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Date:         Tue, 13 Oct 1992 09:37:24 EDT
From:         Paul Kramer <KRAMERPR@SNYFARVA.BITNET>
Subject:      Re: "Balloon Science"

This is a response to D'Arcy Norman.

For five summers as part of several modules in the Project PIE
program (Partners in Education ) here at Farmingdale, I have
used balloons to demonstrate that force x distance = energy,
that compressed air contains energy, that heat is a form of
energy, that microwaves contain energy -- hence that
the electricity in the wall supply to a microwave oven is a
source of energy, that energy can break and melt ice and
expand water vapor.

PIE consists of 10 modules in elementary science that we use
as part of a teacher program each summer.  It is aimed at the
NY State 4-6 science curriculum.  While we organized the
modules around a life-science sequence, each is integrated with
components from Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.

Project PIE is supported by the State of New York Department of
Education under the Eisenhower Title IIa program.

The balloons are used at several points through the first three
modules.  A few, though non-exhaustive, examples:

1.  Find forces -- All sorts of pushes and pulls are identified
    including the force of air exiting from the lungs and the
    force necessary to inflate a balloon.  Then the children
    feel the force holding the balloon under tension by pressing
    on it.

2.  Find forces associated with motion -- Repeat first exercise,
    but now select only those forces in motion.  Among these are
    air blowing on paper or leaves and air inflating a balloon
    by moving its sides outward.

3.  Define work as a process of force moving through a discernable
    distance and locate work being, or possibly being, done in
    the room -- Now the findings of part 2 are re-identified as
    being associated with work, including the inflation of the
    balloon.  When the balloon deflates, the sides push the air
    out, so work is done there too.

4.      Now, define energy as the capacity to do work and identify
    things in the room shich possess energy.  Among these is
    anything which can inflate a balloon and the inflated balloon
    itself.

5.  We put 2-3 cc of water in a small balloon, tie it and heat
    in a microwave oven, as part of 3 and 4.  This works quite
    nicely!  The balloon inflates to about 10-12 cm and holds as
    long as the oven runs.  While it is hot and deflates rapidly
    afterward, you can quickly feel the force pushing out.

    We now see that heat and microwaves are forms of energy --
    ALWAYS as defined as capacity to do Force x Distance = Work!

6.  Break ice with a hammer to show (F x D) that energy is needed
    to separate the pieces of ice.  Now heat a piece of ice in a
    tied balloon BRIEFLY in the microwave to melt it.  Energy has
    broken up the ice into tiny parts which are free to move around
    each other.  We are on our way to explaining molecules!

    Heat further to inflate the balloon and see that more energy
    has caused a further separation of the molecules.

    This theme is reinforced in other ways.  Among them by getting
    four children to hold hands and stand with a small vibratory
    motion to simulate ice.  Then in pairs they circulate about
    but near each other to simulate water.  Finally, they all
    break free and circulate about the room to simulate steam.

As an example of how biology appears in the same modules,
we grow yeast in a beaker covered with Saran Wrap.  Sugar
enhances growth (some chemistry here, too)  The plastic
rises like an inflating balloon and LIFTS a coin resting
on it to demonstrate work being done.  Hence, the sugar
contains energy.

                   -=*=-

The teachers who first learn our modules by lecture follow with
a hands-on lab preparation and then teach them to groups of
children who appear later each day.  What I can say about my
energy sequence is that it works!

Anecdotally, my chemistry-major daughter visited one day when
the teachers were showing energy to the 4-5th graders.  She
sat with one of the groups for a while and then came to me and
exclaimed with a note of amazement in her voice that, "THEY
REALLY UNDERSTAND ENERGY!"

I hope this helps to stimulate your own ideas.  I'd love to
hear of anyone who tries or extends this theme.

 ________________________________________________________________
|             |                       |                          |
|       __    |Paul Kramer            |--------------------------|
|      /N |   |Professor of Physics   |Voice: 516-271-8311       |
| ____|  Y|   |State Univ. of New York|       (9am-11pm, 7 days) |
|/_______ |   |  College of Technology|  FAX: 516-673-1095       |
|        =x== <-Farmingdale, NY 11735 |<KRAMERPR@SNYFARVA.BITNET>|
|_____________|_______________________|__________________________|
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