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Do It Yourself: The Projects: Potential and Kinetic Energy

Research

A beautiful display with equally cool cars on display at the MOSHKinetic Energy is energy of motion or the energy in use.
Potential is stored energy or existing as a possibility.

Project Description:

To make this easier to understand students have used K'NEX to illustrate Kinetic and potential energy and make the experiment fun.

Students were given rubber bands and a variety of K'NEX pieces. Their task was to construct a vehicle that was movable. The rubber bands, being wound by the students, would provide the potential energy. The rubber bands were wound up and when they were released they provided energy to the wheels and the vehicles moved.

Students made a variety of vehicles, all of which worked.

Group One's Band Car Group Two's Band Car Group Three's Band Minivan

Class Project Menu:

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International Public Science Day 2002 is a program of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in collaboration with the Franklin Institute Science Museum and Unisys Corporation and in affiliation with the Science Learning Network
American Association for the Advancement of Science Unisys Corporation Franklin Institute Science Learning Network