Potential Energy in Potential Minds
The world will soon belong to kids. They will inherit all of the wonders and all of the challenges. And at the heart of those challenges: Energy.
Humans’ need for energy has grown exponentially, double what it was fifty years ago. We need novel ways to harness it, store it, measure it, and deliver it. The best place to plant the seeds of innovation is in the minds of middle schoolers. Yes, I said middle schoolers.
This presentation is one way to introduce those puzzles to young minds; imaginations which can transcend the possible and tap into the absolutely outlandish!
In collaboration with Clearwater Power Company, Powerful had the opportunity to visit a middle school in tiny Asotin, Washington to discuss the science – and the magic – of electricity.
“When kids hear about our future of climate and energy, we want them to feel wonder and initiative, not dread and hopelessness, and that begins with a firm understanding of the science behind electricity,” says Jeff Marshall, Powerful Web. “What better way to create that understanding than a hands-on experience?”
Forms of Energy
In this 45-minute session, we explain how energy can change forms. We discuss how breakfast (chemical energy) powers muscles (kinetic energy) to charge a wind-up flashlight (electric energy) which lights an LED (radiant energy)! And while there are inefficiencies along the way, none of the energy is created or destroyed, it just changes form.
Forms of Generation
The class goes on to discuss the many forms of modern electrical generation and the pros and cons of each. It surprises kids to learn that most electric generation still comes from making something spin, a technology that dates back to the 1830s. “Photovoltaic (solar power) is still the most novel form of generation over the past 75 years. We have to believe that there are other breakthroughs waiting to be discovered,” says Marshall.
This is followed by discussing how electricity moves through certain materials (conductors) and is stopped by others (insulators), and the need for short-term and long-term storage solutions.
Hands-on Experience
Finally, the students get to experience a static electric field with a series of fun and hair-raising experiments using a Van der Graaf generator. Students apply the principles of conduction, insulation, ground state, and voltage potential. “It’s one thing to hear the words, but when you can see and feel that these principles are real, that helps the concepts stick,” says Marshall.
The Powerful Web team strives to serve as a trusted partner in telling the story of public power. While we don’t often get to interact with the end-users of those systems, we cherish each opportunity. “We gain by giving,” says Marshall. “Our hope is that we help some of these kids go on to help solve energy issues. The potential is there, they just need a little spark.”
