Pinwheel Energy Lab

SC.5.6.1 Identify different forms of energy (e.g., thermal, electrical, nuclear, light, sound) and how they can
change and transfer energy from one form to another

Question:
Does weight affect the speed of turbine?
Hypothesis
If I place 10 paper clips for weight on turbine, then it will begin to slow down
and not spin any more.
Variables:
Independent:
Dependent:
Materials
Drinking straw
8 1/2 paper square
2 Pieces of thread (30 and 20 cm)
Handful of Paperclips
2 Toothpicks

Scissors
Hole Punch
Ruler
Tape

Procedures
a. Draw a line between two opposite corners of a piece of paper. Then
draw another line between the two other corners.
b. Cut from each corner halfway to the center of the paper.
c. Punch holes in every other corner and center. Put straw through center
hole. Bring corners to center, placing holes over straw. If needed, tape top
corner down so it does not come off the straw.
d. Tape the turbine to the straw.
e. Insert a thread approximately 30 cm long through the length of the straw
(taping a toothpick to one end is helpful, as if it were a needle).

f. Tape a toothpick securely to each end of the thread in the straw to help
you hold the entire apparatus up. (See picture.)
g. Tape a 20 cm long piece of thread to the straw about 3 inches behind the
pinwheel. Tie the bottom of the thread to a paperclip In the end, you should
be able to hold the thread that is IN the straw on each end. A paper clip will
be hanging on the OTHER dangling thread behind the pinwheel.
H. Expose the turbine to wind or blow on it. The thread connected to the
straw and back of the pinwheel should wind up around the straw.
Data Table

Trial #

Describe Independent
Variable
(# Paper Clips)

Results &
Observations
(Lifted
successfully?)

It worked a little
but it went roughly

It went a little
smooth but took a
while

It worked but it
was rough

12

It went fast but it

was really rough

Conclusion (Analyze data and summarize your findings. Include a

discussion about your hypothesis being correct or wrong. Why?)
Our pinwheel did work just took some time it went fats and it went slow
sharing the same pinwheel wasn't easy because we both had
disagreements. It wouldve been easier if we had glue but then it wouldn't
move better we only had time for two because we took so long plus there
were some steps we didnt understand and that was most of them but it
worked out fine and it moved some were. The variables were the weight of

the paper clips they change every time we put new ones on the other
paperclips to make it more challenging. The other variables were to make
sure that the pinwheel rotated into a fast circle and had to make sure that it
was moving well enough for the paper clips to wrap around the straw part.
The last variable is the speed of the pinwheel the goal is to make sure its
fast enough the speed at first was slow until we added more paper clips
then it went super fast.

I think our hypotheses wasnt wrong because we tried so hard for it to

work and it did we made it move the paper clips were hard to untangle
since it went so fast. Our results were mostly good but most of them were
rough we only got 2 that worked and smooth and 1 that was rough the first
trial took a while because we weren't holding it right. Next time I think that
we shouldnt share because it won't cause a lot of trouble next time also we
both have different ideas and we have a lot of disagreements it's better if
we didnt work together but its good to have teamwork.