Secondary: Group B

From Step Institute

Useful Energy

Our group came together rather quickly around a project Marion Parrish had in mind: when energy is transfered, loss occurs. In order to demonstrate energy loss, we chose to create a motor/generator, input/output loss experiment through potential chemical energy to electromotive energy to mechanical energy to electromotive energy out. Initially, students demonstrate to themselves that they can create heat energy by applying mechanical energy.

A Forever Flashlight converts mechanical energy to electrical energy.

Explore: Electrical energy is calculated using measurements obtained with multimeter.

Chemical energy to electrical energy measured.

Electrical energy is applied to the motor and energy output from the generator is measured. The difference between energy in and energy out demonstrates loss.

This project originally began with the idea to construct some device that would transfer energy to a clean usable product. One idea was to convert river power to electrical without damming the river. Ideas to reality!!!!

Website found post-project: Alaska's First Hydrokinetic River Turbine Project

Climate is driven by the transfer of energy. This lesson demonstrates that energy can be transfered. We had a lot of fun!