OpenStax
Open Stax: Conservation of Energy
In the following tutorial, students will learn about the law of conservation of energy. They will read about some of the many forms of energy. They will understand the definition of efficiency of an energy conversion process as the...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Roller Coaster Marbles: How Much Height to Loop the Loop?
This is a really fun project even if you don't like going on roller coasters yourself. You'll build a roller coaster track for marbles using foam pipe insulation and masking tape, and see how much of an initial drop is required to get...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: How Long Will My Sleepy Yo Yo Sleep?
Yo-yo's are a fun toy and there is nothing simpler than a string wrapped between two connected disks. But there's a lot of physics that makes a yo-yo work. In this science fair project, learn more about how and why a yo-yo works. You...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Amusement Park Ride: Ups and Downs in Design
This unit has students design and build foam tubing roller coasters. The design process integrates energy concepts as they test and evaluate their designs that address the task as an engineer would. The goal is for students to understand...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Build a 'Breath Spray Bomb' to Study Small Explosion
Hold onto your hats. In this science fair project, you will make a device that sends a film canister across the room with a small chemical explosion. The energy for the explosion is derived from the combustion of ethanol. You will...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Work and Power: Waterwheel
Investigating a waterwheel illustrates to students the physical properties of energy. They learn that the concept of work, force acting over a distance, differs from power, which is defined as force acting over a distance over some...
Boston University
Boston University: Electric Energy and Potential
Scroll down about 1/2 the page to read about what electric potential is. The equation for its computation is given along with its relation to electric potential energy.
Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)
Smile: Potential Energy: How Is It Related to Kinetic Energy
After creating three different ramps with various heights, students will release toy cars from the tops of each ramp. Based on the elementary age level, students will collect data and analyze it.
Physics Classroom
The Physics Classroom: Static Electricity Review
This review from the Glenbrook South High School provides a series of questions on various topics associated with static electricity (such as electrical insulation). Answers and explanations are hidden, yet easily accessed from within a...
Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)
Smile: Electrochemistry
A teacher lesson plan which could be easily converted into an idea for a student project or presentation. This page describes activities in which the interconversion of chemical and electrical energy are investigated. Complete activity...