Academy of STEAM: Inertia & Energy Conversion

Inertia & Energy Conversion: Build an experimental platform that simulates a car that crashes on a wall.

Learning outcome: Newton’s laws can essentially describe all objects that are in motion. Learn the notion of inertia, realize that it can be observed everywhere in our daily life and understand that seatbelts keep us safe when travelling. List different forms of energy and define how the energy can be converted from one form to the other.

Experiment Method Description: Build an experimental platform that simulates a car that crashes on a wall. Convert the elastic energy of a stretched spring into kinetic for the vehicle. See the passenger flying out of the car right after the crash due to inertia. Investigate the relation between mass, acceleration and force. Relate inertia and the travelled distance of the passenger to the speed of the vehicle. Fasten the passenger on the vehicle and demonstrate how seatbelts can save lives.

We have been focused on innovation and creativity. To inspire students to become better problem solvers and future innovators, our design of a new system of modular connectors enables students to build fully functional models.