3rd+-+The+Paperback+Writers+Go+Bucks+James+and+Maggie+Walruses

﻿James and I are going to make a very simple yet complicated structure. We will collect a bunch of random items to use, kind of like in the music video that Meow posted. Here are some definitions to get us started:

Energy - The ability to do work or cause change.

Potential Energy - Energy that is stored and held into readiness. For example pushing a toy car or a basketball across a room.

Kinetic Energy - The energy of motion. For example moving your arm.

Elastic Potential Energy - The potential energy associated with objects that can be stretched or compressed.

Gravitational Potential Energy - Potential energy that depends on height.

Mechanical Energy - The energy associated with the motion or position of an object. We could put this in our machine by adding a kind of sphere that will roll down a chute. Also, we could bump an object into another to move the object. Anither thing that we could do to put mechanical energy into our project would be an object faling onto another.

Thermal Energy - The total that hold chemical energy of the particles in an object. Hair dryers, microwaves, and/or a fan could implement thermal energy into our project.

Chemical Energy - Potential energy stored in chemical bonds that hold chemical compounds together. Any living thing uses chemical energy. Batteries have chemical energy. Plants use chemical energy to make food.

Electromagnetic Energy - Such as light, travels in waves that have some electrica properties and magnetic properties. Light bulbs, the sun, and other things that light up oike flashlights use elecromagnetic energy.

Nuclear Energy - Potential energy stored in the nucleus of an atom. We probably can nit implement this energy into our project.

Some of the major forms of energy are mechanical energy, chemical energy, electrical energy, electromagnetic energy, and nuclear energy.



I thought of some materials that could be used for our contraption.


 * A fan with an easily accessible switch
 * Marbles (don't worry, they will be out of reach!)
 * Plastic or some sort of clear tube
 * Light bulbs of many c o l o r s (red)
 * A crank like the one showed in the picture above
 * A stamp
 * <span style="color: #fa0056; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Rulers or something to stand things up with
 * <span style="color: #fa0056; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Small wooden platforms
 * <span style="color: #fa0056; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Duct tape....Lots of it!!!
 * <span style="color: #fa0056; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Wires and things to use electricity with (did I word that right?)
 * <span style="color: #fa0056; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Some sort of wooden model boat on wheels with a pointed end and a sail.
 * <span style="color: #fa0056; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">A golf ball
 * <span style="color: #fa0056; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Wooden blocks
 * <span style="color: #fa0056; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Marble race track toy thingy

I think that the hardest part of the project will be incorporating the different kinds of energy into the project.

When you turn on the switch of the flashlight (mechanical energy), the wires connect. This sends an electrical current to the battery (chemical and electrical energy). The current is then sent to the light bulbs via the wire, and the light bulb gives off light (electromagnetic energy).

I learned a lot about friction from our activities in science. The reason why a swinging pendulum does not swing forever is because it bumps into air molecules, causing friction and slowing down the pendulum.