We built working model windmills out of building rods and used the rotation of the windmill to power a lifting mechanism that lifted up a cup of weights with a string. To find the most efficient design, we ran experiments changing the number of blades, their angles, shapes, and sizes to see which combination lifted the most weight the fastest. Finally, we added a wheel mechanism to test different gear ratios, finding how mechanical advantage best balances speed and lifting power.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/17a4rdEw9hpWI3WurO_oZF2JFD5hrkSEj/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=116070918981093973251&rtpof=true&sd=true 

We built working electric motors using paper cups, wire coils, magnets, and paper clips. We attached them them up to batteries to see how running an electric current through a coil turns it into a temporary electromagnet that reacts with permanent magnets to spin. Through this, we experienced how electricity creates magnetic fields.

We built a homemade battery tester by wrapping wire around a paper cup and hanging magnets inside on a string. When we touched the wire ends to a battery, the electrical current created a magnetic field that made the hanging magnets move. Through this, we learned how electricity and magnetism work together and how to use electromagnetism to detect a power source.