewholedisplacer.
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14. Nudgethedisplacerintothetopofthesodacanwiththetopcutoff.Putthediaphragmoverthetopofthecan,makingsurethebottlecapiscentered.Testagaintomakesurethedisplacerfallsfreely.Ifitdoesn’t,addmoreoil.
15. Takeabout8inchesofcopperwireandstickitthroughtheholesinthesidesofthebottlecap.Bendeachsideofitwithpliers.Makesureitcanspinfreely,soleaveagaponeachsideofthecap.Usepliersagaintobendthesidesofthewiresintowardsthecenterofthecap,andthenagainsothatitcanfitinsidetheothercan.Bothsidesofthewireshouldtouchthecrankshaftinthecanabove.
16. Pressthetopcandownaroundthebottomcangently.Don’tcrushthecan;weonlywanttoeaseitdownabitfurthersothatitissecure.
17. Securethecranktothepushrodsbyorientingthelongparttowardsthebottomofthecan.Makeamarkabout½inchhigherthanthespotwhereitrestsonthecrank.Trimtherodsatthesemarkswithwirecutters.Allowtheconnectingrodstostickoutthefront,markthemabout¼inchfromtheend,andmakehooksatthesespots.Bendthehookswithplierssothattheystayonthecrank.Loopthehooksaroundthecranksothatwhenspun,thepushrodsallowthedisplacertomoveupanddown.Makesurethecrankturnsfreely.Ifyourballoonwantstopushtherodsupintothecranktoofar,simplybendthecornersinthepushrodsmoresharplytoshortentherods.Becarefulthatthefishinglinedoesn’tgetcaught.
18. Tiethefishinglinetothemiddleofthebiglooponthecrank.Makesuretheknotisn’tsotightthatitrestrictsthefreemovementofthecrankasitturns.Tapethetwostrandsoffishinglinetogether,andtrimthelooseendsofthelinewithscissors.
19. Tomaketheflywheel,grab3oldCDsorDVDs(anythingbyMichaelBaywillwork).Takeyourpieceofnylonbushing,whichshouldbeabout½indiameterand1inchlong.ItshouldfitthroughthecenteroftheCD.AttachtheCDstothebushing(makesureitfitsniceandsnug).
20. Sandtheendofthecrankshaftsothatitgluesmoreeasily.Hotgluethissidetothenylonbushing,generouslygluingthroughthecenterofthebushing.Checktoseethattheflywheelspinningwillcranktheengine.
21. Positionthecranksothatthelargecrankisfacingdownward.AttachapennytothetopsurfaceoftheCDtoserveasacounterweight.Thiswillallowtheenginetorunmoresmoothly.
22. Tomaketheengine’sbase,cutthetopandbottomoffacanaswedidbefore.Placeaburnerontheinsideatthebottom,andthentapeittothecan.Makeaholeforairwiththerazorinthesideofthecanatabouttheleveloftheflame.Cutafewmoreholesintheside.Theyshouldbebigenoughsothatyoucanlighttheburner.
23. Assembletheengineontopoftheburnerbase.Nowwe’rereadytotestthisthing,soremembertoputonsafetygoggles!Usealightertolighttheburner,andkeepahandonthetopofthecantokeepitsteady.Ifyouneedtogiveyourengineajumpstart,spintheflywheel.
24. Recordyourobservationsontheworksheet.
Exercises
1. WhatistheprimaryinputofenergyfortheStirlingengine?(thecandle)2. AsPressureincreasesinagas,whathappenstotemperature?(Itincreases.)3. WhatistheprimaryoutputoftheStirlingengine?(themovingpiston)
Closure:Beforemovingon,askyourstudentsiftheyhaveanyrecommendationsorunansweredquestionsthattheycanworkoutontheirown.Brainstormingextensionideasisagreatwaytoaddmoresciencestudiestoyourclasstime.
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Lesson#13:StirlingEngineStudentWorksheet
Name______________________________________________________________________
Overview:TheStirlingheatengineisverydifferentfromtheengineinyourcar.WhenRobertStirlinginventedthefirstStirlingenginein1816,hethoughtitwouldbemuchmoreefficientthanagasolineordieselengine.However,theseheatenginesareusedonlywherequietenginesarerequired,suchasinsubmarinesoringeneratorsforsailboats.You’regoingtomakeoneoutofsodacansandoldCDs.
WhattoLearn:AStirlingengineshowsushowenergyisconvertedandusedtodoworkforus.
Materials
threesodacans oldinnertubefromabikewheel superglueandinstantdry electricalwire(3‐conductorsolidwire) 3oldCDs oneballoon penny nylonbushing(fromhardwarestore) smallcandleoralcoholburner fishingline(15lb.testorsimilar)
packofsteelwool drillwith1/16″bit pliers scissors razor wirecutters electricaltape pushpin permanentmarker Swissarmyknife(withcanopeneroption)
LabTime
1. Openeachsodacanandemptythesoda.Removethetopofonesodacanwithyourcanopener.Thisworkmosteasilybymovingalongtheridgeonthecan’slid.Becarefulnottocutyourself,souseadultsupervision.
2. Takethetopoffthesecondcaninthesameway,andthenremovethebottomofthesecondcancompletely,about¾inchabovethebottom.Useasharprazor.
3. Cuttheneckoffaballoontoserveasthepiston,andfititoverthelidofthecanopenatthetop.Usearubberbandtoattachitatthetopifneeded.Nowcutasquareoutoftheinnertubethatmeasures¾inchoneachside.Gluethetubesquareonthecenteroftheballoonandpushdownsoitstays.Todryitquickly,sprayinstantdryonit.
4. Takeapushpinandpokeaholeinthecenterofthetubesquare.Setthecanaside.5. Takeawaterbottlecapandmarkwherewewilldrillholes.Markonespotonthesideofthecap(about
halfwayup)andatanequalspotopposite.Alsomakeamarkinthecenterofthecap.Drilltheholeswithadulthelp,usingpliersandapieceofwoodtohelpmakepreciseholes.
6. Attachthebottlecaptotheoppositesideofthediaphragmonthesodacan(onthebottom),sotaketheballoonoff,andflipitupsidedown,stretchingitoverthelidagain.Thepointofthepushpinshouldpointup,sothreaditthroughtheholeinthemiddleofthecap.Secureitwithglue,anduseinstantdry.Setthisaside.
7. Grabtheothercanandprepareitfordrilling.Makeamarkabout1inchdownfromthetopofthecan,andmakeasimilarmarkontheexactoppositesideofthecan.Drilltheholes,usingapieceofwoodtohelpsupportthecanifneeded.Remembertouseadultsupervision!
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8. Usethecirculartemplateandtapeitinplacetocutaviewinghole.Youwantthetemplatesecuredsothatitisnotonthesamesideastheholes.Markanoutlinewhereyouwillcut,andusearazortocutitout.
9. Bendthewireintheshapeofthecrankshaftaccordingtothetemplate.Useplierstohelp,cuttingthewiretoabout8inchestoensureaprecisefit.Benditwithyourfingerstomatchthetemplate.Maketwomarksaccordingtothetemplateandmakemarksonthewire.Atthispoint,youwillbendtheloopinthecrankshaft90degrees,usingtwopairsofpliersthistime.Makesuretheendsofthecrankshaftareasflatandstraightaspossible.Orientandplacethewireinsidethecanwiththeviewingholecutout.Checktomakesureitcanspinfreely.Securetheendswithpiecesoftapetostopitfromslidingout.
10. Tomakethedisplacer,takea16‐inchpieceofcopperwire,straighteningitasmuchaspossible.Useplierstocreateasmallhookofabout½inch.Usesteelwooltorollthewireup.Itshouldbethediameterofthesodacanoncerolledup.Checkthatitfitsintothebottomofthesodacanwithenoughclearancetofitinandoutfairlyeasily.Usetheplierstoworkthecopperwiretotheheightofthecan.
11. Takeyourfishinglineandcutoffafewinches,tyingitontotheloopofthewireinthedisplacer.Secureitwithsuperglueandinstantdryifnecessary.Threadthefishinglinethroughthediaphragm.Beforeyoudothis,takethediaphragmoffandputitbackonupsidedown,andpullthepushpinout,threadingthefishinglinethatthepushpinmade.Placesomeoilaroundthewiresothatitslidesmoreeasily.Testittoseethatthereisnodragwhenyouliftthewholedisplacer.
12. Nudgethedisplacerintothetopofthesodacanwiththetopcutoff.Putthediaphragmoverthetopofthecan,makingsurethebottlecapiscentered.Testagaintomakesurethedisplacerfallsfreely.Ifitdoesn’taddmoreoil.
13. Takeabout8inchesofcopperwireandstickitthroughtheholesinthesidesofthebottlecap.Bendeachsideofitwithpliers.Makesureitcanspinfreely,soleaveagaponeachsideofthecap.Usepliersagaintobendthesidesofthewiresintowardsthecenterofthecap,andthenagainsothatitcanfitinsidetheothercan.Bothsidesofthewireshouldtouchthecrankshaftinthecanabove.
14. Pressthetopcandownaroundthebottomcangently.Don’tcrushthecan;weonlywanttoeaseitdownabitfurthersothatitissecure.
15. Securethecranktothepushrodsbyorientingthelongparttowardsthebottomofthecan.Makeamarkabout½inchhigherthanthespotwhereitrestsonthecrank.Trimtherodsatthesemarkswithwirecutters.Allowtheconnectingrodstostickoutthefront,markthemabout¼inchfromtheend,andmakehooksatthesespots.Bendthehookswithplierssothattheystayonthecrank.Loopthehooksaroundthecranksothatwhenspun,thepushrodsallowthedisplacertomoveupanddown.Makesurethecrankturnsfreely.Ifyourballoonwantstopushtherodsupintothecranktoofar,simplybendthecornersinthepushrodsmoresharplytoshortentherods.Becarefulthatthefishinglinedoesn’tgetcaught.
16. Tiethefishinglinetothemiddleofthebiglooponthecrank.Makesuretheknotisn’tsotightthatitrestrictsthefreemovementofthecrankasitturns.Tapethetwostrandsoffishinglinetogether,andtrimthelooseendsofthelinewithscissors.
17. Tomaketheflywheel,grab3oldCDsorDVDs(anythingbyMichaelBaywillwork).Takeyourpieceofnylonbushing,whichshouldbeabout½indiameterand1inchlong.ItshouldfitthroughthecenteroftheCD.AttachtheCDstothebushing(makesureitfitsniceandsnug).
18. Sandtheendofthecrankshaftsothatitgluesmoreeasily.Hotgluethissidetothenylonbushing,generouslygluingthroughthecenterofthebushing.Checktoseethattheflywheelspinningwillcranktheengine.
19. Positionthecranksothatthelargecrankisfacingdownward.AttachapennytothetopsurfaceoftheCDtoserveasacounterweight.Thiswillallowtheenginetorunmoresmoothly.
20. Tomaketheengine’sbase,cutthetopandbottomoffacanaswedidbefore.Placeaburnerontheinsideatthebottom,andthentapeittothecan.Makeaholeforairwiththerazorinthesideofthecanataboutthe
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leveloftheflame.Cutafewmoreholesintheside.Theyshouldbebigenoughsothatyoucanlighttheburner.
21. Assembletheengineontopoftheburnerbase.Nowwe’rereadytotestthisthing,soremembertoputonsafetygoggles!Usealightertolighttheburner,andkeepahandonthetopofthecantokeepitsteady.Ifyouneedtogiveyourengineajumpstart,spintheflywheel.
22. Recordyourobservationsontheworksheet.
StirlingEngineObservations
1. Whathappenswhenyoustarttheengine?Whatisgoingon?
2. Grabacoldbottleofwaterandpourasmallamountintothetopofthebottlecap.Whathappens?Whydoesthishappen?
ExercisesAnswerthequestionsbelow:
1. WhatistheprimaryinputofenergyfortheStirlingengine?
2. AsPressureincreasesinagas,whathappenstotemperature?a. Itincreasesb. Nothingc. Itdecreasesd. Itincreases,thendecreases
3. WhatistheprimaryoutputoftheStirlingengine?
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Lesson#14:PeanutEnergyTeacherSection
Overview:Thisisasimpleexperimentwherekidshavethechancetoseetheenergythataplainoldpeanutcontainsinitsshell.Theywillobservethenatureandlengthofitsburning,andwillgetarealpictureoftheenergythatgetsstoredinlivingplantsunderground.
SuggestedTime:30‐45minutes
Objectives:Thislessonwillintroducethebasicheatequationsforcalculatingtotalenergyproducedbythechemicalreaction.
Materials(perlabgroup)
Goggles 2shelledpeanuts Smallpairofpliers Matchorlighter Testtubeinwiretesttubeholders(theselooklikepliersthataredesignedtoholdatesttube) Scale Thermometer
LabPreparation
1. Takesomethoughtabouttheeasiestandsafestwaytomanagethepeanutignitioninyourclassroomforthislab.Peanutscanvaryinthedurationandintensityoftheircombustion,sothestudentswillneedtodothislabunderdirectsupervision.
2. Printoutcopiesofthestudentworksheets.3. ReadovertheBackgroundLessonReadingbeforeteachingthisclass.4. Watchthevideoforthisexperimenttoprepareforteachingthisclass.
BackgroundLessonReading
Didyouknowthateatingasinglepeanutwillpoweryourbrainfor30minutes?Theenergyinapeanutalsoproducesalargeamountofenergywhenburnedinaflame,whichcanbeusedtoboilwaterandmeasureenergy.
Peanutsarepartofthebeanfamily,andactuallygrowunderground(notfromtreeslikealmondsorwalnuts).Inadditiontoyourlunchtimesandwich,peanutsarealsousedinwoman'scosmetics,certainplastics,paintdyes,andalsowhenmakingnitroglycerin.
Whatmakesupapeanut?Insideyou'llfindalotoffats(mostofthemunsaturated)andantioxidants(asmuchasfoundinberries).AndmorethanhalfofallthepeanutsAmericanseatareproducedinAlabama.We'regoingtolearnhowtoreleasetheenergyinsideapeanutandhowtomeasureit.
There'schemicalenergystoredinsideapeanut,whichgetstransformedintoheatenergywhenyouigniteit.Thisheatflowstoraisethewatertemperature,whichyoucanmeasurewithathermometer.Youshouldfindthatyourpeanutcontains1500‐2100caloriesofenergy!Nowdon'tpanic‐thisisn'tthesameasthenumberofcalories
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you'reallowedtoeatinaday.Theaveragepersonaimstoeataround2,000Calories(withacapital"C").1Calorie=1,000calories.Soeachpeanutcontains1.5‐2.1Caloriesofenergy(thekindyoueatinaday).Doyouseethedifference?
Sodidalltheenergyfromthepeanutgostraighttothewater,ordiditleaksomewhereelse,too?Theheatactuallywarmedupthenearbyair,too,butweweren'tabletomeasurethat.Ifyouwereafoodscientist,you'duseaniftylittledeviceknownasabombcalorimetertomeasurecaloriecontent.It'sbasicallyawell‐insulated,well‐sealeddevicethatcatchesnearlyalltheenergyandflowsittothewater,soyougetamuchmoreaccuratetemperaturereading.(Usingabombcalorimeter,you'dget6.1‐6.8Caloriesofenergyfromonepeanut!)
Lesson
1.Demonstratethecalculationforyourstudents.Let'stakeanexamplemeasurement.Supposeyoumeasuredatemperatureincreasefrom20°Cto100°Cfor10gramsofwater,andboiledoff2grams.Weneedtobreakthisproblemdownintotwoparts‐thefirstpartdealswiththetemperatureincrease,andtheseconddealswiththewaterescapingasvapor.
2.Thefirstbasicheatequationisthis:Q=mcT
Qistheheatflow(incalories)misthemassofthewater(ingrams)cisthespecificheatofwater(whichis1degreepercaloriepergram)andTisthetemperaturechange(indegrees)
Soourequationbecomes:Q=10*1*80=800calories.
3.Ifyoumeasuredthatweboiledoff2gramsofwater,yourequationwouldlooklikethisforheatenergy:Q=Lm
Listhelatentheatofvaporizationofwater(L=540caloriespergram)misthemassofthewater(ingrams)
Soourequationbecomes:Q=540*2=1080calories.
4.Thetotalenergyneededisthesumofthesetwo:
Q=800calories+1080calories=1880calories.
LabTime
1. Reviewtheinstructionsontheirworksheetsandthenbreakthestudentsintotheirlabgroups.2. Handeachgrouptheirmaterialsandgivethemtimetoperformtheirexperimentandwritedowntheir
observations.3. Safetyreview:Clearlyoutlinetherulesregardingthehandlingoffireinthelabarea.Ifthereisaspecific
sinkwherethekidswillneedtodotheirexperiment,makesuretodesignateitbeforehand.4. Todaywe’reworkingwithfire,sofollowallspecialinstructionsabouthowyouwillbeworkingwithfire
today.5. Measureyourtesttubeonthescalewhenit’sempty:_______________________grams6. Fillupyourtesttubewithabout10gramsofwaterandweighitagain:_______________________grams
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7. Measuretheinitialtemperatureofthewater:___________________________oC8. Putonsafetygoggles.9. Usingasmallpairofpliers,holdthepeanutandasktheadulttolightthepeanutwiththelighteruntilit
catchesfire.10. Uponignition(whenthepeanutisburningbyitselfanddoesn’tneedthelighter),holdthepeanutunderthe
waterclosetothebottomofthetesttubeuntilthepeanutstopsburning.11. Quicklymeasurethefinaltemperatureofthewater:___________________________oC12. Recordyourresultsontheworksheet.13. Allowthepeanuttocoolasyourecordyourobservationsandcompletethedatatables.
Otherthingstotry:Iftimeallows,studentscancomparethepeanut’scombustionwiththatofapieceofdryspaghetti.Theprocedureforburningthespaghettiwillbethesameasforthepeanut.
Closure:Beforemovingon,askyourstudentsiftheyhaveanyrecommendationsorunansweredquestionsthattheycanworkoutontheirown.Brainstormingextensionideasisagreatwaytoaddmoresciencestudiestoyourclasstime.
©2013SuperchargedScience Page73 www.SuperchargedScience.com
Lesson#14:PeanutEnergyStudentWorksheet
Name______________________________________________________________________
Overview:Putyoursafetygogglesonfortoday’slab–we’llbelookingatfireagain.You’llbemeasuringhowmuchenergyapeanutholdsbysettingitonfireandmeasuringanincreaseinwatertemperature.
WhattoLearn:Allourenergyneedsonearthcomefromsomewhere.Wecannotmakeourownfood,butplantscan.Weareallconnectedtotheplantsandsoilsthattheygrowinbecausetheyprovideourverybasicneeds,aswellassomeofourmoremodernneeds.
Materials
Goggles 2shelledpeanuts Smallpairofpliers Matchorlighter Testtubeinwiretesttubeholders(theselooklikepliersthataredesignedtoholdatesttube) Scale Thermometer
LabTime
1. Todaywe’reworkingwithfire,sofollowallspecialinstructionsprovidedaboutworkingwithfiretoday.2. Measureyourtesttubeonthescalewhenit’sempty:_______________________grams3. Fillupyourtesttubewithabout10gramsofwaterandweighitagain:_______________________grams4. Measuretheinitialtemperatureofthewater:___________________________oC5. Putonsafetygoggles.6. Usingasmallpairofpliers,holdthepeanutandaskanadulttolightthepeanutwiththelighteruntilit
catchesfire.7. Uponignition(whenthepeanutisburningbyitselfanddoesn’tneedthelighter),holdthepeanutunderthe
waterclosetothebottomofthetesttubeuntilthepeanutstopsburning.8. Quicklymeasurethefinaltemperatureofthewater:___________________________oC9. Recordyourresultsontheworksheet.10. Allowthepeanuttocoolasyourecordyourobservationsandcompletethedatatables.
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PeanutEnergyDataandObservations
Trial# MassofWater(grams)
TemperatureIncrease(oC)
HeatEnergy1(calories)
Sample
10grams 80oC=(10grams)x(1degreepercalpergram)x80(oC)
=800calories
Trial# MassofWaterBoiledOff(grams) HeatEnergy2(calories)
Sample
2grams=542caloriespergramx2grams
=1080calories
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Trial# HeatEnergy1(calories)
HeatEnergy2(calories)
TotalEnergyProduced(calories)
Sample
800cal 1080cal 1880Calories
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Part2EvaluationTeacherSection
Overview:Kidswilldemonstratehowwelltheyunderstandimportantkeyconceptsfromthissection.
SuggestedTime:45‐60minutes
Objectives:StudentswillbetestedonthekeyconceptsofEnergy.
Heatmovesinapredictableflowfromwarmerobjectstocoolerobjectsuntilallobjectsareatthesametemperature.
Energycanbecarriedfromoneplacetoanotherbyheatflow,orbywavesincludingwaterwaves,lightandsound,orbymovingobjects.
Whenfuelisconsumed,mostoftheenergyreleasedbecomesheatenergy. Heatflowsinsolidsbyconduction(whichinvolvesnoflowofmatter)andinfluidsbyconductionandalso
byconvection(whichinvolvesflowofmatter). ThesunisthemajorsourceofenergyforphenomenaontheEarth'ssurface,poweringwinds,ocean
currents,andthewatercycle. SolarenergyreachesEarththroughradiation,mostlyintheformofvisiblelight. Theutilityofenergysourcesisdeterminedbyfactorsthatareinvolvedinconvertingthesesourcesto
usefulformsandtheconsequencesoftheconversionprocess.
Materials(onesetforentireclass)
Somethingthatweighs100grams(likeanapple) Ameterstick Acalculator Scale
LabPreparation
1. Printoutcopiesofthestudentworksheets,labpractical,andquiz.2. Haveatubofthematerialsinfrontofyouatyourdesk.Kidswillcomeupwhencalledanddemonstrate
theirknowledgeusingthesematerials.
Lesson
Thestudentsaretakingtwoteststoday:thequizandthelabpractical.Thequiztakesabout20minutes,andyou’llfindtheanswerkeytomakeiteasytograde.
LabPractical
StudentswilldemonstrateindividuallythattheyknowhowtomeasureenergyoutputandworkwiththespecificunitofJoules.Whileotherkidsarewaitingfortheirturn,theywillgetstartedontheirhomeworkassignment.Yougettodecidewhethertheydotheirassignmentindividuallyorasagroup.
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Part2Evaluation
StudentWorksheet
Overview:Todayyou’regoingtotaketwodifferenttests:thequizandthelabpractical.You’regoingtotakethewrittenquizfirst,andthelabpracticalattheendofthislab.Thelabpracticalisn’tapapertest–it’swhereyougettoshowyourteacherthatyouknowhowtodosomething.
LabTest&Homework
1. YourteacherwillcallyouupsoyoucansharehowmuchyouunderstandaboutEnergyandhowitworks.Sincescienceissomuchmorethanjustreadingabookorcirclingtherightanswer,thisisanimportantpartofthetesttofindoutwhatyoureallyunderstand.
2. Whileyouarewaitingforyourturntoshowyourteacherhowmuchofthisstuffyoualreadyknow,yougettogetstartedonyourhomeworkassignment.Theassignmentisduenextweek,andhalfthecreditisforcreativityandtheotherhalfisforcontent,soreallyletyourimaginationflyasyouworkthroughit.Chooseone:a. Writeashortstoryorskitaboutenergy,power,orworkfromtheperspectiveoftheobject(likeaball
orpendulumorrollercoaster).You’llreadthisaloudtoyourclass.b. Makeaposterthatteachesthemainconceptsofkineticandpotentialenergy.Whenyou’refinished,
you’lluseittoteachtoaclassintheyoungergradesanddemonstrateeachoftheprinciplesthatyou’velearned.
c. Writeandperformapoemorsongaboutwork,power,and/orenergy.Thiswillbeperformedforyourclass.
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Part2QuizTeacher’sAnswerKey
1. Whattypeofheatenergyistransmittedbythesun?(radiation)2. Circlethefollowingphenomenainfluencedbythesun:(climate,weather,wind,pressure)3. Whenyoureadamps,youread:(current)4. Namethreesourcesofrenewableenergy:(water,wind,solarpower)5. Whatunitsdoweusetomeasureenergy?(Joules)6. TrueorFalse:Waterispooratabsorbingheatenergy.(false)7. TrueorFalse:Amoleculethatheatsupwillmovefaster.(true)8. TrueorFalse:Amaterialwillbelessdenseatlowertemperatures.(false)9. Ifsomethinghasaweightof2Newtonsandismovedhalfameter,howmanyJoulesofenergyareused?(1
Joule)10. Whatiswork?(forcetimesdistance)11. Whatispower?(workovertime)12. Whyisitimportanttolookforrenewablesourcesofenergy?(Becauseothersourcesofenergywillrunout
andarefinite.)
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Part2Quiz
Name__________________________________________________________
1. Whattypeofheatenergyistransmittedbythesun?a. Conductionb. Convectionc. Plasmad. Radiation
2. Circlethefollowingphenomenainfluencedbythesun:a. Pressureb. Climatec. Weatherd. Wind
3. Whenyoureadamps,youread:a. Currentb. Voltagec. PowerDrawd. Work
4. Namethreesourcesofrenewableenergy:a. b. c.
5. Whatunitsdoweusetomeasureenergy?a. Kilowattsb. Joulesc. Newtonsd. Kilowatt‐hours
6. TrueorFalse:Waterispooratabsorbingheatenergy.a. Trueb. False
7. TrueorFalse:Amoleculethatheatsupwillmovefaster.a. Trueb. False
8. TrueorFalse:Amaterialwillbelessdenseatlowertemperatures.a. Trueb. False
9. Ifsomethinghasaweightof2Newtonsandismovedhalfameter,howmanyJoulesofenergyareused?Showyourwork.
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10. Whatiswork?a. Forcedividedbydistanceb. Forcetimesdistancec. Energyrequiredforpowerd. Kineticandpotentialenergy
11. Whatispower?a. Workdividedbytimeb. Workmultipliedbytimec. Energyusedinanexercised. Caloriesovertime
12. Whyisitimportanttolookforrenewablesourcesofenergy?
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Part2LabPracticalTeacher’sAnswerKey
Thisisyourchancetoseehowwellyourstudentshavepickeduponimportantkeyconcepts,andifthereareanyholes.Yourstudentsalsowillbeworkingontheirhomeworkassignmentasyoudothistestindividuallywiththestudents.
Materials:
Somethingthatweighs100grams(likeanapple) Ameterstick Acalculator Scale
LabPractical:AskthestudentNote:Answersgiveninitalics!
Youwilldemonstratethatyouknowhowenergyismeasuredandhowworkisdoneusingthematerials.
1. Inyourownwordsdescribewhatworkis.Workhappenswhensomethingmovesadistanceagainstaforce.Doyoueverclimbstairs,walk,rideabicycle,orliftaforktoyourmouthtoeat?Ofcourseyoudo.Eachoneofthosethingsrequiresyoutomovesomethingadistanceagainstaforce.
2. Measuretheweightoftheobjectingrams.Recordyourmeasurementhere:Answersvary.3. Movetheobjectonemeter5times.Howmuchworkdidyoudo?Recordyourdatahere:Answersvary,but
here’sasample:Mass=100g=0.1kg,soWeight=massxgravity=0.1kgx9.81m/s2=0.981NWork=ForgexDistance=0.981Nx1meterx5=4.9Joules
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Part2LabPracticalStudentExam
Thisisyourchancetoseehowwellyourstudentshavepickeduponimportantkeyconcepts,andifthereareanyholes.Yourstudentsalsowillbeworkingontheirhomeworkassignmentasyoudothistestindividuallywiththestudents.
Materials:
Somethingthatweighs100grams(likeanapple) Ameterstick Acalculator Scale
LabPractical:AskthestudentNote:Answersgiveninitalics!
Youwilldemonstratethatyouknowhowenergyismeasuredandhowworkisdoneusingthematerials.
1. Inyourownwordsdescribewhatworkis.
2. Measuretheweightoftheobjectingrams.Recordyourmeasurementhere:
3. Movetheobjectonemeter5times.Howmuchworkdidyoudo?Recordyourdatahere:
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TheScientificMethod
Oneoftheproblemskidshaveishowtoexperimentwiththeirgreatideaswithoutgettinglostinthejumbleofresultdata.Sooftenstudentswillnothaveanyclearideasaboutwhatchangecausedwhicheffectintheirresults!Studentsoftenhavetroublecommunicatingtheirideasinwaysthatnotonlymakesensebutarealsoacceptablebysciencefairsorothertechnicalcompetitionsdesignedtogetkidsthinkinglikearealscientist.Anotherproblemtheyfaceisstrugglingtoapplythescientificmethodtotheirscienceprojectinschool,forscoutbadges,oranyothertypeofreportwhereit’simportantthatotherfolksknowandunderstandtheirwork.
Thescientificmethodiswidelyusedbyformalscienceacademiaaswellasscientificresearchers.Formostpeople,it’sarealjumptofigureoutnotonlyhowtodoadecentproject,butalsohowtogoaboutformulatingascientificquestionandinvestigateanswersmethodicallylikearealscientist.Presentingtheresultsinameaningfulwayvia“exhibitboard”…well,that’sjustmoreofastretchthatmostkidsjustaren’treadyfor.Thereisn’tawholelotofusefulinformationavailableonhowtodoitbythepeoplewhoreallyknowhow.That’swhyI’mgoingtoshowyouhowusefulandeasyitis.
Thescientificmethodisaseriesof5stepsthatscientistsusetodotheirwork.But,honestly,youuseiteveryday,too!ThefivestepsareObservation,Hypothesis,Test,CollectData,andReportResults.Thatsoundsprettycomplicated,butdon’tworry,theyarejustbigwords.Letmetellyouwhatthesewordsmeanandhowtoplaywiththem.
Step1:Observationmeanswhatdoyousee,orhear,orsmell,orfeel?Whatisitthatyou’relookingat?Isthatwhatitusuallydoes?Isthatwhatitdidlasttime?Whatwouldhappenifyoutriedsomethingdifferentwithit?Observationisthebeginningofscientificresearch.Youhavetoseeortouchorhearsomethingbeforeyoucanstarttodostuffwithit,right?
Step2:Onceyouobservesomething,youcanthenformahypothesis.Allhypothesisreallymeansis“guess.”Ahypothesisisaneducatedguess.Tonightatdinner,whensomeoneasksyou,“Doyouwantpeasorcarrots?”Say,“IhypothesizethatIwouldlikethecarrots.”Everyonewillthinkyou’reagenius!Basicallyyou’resaying“IguessthatIwouldlikethecarrots.”Hypothesesaren’trightorwrong,theyarejustyourbestguess.
Step3:Toseeifyourguessiscorrect,youneedtodothenextstepinthescientificmethod:test.Thetestisjustwhatitsoundslike:runningexperimentstoseewhetherornotyourhypothesisiscorrect.
Step4:Asyoudoyourtests,youneedtocollectdata.Thatmeanscollectingthenumbers,themeasurements,thetimes,thedataoftheexperiment.Onceyoucollectyourdata,youcantakealookatit,orinotherwords,analyzeit.
Step5:Onceyouanalyzeyourdatayoucanreportyourresults.Thatbasicallymeanstellsomeoneaboutit.Youcanputyourdatainachartoragraphorjustshoutitfromtherooftops!
Here’sagreatwaytorememberthe5steps.Rememberthesentence“OrangeHipposTakeClassesRegularly.”Thefirstletterineachwordofthatgoofysentenceisthesameasthefirstletterineachstepofthescientificmethod.That’scalledamnemonicdevice.Makeupyourownmnemonicdevicestorememberallsortsofstuff.
“OK,sothat’swhatthewordsmean.HowdoIusethateveryday?”
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Well,I’mgladyouaskedthatquestion.Ifyouhadcerealforbreakfastthismorning,youdidthescientificmethod.Onthetableyouhadabowlofcerealwithnomilkinit.Asyoulookedatyourdrycereal,youmadeanobservation,“Ineedmilk!”Atthatpoint,youmadeahypothesis,“There’smilkinthefridge.”Youcan’tbesurethere’smilkinthefridge.Someonemighthaveuseditup.Itmighthavegonebad.Aliensmayhaveusedittogasuptheirmilk‐poweredspaceship.Youjustdon’tknow!Soyouhavetodoatest.
Whatwouldbeagoodtesttoseeifthereismilkinthefridge?Openthefridge!Nowonceyoumovetheweek‐oldspaghettiandthegreenJell‐O(atleastyouhopeit’sJell‐O)outoftheway,youcanseeifthereismilkornot.Soyoucollectyourdata.Thereismilkorthereisn’tmilk.Nowyoucanfinallyreportyourresults.Ifthereismilk,youcanhappilypouritonyourcereal.Ifthereisn’tanymilk,youreportyourresultsbyshouting,“Hey,Mom...Weneedmilk!”Scientificmethod,notsohardisit?
You’llgetfamiliarwiththescientificmethodbydoingtheactivitiesandexperimentsinyourlessons.Mostscientistsdon’tusethefullversionofthescientificmethod,whichactuallyincludesseveraladditionalstepstotheonesI’veoutlinedabove.You’llfindthefull‐blownversionofthescientificmethodinthebackofthisbook.I’veincludedacopyofaspecialprojectwhichwonfirstprizeatasciencefair.You’llfindthiscompleteprojectexplainseverydetailandhowitusesthefullversionofthescientificmethodsoyoucanseehowtodoitforyourselfonanyprojectyouchoose.
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VocabularyfortheUnitAlternativeenergyisenergyobtainedfromnon‐fossilfuelsources.Thisisalsoknownasrenewableenergy.
Conductionisheatenergytransferreddirectlybetweensubstances.
Convectionisheatenergyexchangedthroughintermediarymolecules.
Energyistheabilitytodowork.
Jouleisthestandardunitusedtomeasureenergy,definedasoneNewtonofforcemovedover1meter.
Kineticenergyistheenergyofmotionthatanobjecthaswhenitispushed,flies,orfalls.
Potentialenergyistheenergythatanobjecthasinrelationtothesysteminwhichitexists.
Powerisworkdoneoveraperiodoftime.
Specificheatishowmuchheatenergyamassofamaterialmustabsorbbeforeitincreases1°C.
Radiationisenergytransmittedthroughtheelectromagneticspectrum,onourplanetfromthesun.