SCIENCE FOR GRADES 1-8 Understanding SPRINGS, GEARS and MORE…
The rattler makes a great noise, but it is also a project that has a SPRING and a simple GEAR!
The paint stirr stick is the SPRING, the square with the four teeth is the GEAR! You can almost feel the tension in the spring by looking how it is bend from the base to the gear. A bend stick is like a loaded spring, it stores ENERGY, which is POTENTIAL ENERGY, it could be released any moment!
You control the timing by swinging the rattler counter clock wise holding it at the handle. The rattler body moves around the GEAR, and the teeth of the gear lift the stick up, one at the time, bending it more… When the SPRING escapes the tooth, it snaps back onto the side of the square block: POTENTIAL ENERGY changes into IMPACT ENERGY, the impact makes a popping sound. Sound is also ENERGY, so energy changes from one kind into another kind. Where does the rattler energy come from? Well, what do you think? Just keep rattling and you will discover the ENERGY SOURCE! It is you: muscle energy!
When you turn the rattler slowly you hear four clicks per turn, because there are four TEETH on the GEAR.
When your turn faster the clicks come faster and the PITCH of the sound changes. Pitch in this case is the number of clicks per unit of time. Ah well this might get a little out of hand… just enjoy the rattler.
Be careful though, leave yourself enough room to swing the rattler without hurting your friends or bystanders.
