Energy Project

Proof of Efficacy Document:

August Larsen

Chemistry 2o

6/01/26

Proof of Efficacy Document: Dog Powered Treadmill that Churns Butter

Name: Dog Powered Treadmill that Churnes Butter

Function: Make a treadmill that a dog can walk on. This action will cause the dog to turn Heavy Whipping Cream into Butter.

Materials: 

1. Wood (for structure (lots of plywood))

2. Screws 

3. Rubber (for dog to walk on)

4. Dog 

5. Container (for cream/butter)

6. Heavy Whipping Cream

7. Wheels

8. Hose Clamps

9. Pipe (axle for wheels)

10. Wheel rollers

Safety Measurements:

1. The construction of this project requires the use of a table saw, chop saw and other dangerous power tools. Always wear proper PPE. 

Procedure (for attempt 1): 

1. Use 2x4s to build a frame 

2. Add supports for wheel system

3. Attach pipe and wheels

4. Attach wheel rollers 

5. Cut 4x8 plywood into planks

6. Attach rubber sections onto wood with screws. 

7. Put heavy cream into container and attach to dog

Modifications: 

1. We added zipties and hose clamps to the wheel so they don't move along the axle.

2. We removed the wheel rollers and instead screwed in pvc piping for the wood planks to slide along

Steps of Energy Transfers and Types of Energy Manifested: 

1. Before the hot air balloon is ignited, the temperature within the air in the hot air balloon and outside remains constant. 

2. When the candles were lit inside the hot air balloon, that creates chemical energy also known as combustion. The chemical energy then produces heat from the flame which is known as thermal energy. 

   1. We can manifest chemical energy seen through the flame being lit (sight). 

   2. We can manifest thermal energy by seeing the bright light it creates (sight) and noticing the increasing hotter temperature change (touch). 

3. The chemical reaction creating the thermal energy is then transferred to kinetic energy. The heat trapped inside the hot air balloon causes the air molecules to quickly spread up and out and move around inside the warmer air. The cold air molecules are then displaced as they become either heated or ejected outside the hot air balloon.

4. As the temperature remains hot, no more cold molecules remain in the balloon, as they have all been displaced into the outside air molecules. 

5. Because heat expands, the warmer air molecules are much less dense inside the balloon compared to the much more dense cold air molecules outside the balloon. 

6. This allows the balloon to expand on the inside and then rise upward, which is known as convection, which is the transfer of thermal energy  causing a hotter, less dense object to rise vertically in the air. 

In simpler terms...

• Chemical-Kinetic

• Kinetic- Mechanical

• Mechanical-kinetic energy 

The dog eats 466.25 calories of dog food. The dog turns the treadmill which moves the dog which in turn jostles the container holding the heavy whipping cream. The dog produced 408 calories. 

4 TBsp butter = 56.8 grams

2.5J of energy required to turn cream into butter

56.8x2.5J/g=142 Joules required to turn cream into butter

Butter churning machine

Energy required to churn 4 table spoons of heavy whipping cream into butter=10-20 calories (when shaken by hand - similar to being hooked to dog walking) 

The dog walked for a few minutes and was moving 

Molecular Blueprint of Butter Creation:

Photo of the Treadmill