Key Terms Defined
- Elastic potential energy
- Energy stored in elastic materials
- Gravitational potential energy
- Energy an object possesses because of its position in a gravitational field
- Kinetic energy
- Energy from motion
Before the egg fell, it possessed gravitational potential energy and no kinetic energy. At the end of the drop, the egg and rubber band system now possess less gravitational potential energy, no kinetic energy (it is not moving) and a lot of elastic potential energy due to the stretched rubber bands. This illustrates the Law of Conservation of Energy. Most of the initial gravitational potential energy transferred to elastic potential energy at the bottom of its fall. Some energy also went to heat energy.
- Museum Hours
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- Daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Open daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas
- Museum Location
- Getting Here
More Activities
- Online Activity
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Make a Comeback Can
Surprise your friends by making a can that rolls back to you when you tell it to!
- Online Activity
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Drop Eggs Into Cups
Learn about types of energy in this puzzling and fun experiment.
- Online Activity
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Build a Roller Coaster
Learn about energy as you send a marble through a roller coaster that you design.
More Exhibits
- Exhibit
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Science Storms
Feel the physics and consider the chemistry of natural phenomena like tornados and avalanches.