STEM ACTIVITY: Designing a Wind Powered Car
Middle to Upper Primary

Book: Ollie and the Wind (Ronojoy Ghosh)

Key Concepts: Energy Transformation, Engineering Design process, Forces, Measurement.

In Victoria, we generate most of our electricity from fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are considered a polluting, non-renewable form of energy. It is the job of future engineers to develop clean and sustainable means of producing energy for both electricity and to power our cars.

Energy is the ability to do work. Energy comes in many forms: chemical energy, electrical energy, heat energy, light energy, mechanical energy and nuclear energy. Wind energy is a form of renewable energy that comes from wind. Other types of renewable energies include slow but steady tidal power, geothermal power (only possible in some areas, tapping heat from deep in the Earth), and biofuels (fuels derived from plants and algae). These energy types are renewable because the source of the energy is never ending (wind, sun, water etc.). Perhaps wind energy might be the energy source for future cars?

WIND POWERED CARS OF THE FUTURE

Design a mast and sail for a car of the future. You have been provided with a car base to attach it to. Plan it using the materials given and the design engineer process. You will need to test and adjust your design so that you obtain the best distance travelled by your car.

Measure the distance it travels when using a fan (A more specific machine/toy could be provide: car, kit, plane, boat).

Rules: Your resources are limited! Be wise in what you use.