Energy

Energy: What is it? Where does it come from? Can you see it? What do we do with it? These were the questions posed to us today at the Arizona Science Center. To answer some of these questions, we experimented with "wacky walkers", poppers, and balloons. The wacky walkers walked, the poppers popped, and the balloons shot around the room - Lauren's balloon even landed in the recycling bin after a crazy flight around the science lab!

Wacky Walkers ready to roll across the floor.

We discovered some laws about energy.
1. Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted from one form to another.
2. The amount of energy in the universe is constant.
3. Sometimes energy is unavailable for use.

We even learned a formula for work:
W = F x D
That means that work is force (push or pull) over a distance. So the boy trying to push the building down is NOT working, but the girls fanning herself with a piece of paper IS working. Amazing!

Finally we learned about two categories of energy: potential and kinetic.

After our lab, Lauren rode the Sky Cycle 30 feet above us!

Don't look down!