Day 7 - Kinectic Energy and Momentum

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Dominoes and Marbles

Teacher information:

Scientists define energy as the capacity to move mass or do work. You cannot make it and you cannot destroy it; but you can change it from one form to another and you can move it around. A line of falling dominoes is a good example of energy moving from one place to another. A force (your finger) topples the first domino. The force of the falling domino topples the next and the next on down the line. Besides converting all potential energy to kinetic energy, a transfer of energy has happened.

The record for the most dominoes toppled is 3,847,295 (from a possible 4,000,000). The attempt was organized by Endemol Netherlands and took place at FEC EXPO, Leeuwarden, Netherlands, on 15 November 2002, as part of Domino Day 2002.

It took 100 builders working 8 hours a day between September and November to create the domino display.

Objectives:

1. Students will learn about momentum.
2. They will learn ways to change an objects velocity and acceleration.

Vocabulary:

• Kinetic energy: Energy due to motion.
• Momentum: An object's mass times its velocity. The heavier an object, or the faster it is going, the more momentum it has.
• Velocity: The speed and direction with which an object is moving.

Materials needed:

• dominoes
• 5 marbles
• various lengths of tubing
• table
• construction paper
• tape
• stopwatch or watch with seconds on it