Potential energy experiments for kids - AUTO POWER POTENTIAL
The self potential energy is also known as Auto Mousetrap because it uses a mousetrap as an engine to drive it.
What is the potential energy: stored energy is a system that has as a result of the relative positions of its components. For example, if a ball is kept at a distance from the ground, the system formed by the ball and the Earth has a certain potential energy, if the ball rises higher, the potential energy of the system increases.Other examples of systems with potential energy are stretched a rubber band or two magnets are kept tight so that the poles are touching the same, or as in the case of our car, the spring is activated and held tight.
To provide a system potential energy is needed for a job. It takes effort to build a ground ball, stretch a rubber band or to join two magnets by their like poles. In fact, the amount of potential energy that has a system equals the work done on the system to place it in a certain configuration. The potential energy can also be transformed into other forms of energy. For example, when the car is released, the potential energy turns into kinetic energy.
Potential energy is manifested in different ways. For example, electrically charged objects have potential energy as a result of their position in an electric field. An explosive chemical potential energy is converted into heat, light and kinetic energy to be detonated. The nuclei of atoms have a potential energy that is transformed into other forms of energy in nuclear power plants.
There are many variations of such cars, but the most common is to place the trap on the car, put one arm in the spring and tie a rope to the axis of the rear wheels. By spinning the wheels in the opposite direction, the arm is pulled by the spring yaccionado the mousetrap, in this way and have energy waiting to be released.When released the car trap arm pulls the rope and the rope jhace rotate the shaft with the wheel so the car is in motion. As you can see in the picture below.
Potential energy experiments for kids AS IS
The base car is made of wood or other material. The rtuedas and shaft can be wood or plastic. In the photo abjo noticed that there is a hook near the center of the shaft ..
The mousetrap is fixed to the top of the car, the table is idsparado by the spring has an arm, a simple thick wire length. At the end of this wire is attached to a rope. The string is rolled up on the shaft.
In the photo below you can see how this triggers the trap and the car rolls.