Lesson 52 of 84 · Forces

Experiment⭐ 30 XP⚡ Spark Lab

Making a Catapult (Part 2)

🧪Lab Brief #52

Making a Catapult (Part 2).

🎯 Your mission

Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).

⚡ The twist

The opposite of what you expect is often what happens.

🤯

Mind = Blown

🔥 A bolt of lightning is 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun.

🔮

Make a hypothesis first

Predict: what happens if you double the force?

What You'll Learn

Gravity is the same force that keeps the moon going around the Earth!

Key Words

energy
push

Materials Needed

cardboard
marbles
paper clips
rubber bands

Safety First

Wash hands after handling materials.
Be careful with scissors — ask an adult for help if needed.
Do not look directly at the sun or bright lights.

Steps

Step 1 — Read

Look at the new words. Can you say each one?

Step 2 — Do

Make a ramp from a book. Roll a marble down from different heights. Measure how far it rolls.

Step 3 — Observe

Use your senses to describe what you notice.

Step 4 — Record

Write 1-2 sentences about what happened.

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 3

What are the two poles of a magnet?

How sure are you going to be?😐 maybe

🌍

Where you see this in real life

You use this every time you flip a light switch, ride a bike, or kick a ball.

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Stretch Challenge

Try this in real life this week.

Time how long a small ball rolls down something, then change the slope and try again.

👨‍👩‍👧

For the dinner table

“Show me something at home that uses this kind of energy.”

🎯

Next Smart Experiment

We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.

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Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.

🖨️

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