Page 12 - FOUNDATIONS FOR LIFE; EXPLORING GOD’S UNIVERSE

Science Y6 – Forces and motion – lesson 6

ELASTIC BANDS AND SPRINGS
Experiment 1

Aim: To make a toy that uses energy to make it work.

Apparatus: Cotton reel, a used matchstick, a strong rubber band about the length of the
cotton reel, sellotape, a pencil about 10 cm long, a round bead which will ‘sit’ in
the top of the cotton reel

Method: a) Put the rubber band through the centre of the cotton reel. Secure one
end by threading the matchstick through it and taping the matchstick to the top
of the cotton reel.
b) At the other end, lay the bead in the top of the cotton reel and pull the
elastic band through it.
c) Push the pencil through the elastic band on top of the bead. The band
should be quite taut.
d) Twist the pencil around ten times then let go of the cotton reel on a flat
surface.
Result: _____________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Try it with 20, 30, 40 turns. What happens? ______________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

If you change the pencil length what happens? ____________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

How it works: As you turn the matchstick, you twist and tighten the

elastic band. As it unwinds, it releases energy stored in the elastic and

it makes the toy move.

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