The Key Drop

Gravity pulls all things together, but do they always make impact? Try this and amaze your friends.
Materials:
Key ring full of keys
Long shoelace
Pencil

What You Do:
Remove one key from the key ring. Tie it to one end of the shoelace, and tie the key ring (with the other keys still on it) to the other end.
Drape the string over the pencil—held parallel to the floor. The key ring should hang down about 1 inch below the pencil. Hold the key in your other hand.
Let go of the key. What happens? Do it again, watching the path of the key very carefully. Wow!

What’s going on? The key to this trick is energy. There are two different types of energy at work. Energy of motion is kinetic energy. Stored energy is called potential energy. When both the key ring and the key are stationary, they have potential energy. The key ring has more potential energy than the key because it has more mass. When you let go of the single key, it falls a long distance, building up momentum and speed as it travels, so it has a lot of kinetic energy. The key actually has more kinetic energy than the key ring and winds itself around the pencil. After a couple of turns around the pencil, the friction is so great that the key ring stops falling.

The science fair is quickly approaching! Look for registration slips to come home mid-March. Workshops begin on 21 March during lunch recesses Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Want to help? We’d love to have you; contact Amy Oliver at amyroliver@gmail.com.

More on Energy.....

Books:

Physics: Why Matter Matters! by Dan Greenburg and Simon Basher 530 Greenburg Fernwood SnoIsle

Energy by Kay Manolis 531 Manolis Fernwood

Energy by Christine Webster 621.042 Web Fernwood

Kinetic and potential energy : understanding changes within physical systems by Jennifer Viegas Y531.6 VIE KCLS

Heat and Energy by Steven Parker J536 PARKER KCLS

Toying around with science : the physics behind toys and gags by Robert Friedhoffer Y688.728 FRI KCLS

Raceways : having fun with balls and tracks by Bernie Zubrikowski J796.3 KCLS

Making things move : DIY mechanisms for inventors, hobbyists, and artists by Dustyn Roberts 621.8 ROBERTS SnoIsle KCLS

Bite-sized science : activities for children in 15 minutes or less by John H. Falk and Kristi S. Rosenberg 372.3504 FALK SnoIsle

Awesome experiments in force & motion by Michael DiSpezio J 531.6 DISPEZI SnoIsle

Gizmos & gadgets : creating science contraptions that work (& knowing why) by Jill Frankel Hauser J 500 HAUSER SnoIsle





DVDs and video links:

Energy with Bill Nye JDVD 531.6 ENE KCLS

Energy: potential & kinetic Videocassette J531.6 ENERGY KCLS

Energy by Asa Kalam JDVD 530 ENE KCLS SnoIsle

Roller coaster physics [videorecording] / Discovery Channel School J DVD-ED 531 ROL4 SnoIsle

YouTube: Eureka! Episode 9 Kinetic Energy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhX01toLjZs

YouTube: Eureka! Episode 10 Potential Energy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rn470XtSYK0&feature=related

YouTube: Wiley E Coyote and RoadRunner demonstrate Potential Energy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jnj8mc04r9E&feature=related

YouTube: Student video on Potential and Kinetic Engergy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8abzpXCjyjA&NR=1

YouTube: Bill Nye on Energy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ASLLiuejAo

Websites and links:

Class Zone on Energy http://www.classzone.com/books/ml_science_share/vis_sim/mem05_pg69_potential/mem05_pg69_potential.html

Physics 4 Kids

http://www.physics4kids.com/files/motion_energy.html

PowerPoint presentations on Energy and Matter

http://science.pppst.com/energy.html

Need some help with your Science Fair project? There will be workshops available for help starting March 21st during lunch recesses. Also, both SnoIsle and King County Library Systems have online resources available from your home computer.

KCLS Homework Help page http://www.kcls.org/homework_help/

SnoIsle Homework Help page http://www.sno-isle.org/?ID=2777

Getting Centered

Balance is key to all things in life. How far can you lean before you fall over? Does it help to really concentrate? How about extending your arms and legs, does this help? Let’s explore your balance a little bit.

You need:
Lipstick tube or chapstick tube
A helper

What to do:
1. Kneel on the floor with your behind touching your feet and place your arms in front of you with your elbows bent. Slide your elbows back until they just touch your knees and extend your fingers out in front of you.
2. Have a helper place a tube of lipstick (chapstick) on the ground so that it is standing upright just at the end of your index fingers.
3. Straighten up so that you are kneeling but upright. Place both your hands behind your back. Carefully lean forward and try to knock the lipstick over using your nose.

What happened?
Some people can knock over the tube and other people can’t. It has to do with how high the center of gravity is in your body. Your center of gravity is the point in your body where half your weight is above and half is below. Some athletes such as cyclists who build up more muscle mass in their legs have a lower center of gravity. Athletes who develop their upper bodies may have a hard time with this and topple over. Wrestlers crouch to keep their center of gravity as low as possible so that they aren’t as easy to knock over.

Volunteers are central to our science fair. We’d love to have you join us. Have some spare time at lunch? Come hang out in the Fernwood library to encourage the students in their explorations. No science experience necessary. Contact Amy Oliver to join the fun (amyroliver@gmail.com).

More about Center of Gravity and Balance....

Balancing magic and other tricks by Ormond McGill 793.8 McG
Paperclip science: Simple & fun experiments by Steve Moje 503 Moj
Make it balance by David Evans and Claudette Williams 531.14 Eva
All about motion & balance [videorecording]. J DVD-ED 531.11 ALL856
Gold medal physics : the science of sports / John Eric Goff. 796.0153 GOFF
While you're waiting for the food to come : a tabletop science activity book : experiments and tricks that can be done at a restaurant, the dining room table, or wherever food is served / by Eric Muller; J 507.8 MULLER
Awesome experiments in force & motion / Michael DiSpezio J 531.6 DISPEZI

Websites:
San Francisco Exploratorium http://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/center_of_gravity/index.html
Fun Center of Gravity activities
http://www.escapadedirect.com/plwigr.html
NASA Website
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/barycntr.shtml
Jan Van Cleave’s Website
http://scienceprojectideasforkids.com/2010/center-of-gravity-vs-center-of-mass/
Fun experiment
http://www.brighthub.com/education/k-12/articles/30142.aspx
YouTube balancing fork and spoon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wsNZgRbXss

Looking for more fun ways to experiment with science? Check out your local library’s programs and events.
Sno-Isle Library System’s Sounds Like Science program is taking place at Mukilteo Library on Wednesday, February 23rd at 2pm and Mountlake Terrace on Saturday, February 19th at 1pm. They also are offering a Mad Science program called Up, Up and Away on Friday, February 25th at 2pm at the Mukilteo Library.

Science Connects the World!

The Fernwood Elementary Science Fair is coming! Our Science Fair will be held on April 15th.

Another Science Fair to check out is the Google Science Fair.

Here is a link to a fun YouTube video using Rube Goldberg device advertising the upcoming Google Science Fair:

http://www.google.com/events/sciencefair/

"The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' but 'That's funny...' "

Isaac Asimov

More on Aerodynamics

The Magic school bus space adventures [videorecording] J DVD MAG163
Kids' paper airplane book / written by by Ken Blackburn J 745.592 BLACKBU
Dime, por qué tienen alas los aviones / Shirley Willis INTL-SPA J 629.1323 WILLIS
Air and flight / Jon Richards J 629.1323 RICHARD
Flying things / Michael DiSpezio J 629.13 DISPEZI
The Wright brothers [videorecording] J DVD-ED 629.13 WRI649
Model aircraft aerodynamics / Martin Simons 629.1331 SIMONS
Air & flight / Jon Richards J 629.1323 RICHARD
Fei qi lia yao! : fei xing de mi mi / yuan zhu Qiao'anna Ke'er, Bulusi Digen ; yi Wu Meiying. INTL-CHI J 629.13 COLE
Paper Airplanes: Models to build and Fly by Emery Kelly 745.592 Kel
Book of Flight by Judith Rinard 629.13 Rin
Flight by Robert Burleigh 629.13 Bur
The science of air : projects and experiments with air and flight Author: Parker, Steve. J533.62 PAR
From boxfish to aerodynamic cars Author: Allman, Toney. J629.231 ALL
How do aircraft fly? Author: Meredith, Susan J629.1323 MER
The magnificent book of kites : explorations in design, construction, enjoyment & flight / Maxwell Eden 629.1333 EDEN
Rockets and other spacecraft / John Farndon J 629.47 FARNDON

Websites:
Fact Monster website http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/sci/A0802621.html
NASA sites http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/bga.html
http://exploration.grc.nasa.gov/education/rocket/rktaero.html
Forces of Flight http://www.fi.edu/flights/own2/forces.html
Website on Bernoulli’s Principle http://home.earthlink.net/~mmc1919/venturi.html
Bernoulli’s Brainteasers http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/gal109/LESSONS/TEXT/TEASERS.HTM
Boeing site on Flight for Kids http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/aboutus/wonder_of_flight/index.html

YouTube Videos on Aerodynamics:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ftj6A2P7lmw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ltjFEei3AI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv3m57u6ViE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olVJzVadiFs&feature=related

Flying Hoops

This is one crazy looking flyer. Give it a try for a little fun.

Materials:
2 index cards
Tape
2 straws
Optional items for added excitement: friend, clay, manila file folder.

What You Do:
For each hoopster, cut a 1 inch strip from the short side of an index card. Roll the strip into a circle and tape it to one end of your straw. Cut a 1 inch strip form the long side of the other index card. Roll it into a larger circle and tape to the other end of your straw.
Hold the hoopster in the middle and toss it gently. Experiment with which end flies better.
If you like, challenge a friend to build one and see whose hoopster will stay in the air longer.
Try putting two straws together end to end and making larger loops from a manila file folder. Try adding weight to your hoopster by sticking a piece of clay somewhere along its body. Where does the weight work best?

What’s going on? Your hoopster is an experiment in aerodynamics. Aerodynamics comes from the Greek words for air and power. It’s the study of how gases move. Air, which is a gas, lifts the hoopster as it passes over and under the loops. Bernoulli’s Principle states that fast moving air has a lower pressure than slow moving air. The loops of the hoopster are airfoils. The air has to move faster over the top of the loops than it does beneath the loops. This creates a low-pressure zone above the hoopster that lifts it into the air. Helicopters and airplanes use this principle to fly.