Pinwheel Science: Weekly Science Activity

In this week's spotlight: an energy-focused family science experiment that explores the relationship between the potential power of a wind turbine and the source and location of the wind. Using a pinwheel, students create their own horizontal-axis wind turbine and experiment to see how the pinwheel spins when the wind comes at it from different directions—and how this translates into how much weight the wind turbine can lift. A pinwheel is a simple example of a wind turbine, but with this hands-on experiment, students can see the affect of the wind direction in how many small items the pinwheel can lift.

• Unleash the Power of a Pinwheel! (full Science Buddies Project Idea)
• Strong Wind Science: The Power of a Pinwheel (science activity at Scientific American)