Lesson 41 of 84 · Magnets
Experiment⭐ 30 XP⚡ Spark LabPotential Energy: Stored Energy (Part 2)
Potential Energy: Stored Energy (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
Potential energy is stored energy based on position or condition. A ball at the top of a hill has gravitational potential energy. A stretched rubber band has elastic potential energy.
Key Words
- force
- energy
- kinetic
Materials Needed
- spring scale
- stopwatch
- pencils
- toy cars
- ramps
- string
Safety First
- Dispose of materials properly after the experiment.
Steps
Study the diagram and label the parts you recognize.
Test friction: pull a weighted box across 4 surfaces (carpet, tile, sandpaper, foil). Use a spring scale to measure the force needed for each.
Use your senses (except taste) to describe what you notice.
Write a summary of your findings in 3-5 sentences.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What type of energy does a stretched rubber band have?
Where you see this in real life
This is why airplanes can fly and why rockets reach space.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
This week, find one thing in your house that turns one kind of energy into another.
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.
Share this experiment
Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.
Checkout complete lesson on Magnets for 3rd Grade
Get the full Magnets track as a printable PDF — all lessons, worksheets, and answer keys.