My PBL Project

Materials

A flight of stairs and a slinky

Procedures

1. build, buy, or find a staircase.

2. place a slinky on the top step.

3. pull the top of the slinky with your thumb and index finger and let it fall to the second step.

4. watch in awe as the slinky flip flop walks down a flight of stairs

Principles - How does this work? Why does this Happen?

When the slinky is at the top step, it has potential energy, but when it is thrown to the next step, that potential energy is converted to kinetic energy, therefore causing motion. However, it doesn't stop there, the kinetic energy is quickly transformed back into potential energy as the spring stands back upright in the next step. This process keeps repeating over and over again until it reaches the final step of the staircase.