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Video explanation

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Motion and energy related science experiments for kids

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Motion and energy related science experiments for kids

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States of matter can be more than just your average solids, liquids and gases!

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Before I had kids, I taught science to groups of homeschoolers (grades 1-6). Thankfully, I saved all of my lesson plans, and now I am able to pull out ready-made units for my kids!

I just started a unit on Force and Motion with my older two boys (4th grade and 1st grade). We have been studying land animals with our science textbook from Apologia: Exploring Creation with Land Animals of the Sixth Day, and we LOVE it. However, there are not a lot of experiments that can be done with animals, and force and motion lends itself well to lots of hands-on fun, so it's a nice break. I've also found that it works well to do something high-interest like this right before a holiday break!

During our first week, we learned about energy. Energy is the ability to do work. We learned about the difference between potential energy (stored energy), and kinetic energy (the energy of moving things). Our ping pong ball shooters were the perfect thing to learn about potential and kinetic energy! When you stretch the balloons, they have potential energy, and when you release them, they have kinetic energy which they transfer to the ping pong balls, thus shooting it across the room.
Then we did an experiment to further study the transfer of energy from one object to another.
I got this experiment from a book called "Force and Energy" published by Instructional Fair that appears to possibly be out of print. It looks like Instructional Fair was bought out by Carson Dellosa, and I can't find the book on their site or on Amazon.

For this experiment, all you need is a ruler with a groove in the middle and some marbles.

First, we lined up two marbles in the middle and one marble at the edge. I asked the boys what they thought would happen when I flicked the marble. They thought that both marbles in the middle would roll away.

Surprise! Only one of the marbles rolled away!

We repeated the experiment with different configurations of marbles (like shooting 2 at 3), and pretty soon the pattern emerged: the number of marbles that you flick equal the number of marbles that roll away. In other words, the rolling marble can only transfer the amount of energy that it has - one marble can transfer energy to one marble, two marbles can transfer enough to move two marbles, etc.

Then the boys wanted to see what would happen if we flicked one of our larger marbles:

When we flicked the large marble at four smaller marbles, two marbles rolled away and a third marble rolled slowly away. We decided that the large marble had approximately the energy of 2.5 of the small marbles.
If you like this experiment - stay tuned! Posts to come over the next few weeks with experiments on friction, inertia, momentum, and more!

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Before I had kids, I taught science to groups of homeschoolers (grades 1-6). Thankfully, I saved all of my lesson plans, and now I am able to pull out ready-made units for my kids! I just started a unit on Force and Motion with my older two boys (4th grade and 1st grade).

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Trying to comprehend the science of matter may seem complicated, but Science Projects for Kids: States of Matter makes understanding it easy and interesting. Explore transitions between solid and liquid by making ice pops and rock candy.

See what happens to soda pop gas in a balloon, and make a cloud in a bottle. Learn about the concept of surface tension by blowing soap bubbles, stretching the surface of water, and cutting and connecting water drops.

You'll be surprised at how much you can learn about states of matter with these simple experiments. Gather a few materials from around the house, round up the kids, and have some science fun.

Follow the links below to get started with science projects for kids that explain the states of matter:
Solid to Liquid to Solid
One of the easiest ways to understand how states of matter change is to make yummy ice pops.
Sugar Crystals on a String
Enjoy the sweet rewards of this evaporation test.
Homemade Water Purifier
Create a very simple water purification system.
Soda Pop in a Balloon
Before drinking that soda, see what happens when the gas leaves the bottle.
Cloud in a Bottle
Create your very own piece of the sky with this project.
Soap Bubble Shapes
Have fun blowing bubbles while learning about surface tension.
Water Surface Stretch
See how far you can stretch the surface of water.
Cut and Connect Water Drops
Try your luck at splicing and reconnecting water.

Go to the next page to explore changes in states of matter -- and make something good to eat.

For more fun science projects for kids, check out:

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Science Projects for Kids: States of Matter

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Trying to comprehend the science of matter may seem complicated, but Science Projects for Kids: States of Matter makes understanding it easy and interesting. Explore transitions between solid and liquid by making ice pops and rock candy. See what happens to soda pop gas in a balloon, and make a cloud in a bottle.

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Video Explanation.  https://youtu.be/ftj23FRS2LI

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Kinetic energy is energy in motion. It is the opposite of stored, or potential, energy. Kinetic energy can be transferred between objects or changed into potential energy. Kids love seeing demonstrations of kinetic energy in action. These four simple experiments show children the effects of kinetic energy and how it is transferred between objects.

*** Sarah Vantassel/Demand Media

Tie a piece of string onto the stem of an apple. Tie the string to a high place so that the apple is at the same height as your forehead. Give the apple room to swing back and forth. Standing several feet away and pull the apple towards you until it touches your forehead. Let go and it will swing away from you. Stand completely still and watch the apple as it then swings back towards you. The apple will not hit you in the face, although it looks like it will. Some of the kinetic energy that causes the apple to move is now converted to potential energy due to gravity. This causes the apple to slow down as it continues to swing.

*** Sarah Vantassel/Demand Media

Find a large, heavy ball and a small, light ball for this experiment. You'll need a lot of room, so consider taking this activity outdoors. Hold the large ball in one hand. Place the smaller ball on top and hold it still. Take your hands off of both balls at the same time. The largest ball hits the ground and the smallest ball hits the larger one and bounces into the air. This happens because kinetic energy has been transferred from the larger ball to the smaller.

*** Sarah Vantassel/Demand Media

Kinetic energy can be transferred from one object to another in this drum experiment. This can be done with a real drum and drumstick, or a large container and two sticks. Hit one drumstick with the other and note the sound it makes. Put one drumstick on the surface of the drum while holding the other stick above the drum. Hit the center of the lower drumstick with the drumstick being held above the drum. The drum should make a sound even though it hasn't been hit directly with a drumstick because of the transfer of kinetic energy.

*** Sarah Vantassel/Demand Media

For this experiment you will need a wooden spool, flat toothpick, a rubber band, tape, one large and one small metal washer and a pencil that has never been sharpened. Attach the rubber band to the middle of the toothpick by pulling one end of the rubber band through the other until it is tight around the toothpick. Thread the toothpick and rubber band through the center of the spool, making sure the toothpick lays across the end of the spool. Cut or break the ends of the toothpick so they do not go past the edge of the spool. Tape the toothpick in place. Next, place the other end of the rubber band through the large washer and then the small one, sliding the pencil through at the end. Spin the pencil to wind the rubber band, set the spool on the floor and let it go. Explain to your students that kinetic energy will send the spool racing across the floor.

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Kinetic energy is energy in motion. It is the opposite of stored, or potential, energy. Kinetic energy can be transferred between objects or changed into potential energy. Kids love seeing demonstrations of kinetic energy in action. These four simple experiments show children the effects of kinetic energy and how it is transferred between objects.