What are you going to recommend to the Pharaoh?
How is home insulation like the foam cups you used in the
experiment? (Hint: Is there such a thing as too much insulation?)
(C)
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| The Mummy is building a roller coaster to entertain
the Atom's Family monsters and needs your help with the concepts of Kinetic and
Potential energy. Help the Mummy by making a model roller coaster.
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two chairs
masking tape
yard sticks
3 shooter marbles
one 8-foot strip of vinyl ceiling molding
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1. Place the chairs back to back, but about 3 feet
apart.
2. Tape the ends of the track to the chairs so that the center
hangs down to the floor like the letter U. Use masking tape to secure the bottom
of the track to the floor.
3. Place a marble on one end of the track and let it roll down.
How many times did the marble travel back and forth before it stopped in the
middle? This activity illustrates potential and kinetic energy. Where was the
marble when it had the most potential energy? Where was it when it had the most
kinetic energy?
4. Other possible discovery
experiments:
- Measure the highest point each time the marble rolls up the
track. Keep a chart of each measurement. Why doesn't the marble rise as far up?
Can you find the amount of energy that is lost on each trip?
- What will happen when one marble is at rest on the track and
another is dropped on the track? What if two marbles are on the track?
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Scientists define energy as the ability to do work, that is to
make things move or to make new chemical compounds. Work is done when a force (a
push or a pull) acts on something for a distance.
Mechanical energy is the most common type of energy that we see
around us. All moving objects have a type of mechanical energy called kinetic
energy. When they move, they can lose energy to friction which creates heat and
noise. Or the kinetic energy can be stored up as potential energy.
Potential energy is the energy that a substance or object has
because of its condition (e.g., the chemical potential energy of gasoline) or
position (e.g., the gravitational potential energy of a car on a hill).
Potential energy can be changed into kinetic energy, which can be changed back
into potential energy. For example, a car's engine changes the chemical
potential energy of gasoline into the kinetic energy of its speed along the
highway. When the car coasts up a hill, it changes the kinetic energy into
gravitational potential energy.
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This activity shows how energy can change from potential to
kinetic and back again. When the marble is at the top of the track, it has more
potential energy than when it is at the bottom. As it goes down the track, it
moves faster and faster (it accelerates) due to the pull of gravity. This
changes the potential energy into kinetic energy. At the bottom of the track,
the marble is going the fastest and has the most kinetic energy. As it climbs
back up, gravity slows it down and the kinetic energy is changed back into
potential energy.
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| Choose a material from the buttons below and then click on
different parts of the thermometer. Observe how the element or molecule changes
phases at different temperatures in the chamber. What happens to the elements or
molecules as the temperature changes? |
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| The Phantom has provided you with a simulated
spectroscope of an Atom! Amuse the Phantom by observing the spectroscope below
and you'll learn more about the Atom. |
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| Observe the above simulated spectroscope of an atom.
Watch how the single electron (yellow) is spinning around the nucleus
(red). |
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| Notice how much space is between the nucleus and the
surrounding electron cloud. Even in a simple atom with only one electron, the
electron moves in a random orbit, creating a cloud-like effect, as seen in this
demonstration. |
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Protons (found in the nucleus of an atom) and
Electrons (spinning around the center of an atom) are electrically charged.
Protons have a positive charge, and electrons have a negative charge. Neutrons
have no electrical charge, and are therefore neutral. Particles which have
opposite electrical charges are attracted to each other, causing the particles
of the atom to stay together. Electrons are said to orbit around the larger
nucleus of the atom. Sometimes these orbits are not circular but irregular in
shape due to the electron pull towards the nucleus of the atom and against the
other elements. Scientists sometimes refer to these energy levels as electron
clouds.
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| The Phantom wants to create life sized models of
atoms, and he wants your help! Help the Phantom investigate the world of the
very small by cutting a 28 centimeter strip of paper in half as many times as
you can. If you can cut the strip of paper in half 31 times you will end up with
a piece of paper the size of an
atom. |
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1 strip of paper 28 centimeters long (11" inches)
1 pair of scissors
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 Take
your strip of paper and cut it into equal halves.
Cut one of the remaining pieces of paper into equal
halves.
Continue to cut the strip into equal halves as many times as
you can.
Make all cuts parallel to the first one. When the width gets
longer than the length, you may cut off the excess, but that does not count as a
cut. |
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How far did you get? Here are some comparisons
to think about!
| Cut 1 | 14.0 cm | 5.5" | Child's hand, pockets |
| Cut 2 | 7.0 cm | 2.75" | Fingers, ears, toes |
| Cut 3 | 3.5 cm | 1.38" | Watch, mushroom, eye |
| Cut 4 | 1.75 cm | .69" | Keyboard keys, rings, insects |
| Cut 6 | .44 cm | .17" | Poppy seeds |
| Cut 8 | 1 mm | .04" | Thread. Congratulations if your still in! |
| Cut 10 | .25 mm | .01" | Still cutting? Most have quit by now |
| Cut 12 | .06 mm | .002" | Microscopic range, human hair |
| Cut 14 | .015 mm | .006" | Width of paper, microchip components |
| Cut 18 | 1 micron | .0004" | Water purification openings, bacteria |
| Cut 19 | .5 micron | .000018" | Visible light waves |
| Cut 24 | .015 micron | .0000006" | Electron microscope range, membranes |
| Cut 31 | .0001 micron | .0000000045" | The size of an
Atom! |
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 Is
there anything smaller? Yes, the size of an atom nucleus would take about 41
cuts! Scientists use advanced technology to explore the world of electrons and
quarks that are at least 9,000 times smaller than a nucleus.
We can not see anything smaller than an atom with our eyes,
even with the electron microscope. Physicists study much smaller things without
seeing them directly.
Is there an end to the quest for the smallest and most basic
elements in our world? The search began with the Greeks and continues as
scientists search for the Building Blocks of the universe. These things are far
beyond the range of sensory perception but not beyond the range of human
understanding.
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| You've learned that atoms are the building blocks of
molecules and molecules are the building blocks of matter. The Phantom needs
your help to construct a few molecules and, like a true scientist, he wants to
make a few models of the molecules
first. |
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 4
miniature marshmallows (oxygen)
7 red gum drops (hydrogen)
7 green gum drops (chlorine)
2 yellow gum drops (sulfur)
25 toothpicks (covalent bonds)
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 1.
Construct models of the following molecules:
H2, HCl, H2O (Hint: attach the hydrogen at right angles to the
oxygen)
2. Now construct models of these molecules:
Cl2, H2S, Cl2 O and Cl2S
3. Classify the molecules as a gas, liquid or solid at room
temperature.
4. Draw diagrams of each of the model molecules you have
constructed. Check your diagram with the diagrams in the Handbook of Chemistry
or other reference. |
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 When the chemical formula for a molecule or compound is written, it
shows the number of each type of atom or element in the molecule. These numbers,
called subscripts, are determined by the bonding between the atoms. In the
models you constructed, the toothpicks represented the bonds between the atoms.
In reality, some atoms give up electrons when compounds are formed and some gain
electrons when they form
compounds. |
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| Life is a chemical process! Indeed, chemicals are
all around us and inside us. Create a table showing the chemical formula for
each of the molecules you constructed, and identify a common use for that
chemical. Don't be afraid to surf the web looking for answers. You might even
find the Phantom out there looking for new molecules. |
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| Dracula has just finished building his radiometer
rack to alert him when too much light is present. Since he's afraid of the
light, he wants you to test it out for
him. |
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| Aim the light (your mouse) at the radiometers below
and observe how they react. |
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Notice how the sails on the radiometers spin after the light is
shining on them. A radiometer consists of a set of vanes, each shiny on one side
and blackened on the other.
When the light strikes the shiny surface, most of it is
reflected away, but when it strikes the blackened surface, most of it is
absorbed, raising the temperature of the surface. The vanes turn because the air
near the blackened surface becomes hotter and exerts a greater pressure on it
than on the shiny
surface.
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| Light has qualities of both waves and particles.
These radiometers demonstrate the particle-like nature of light: when the
photons of light strike the surface of the radiometer they transfer their energy
and cause the sails to spin. Tell Dracula that everthing is working perfectly
with his new light detection system! |
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| Dracula has lost his pet bat and needs
your help finding him! Help Dracula find his bat by participating in the
following activity. |
Black cardboard paper cutout of a bat
Cardboard box lined with white cardboard paper on the
inside |
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Stare at the black bat for at least 30 seconds.
Immediately stare at the inside of the white box.
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| What did you see when you started staring at the
white box? You should have seen a faint image of the black bat that you were
staring at. This faint image is called an afterimage. The cause of the
afterimage is thought to be an adaptation of the sensory mechanism to a repeated
or uninterrupted stimulus. For example, strong odors that seem to disappear
after a while or how you don't notice the feel of your clothes after you have
been wearing them for a while. Your eyes respond in similar
ways. |
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| The retina is located behind your eye and contains
light detecting cells.By staring at the black bat you were stimulating some of
these light detecting cells more than others. These cells became fatigued and
less sensitive. This created an afterimage when you moved your eyes to the white
box. Now that you have the image of Dracula's bat in your eyes, help Dracula
search for his long lost friend. You won't forget what his bat looks like for a
while! |
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| Dracula has a hole in his roof, the sun is rising
and he needs your help quickly! Participate in the following activity and learn
how to reflect the incoming light out of his
house. |
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Small mirror
Protractor
Flashlight
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Setup the mirror and the protractor as illustrated
Use the flashlight to shine a beam as the ray in the angle of
incident and note the angle of the beam on the protractor. The ray that strikes
the mirror is called the incident or striking ray.
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| The ray that is bounced back by the mirror is called
the reflected ray. Does the beam that is reflected in the angle of reflection
show the same degree on the
protractor? |
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The angle between the incident ray and the surface
of the mirror is called the angle of incident. Whereas the angle between the
reflected ray and the surface of the mirror is called the angle of reflection.
If you know one of the angles you should be able to figure out the other angle.
Use the the mirror and protrator along with what you've just learned to reflect
the incoming sunlight out of Dracula's house before its too late!
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 Pushing, pulling and falling has the Wolf Man confused about energy. He
thinks that one type of energy is just as good as another. And why shouldn't he?
Most people do and take that notion right into the Ghostly Graveyard! And this
problem with Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and greenhouse gasses and global warming.
That's got the furry graveyard sexton worried too.
You realize that the only way different types of fuels can be
compared is to examine their energy content on a standard scale.
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| Energy Resource | Energy Content (BTU) | Amount per MBTU | CO2 Produced (per unit of fuel) | Pounds of CO2 produced per million BTU |
| wood | 8,000/lb | 125 lbs. | 2.59 lb. CO2/lb | 323.8 |
| coal | 12,250/lb | | 2.48 lb. CO2/lb | |
| fuel oil | 140,000/gal | | 26.4 lb. CO2/gal | |
| gasoline | 125,000/gal | | 23.8 lb. CO2/gal | |
| LP gas | 95,500/gal | | 12.1 lb. CO2/therm | |
| electricity from coal | 3,413 kwH | | 2.37 lb. CO2/kwH | |
| electricity from oil | 3,413/kwH | | 2.14 lb. CO2/kwH | |
| electricity from natural gas | 3,413/kwH | | 1.32 lb. CO2/kwH | |
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 After a quick trip on the Web you've summarized the main types of fuels
used in the United States, identified their energy content in BTU (British
Thermal Unit) and the amount of carbon dioxide produced per unit of fuel. Now
you've got to do some calculations to help the Wolf Man make meaningful
comparisons. A calculator will help!
EXAMPLE: Wood has 8,000 BTU's (British Thermal Unit) per pound.
How many pounds of wood will it take to produce 1 million BTU (British Thermal
Unit) Ans. 1,000,000/ 8000 = 125 pounds.
Each pound of wood produces about 2.59 pounds of carbon
dioxide. So burning 125 pounds of wood produces 323.8 pounds of carbon dioxide
(2.59 X 125 = 323.8 pounds). |
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| Rank-order the fuels according the amount of CO2
they produce per MBTU's. Explain the list to Wolf Man and make some
recommendations on the kinds of fuels he should buy. What are some other things
he should consider? |
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 Some fuels are better suited to certain tasks than others. For example
it only takes 8 gallons of gasoline to produce a MBTU's but it takes 125 pounds
of wood to produce the same amount of energy. Can you imagine driving a car
around town with 125 pounds of wood loaded in the trunk?
Use this notion of energy density to explain the
following:
- "Natural gas is the fuel of choice for heating water, heating
homes and cooking."
- · "Coal is an abundant fossil fuel but it's dirty."
- "Gasoline can never be replaced by biomass fuels like
wood."
- "Burning natural gas to make electricity is a terrible waste
(or a good use) of a precious resource."
EXAMPLE: Wood has 8,000 BTU's (British Thermal Unit) per pound.
How many pounds of wood will it take to produce 1 million BTu's (British Thermal
Unit)? Ans. 1,000,000/ 8000 = 125 pounds.
Each pound of wood produces about 2.59 pounds of carbon
dioxide. So burning 125 pounds of wood produces 323.8 pounds of carbon dioxide
(2.59 X 125 = 323.8 pounds).
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| Frankenstein's lab is running out of electricity and
Igor has asked you to help him find a temporary source of energy to get a single
light for the good doctor. His blood-shot eyes stare into yours as he begs for
your help. That's when you spot the bowl of fruit. Can fruit help Igor make
electricity? |
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 citrus fruit (lemons or
limes work best)
1 copper screw about 5 cm long
1 zinc screw about 5 cm long
1 holiday light with 5 cm leads
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 You remember that a
battery is nothing more that a device that stores metals and chemicals. And all
that citrus contains acids so maybe, just maybe, you can help poor Igor
out.
1. Roll the fruit under the palm of your hand to soften but be
careful you don't break the skin. Work it gently on a piece of scrap paper or a
paper towel.
2. Insert the screws into the fruit about 5 cm apart. Don't
allow the screws to go through the bottom skin of the fruit.
3. Carefully remove about 1 cm of the insulation from the leads
on the holiday light. Do not cut into the wire beneath the
insulation.
4. Twist one end of the wire around one screw and the other end
around the other screw. Presto--you have light!
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| Investigate the probability of using other fruits
and vegetables to make electricity. Measure the pH of each "battery" and see if
there is a relationship between the pH of the juice and the amount of light that
is produced. If you have a multimeter, you can measure the voltage and current
produced. |
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Was Igor happy with the light? Batteries are an
important part of today's highly charged electrical society. They are used to
start cars, power alarm systems, and run important stuff like radios and CD
players. From what materials was the first "voltaic" cell constructed? What
materials are used in today's batteries? What materials may be used in the
batteries of the future? (If, indeed, we still need them!)
Click on the characters to find out what they are doing
wrong.
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| Welcome to The Atoms Family, a Science Learning
Network resource based on The Atoms Family exhibit at the Miami Science Museum.
This resource contains educational activities relating to different forms of
energy, and are being presented by famous gothic horror characters. In order to
experience the full capabilities of this site, please make sure that you have
javascript turned on in your browser. If you encounter any problems or have any
questions concerning this site, please send an e-mail to the webmaster. |
 | Clicking the Atoms Family Logo anywhere within the site will bring
you back to the main Atoms Family page. |
 | Clicking on a portrait of a character anywhere within the website
will bring you to that character's main page in the
website. |
 | Clicking on the museum logo will bring you to the Miami
Science Museum's main website. |
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6 Styrofoam
cups and 3 lids
1. Make
a prediction – which cup will stay cool longest?
