Rubber Bands for Energy
IntroductionIf you've ever been shot with a rubber band then you know it has energy in it—enough energy to smack you in the arm and cause a sting! But have you ever wondered what the relationship is between a stretched rubber band at rest and the energy it holds? The energy the rubber band has stored is related to the distance the rubber band will fly after being released. So can you guess one way to test how much energy a stretched rubber band contains?
This activity is not appropriate for use as a science fair project. Good science fair projects have a stronger focus on controlling variables, taking accurate measurements, and analyzing data. To find a science fair project that is just right for you, browse our library of over 1,200 Science Fair Project Ideas or use the Topic Selection Wizard to get a personalized project recommendation.
BackgroundNo mechanical contraption would be any fun if it did not work. But "work," in the physics sense, takes energy. Consider a rope and pulley that bring a bucket up a well. The energy that makes this mechanical system work is provided by a person who pulls up the rope. There are actually two different kinds of energy: potential energy, which is stored energy, and kinetic energy, which is energy in motion. A great example of the difference between kinetic and potential energy is from the classic "snake-in-a-can" prank. This is an old joke where you give someone a can of peanuts and tell them to open it, but inside is actually a long spring that pops out when the lid is twisted off. Because the spring is usually decorated to look like a snake, this prank usually causes the victim to jump back and shout in surprise! When the snaky spring is compressed and secured inside the unopened can, it has potential energy. But when the can is opened, the potential energy quickly converts to kinetic energy as the fake snake jumps out. Materials
Preparation
Procedure
Extra: In this activity you kept the angle and height of the launch the same from trial to trial. How do these variables affect the distance the rubber band travels? Design a separate activity to test each of these variables separately.
Extra: You can do a very similar activity to this one by using other types of mechanical systems, such as springs and slingshots. How do the data collected using these other mechanical systems compare with that collected using rubber bands?
Extra: For an advanced challenge, you can use linear regression to further analyze your data. Can you define an equation that expresses the relationship between potential and kinetic energy in this system?
Observations and ResultsDid the rubber bands stretched to 30 cm launch farther than the other rubber bands? Did you see a linear relationship between the launch distance and stretch length when you graphed your data? You input potential (stored) energy into the rubber band system when you stretched the rubber band back. Because it is an elastic system, this kind of potential energy is specifically called elastic potential energy. Elastic potential energy (measured in the unit joules) is equal to ½ multiplied by the stretch length ("x") squared, multiplied by the spring constant "k." The spring constant is different for every rubber band, but can be figured out (see "Welcome to the Guide to Shooting Rubber Bands" below). When the rubber band is released, the potential energy is quickly converted to kinetic (motion) energy. This is equal to one half the mass (of the rubber band) multiplied by its velocity (in meters per second) squared. Using these equations, you can calculate the velocity of the rubber band right when it is released, and find that the velocity has a linear relationship with the stretch length. (Because the amount of time that the rubber band spends in the air is dependent on its initial height and force of gravity, and these factors should not change between your trials, then how far the rubber band flies depends on its initial velocity.) Consequently, after you graph your data, you should see a roughly linear relationship between the stretch length and the launch distance.
More to ExploreWhat Is Energy? from Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Program (KEEP)Energy Conversions: Potential Energy to Kinetic Energy from FT Exploring Science and Technology Welcome to the Guide to Shooting Rubber Bands: The Physics of Shooting by Tim Morgan Rubber Bands for Energy from Science Buddies CreditsTeisha Rowland, PhD, Science Buddies
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Key Concepts
Physics, mathematics, energy, projectiles
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