Lesson 4 of 12 · Energy Transfer

Experiment⭐ 30 XP⚡ Spark Lab

Potential Energy: Stored Energy

🧪Lab Brief #4

Energy Transfer.

🎯 Your mission

Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.

⚡ The twist

The opposite of what you expect is often what happens.

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Mind = Blown

🎢 You feel weightless on a roller coaster because you and the seat are falling at the same speed.

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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

Tap a word to see its definition.

Materials Needed

rubber bands

Safety First

Have an adult check your set-up before you start, and tidy everything away afterwards.

Steps

Step 1 — Read

Look at the vocabulary words and write a definition for each in your own words.

Step 2 — Do

Construct a catapult from popsicle sticks and rubber bands. Launch a marshmallow from different angles and measure the distance. Find the angle that gives the longest launch.

Step 3 — Observe

Observe what happens and describe it in detail.

Step 4 — Record

Record your observations in your science journal with measurements and descriptions.

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 3

What type of energy does a stretched rubber band have?

How sure are you going to be?😐 maybe

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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.

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For the dinner table

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

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