Lesson 6 of 6 · Energy
Experiment⭐ 30 XP⚡ Spark LabSprings and Elastic Force
Springs and Elastic Force.
🎯 Your mission
Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.
⚡ The twist
The opposite of what you expect is often what happens.
Mind = Blown
🎢 You feel weightless on a roller coaster because you and the seat are falling at the same speed.
Make a hypothesis first
Predict: what happens if you double the force?
What You'll Learn
A spring pushes or pulls back with an elastic force when it is stretched or squeezed. The more you stretch a spring, the stronger it pulls back, which is how spring scales weigh objects and trampolines bounce you upward.
Key Words
Tap a word to see its definition.
Materials Needed
- weights
- spring scale
Safety First
- Have an adult check your set-up before you start, and tidy everything away afterwards.
Steps
Look at the vocabulary words and write a definition for each in your own words.
Test friction: pull a weighted box across 4 surfaces (carpet, tile, sandpaper, foil). Use a spring scale to measure the force needed for each.
Note any unexpected results and think about why they happened.
Share your findings with the class or a partner and discuss what you learned.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What is gravity?
Where you see this in real life
You use this every time you flip a light switch, ride a bike, or kick a ball.
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.”
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Springs and Elastic Force
Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.
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