The document describes an experiment where a student builds a small steam turbine out of materials like a tin foil blade, cardboard stand, and empty can to boil water and see if the steam generated can spin the blade on a wheel. The student observes that the steam rises from the boiling water in the can and is able to turn the tin foil blade, demonstrating that steam energy can move objects and be used to generate energy through turbines. The conclusion is that steam is a form of renewable energy that can be used to power turbines and generate electricity as an alternative to fossil fuels.
2. Experiment No 2: Steam Turbine
Purpose
The purpose of this experiment is
to see if steam energy can move
objects and drive things forward
3. My Materials
Materials used
1 One empty can bottle
2 One barbeque stick
3 One tin foil tray
4 One cardboard paper
5 2 nails
6 A hammer
7 A pair of scissors
4. Procedure
1. First I prepared the wheel
by cutting the tin foil paper
into a circle of 8 cm in
diameter. Then with a pair of
scissors I cut the circle from
the outside 12 times to make
the blade.
2. Then I made the stand out of
the cardboard paper which
needs to be stiff enough to
support the blade and the
barbeque stick. ✓
5. Procedures (continued)
3 Using a hammer I made two
holes with the nails, one through
the center to secure the stand
and another slightly away from
the center so as to let steam
come out later
4 Then I put some water into the
can.
6. Procedure (continued)
5 Next using a barbeque stick, I
punched a hole through the cardboard
paper at either end with the wheel blade
connected at the center and through a
hole in the middle of the wheel.
7. The Experiment
Then I put the can over the gas
stove and waited for the water
to turn into steam …
8. Observations
Observation 1: The water rose
up the can as steam and as it
did so moved one of the blades
so that the wheel started
turning.
Observation 2: I feel that we need to
make a bigger hole than the one
recommended by the instructions as
the steam from the small hole is not
powerful enough.
9. Conclusion
I think the experiment is not
easy to do because the can
got very hot as the water
inside heated up and became
steam and the piece of paper
got quite wet.
All in all however I understand the
idea behind which is that steam and
heat is a kind of energy that can be
transferred into another object
which then moves and drives it
forward
10. The Big Idea
- Our society burns fossil fuels to produce energy. Fossil
Fuels produce carbon emissions which contribute to
global warming.
- Fossil Fuels include coal, oil and natural gas they can be
used up one day so if we continue to rely on them the
earth will soon run out of resources.
- One way to reduce the use of fossil fuels is by using
steam to generate energy. This form of energy is called
renewable energy. The steam will move the turbine and
then the generator that produces electricity. This type
of energy is cleaner and cheaper.
