Define and Inquire:

The goal–Design and create a toy that converts energy

–fun –safe –converts energy that a child can produce

Audience: Children (under age 12)

  • Children can be easily attracted by noises, movement, and light.

Types of energy:

  1. Electric energy

Electric energy is one type of kinetic energy caused by the movement of charged electrons. Electric Energy is a secondary source of energy, which means it has to be transformed from other energies such as sunlight and wind. Examples of electric energy used in our daily lives: lamps, phones, laptops, electric cars. Electric energy is one of the most convenient forms of energy, electricity can be easily transported from one place to another. However, when using electric products, there are a few safety risks, such as shocks and burns.

 

  1. Thermal energy

Thermal energy is produced by particle movement within a substance. Thermal energy is created when a rise of temperature happens. Examples of thermal energy are fire (creating radiation), a cup of hot chocolate (conduction and convection). Thermal energy is easy to create, but toymakers do not usually use thermal energy because it is dangerous for children, the heat can burn skins and cause a fire.

 

  1. Solar energy

Solar energy is the light and heat from the sun. It is usually collected by the solar panel and converted into electricity. You can find solar energy everywhere before sunset. It is also a very environmentally friendly way of powering objects. However, solar energy really depends on the time and weather, and solar energy panels are usually larger than batteries.

Precedents:

This solar-powered doll can wiggle and dance using only a little bit of solar energy, When the light illuminates the solar band, it will automatically swing. This toy is easy to make but also provides a lot of fun for kids.

This is a music box, the horse in the middle can spin and it makes music. This music box does not require any energy for it; however, I can add the spinning horse element to my design.

To make my toy more interesting, I can add LED lights to my toy, these lights are energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. They can be powered easily by energy sources with lower volts.

 

Develop and Plan

Choice A1: electric powered box with a spinning plate and lights

This toy can spin in the middle (controlled by the motor), and the LED lights will shine. In this case, the electricity in the battery is transferred into kinetic energy.

Choice A2: using solar energy

Electricity is a fast and efficient energy source, however, when the energy in batteries are used, the batteries need to be changed and thrown away, which produces waste, Therefore, I decided to add a solar panel in my toy, so that the energy in the solar panel can be stored in the batteries.

                                             Diagram for A1                                                                                                                                                  Diagram for A2

 

 

 

 

 

Final Choice: Ferris wheel, using solar energy

The solar panel powers the batteries, and the batteries will power the motor and the led lights.It transfers solar energy to electric energy, and finally kinetic energy