Fun at school

[black85vette]

Had a friend of mine who teaches science at a high school ask me to bring a couple of model steam engines and show them to her science class. They are studying physics right now so I did a short talk on the physics involved in liquid turning to gas with heat, pressure, expansion, thermo dynamics, and using energy to do work, etc. Then I described how the engines worked and ran them on compressed air. The hit of the show was my Stirling engine running on a cup of hot water. That amazed them. Got lots of good questions from this group of young folks that showed they were listening and wanted to know more. One young fellow asked about more information on how to build small engines and wanted to give it a try. Quite a nice time.

 

[mklotz]

I've done the same a few times at our local middle school.

After running the LTD Stirling on a cup of the teachers' (undrinkable) coffee, I put it on one of those ice packs one uses in coolers. The kids are even more astounded by the fact that it can "run on cold". It's a good way to get them to appreciate that the air in their classroom contains energy and really underlines the fact that one only needs a temperature *differential* to make an engine run.

I also take along a small breath powered engine and let them take turns making it run. I shudder to say it but it's a good way for them to let off steam.

 

[ChooChooMike]

I shudder to say it but it's a good way for them to let off steam.

From one punster to another, you don't shudder at all, you enjoy saying that

(as would I, of course ... groans are music to our ears )