... and more: Steam engines - something for the sidelines?
Full steam to the moon?
Rockets too use reaction forces to leave the earth. They do not operate with steam, however..
Pop-pop boats are therefore distant relatives of moon rockets.
4.1 Task:
Why can we say that a pop-pop boat is a distant relative of the rocket?
How does the pop-pop boat work?
Why does a rocket lift off?
Using sketches and a learning poster, explain how rockets and pop-pop boats work.
Show their commonalities.
Explain the chief difference between rockets and pop-pop boats.
Bonus task: Can the motor from a pop-pop boat be attached to a rocket and flown to the moon? Give reasons for your answer.
Sources:
Wikipedia: Pop pop boat
Sciencetoymakers.org: How putt putt steam engines work
4.2 Task:
Steam? That's something for the sidelines!
It has been decades since the cessation of routine travel using steam locomotives in Switzerland. Those locomotives were driven to the holding tracks and most of them were scrapped. Only rarely, for example during nostalgia events, it is possible to admire these fascinating giants. These steel colosses are run only on water and fire! Isn't that reason enough to look a bit more into steam!
Answer the following questions using the information in the sources:
How does a steam locomotive or steam engine work?
How fast was the fastest steam locomotive?
Who invented the steam locomotive?
How can we cook using steam?
How can electricity be made from steam?
From where comes the coal which is used for running a steam engine?
Task: Create and a mindmap for each question and display it in your class.
Sources:
Wikipedia: Steam engine
Howstuffworks.com: How Steam Engines Work
Wikipedia: Pressure cooking
Wikipedia: Denis Papin
Wikipedia: Land speed record for rail vehicles (Steam)
Wikipedia: Steam locomotive
Wikipedia: History of rail transport
Wikipedia: Thermal power station
