Gear Ratio Kit
The kit includes the following items:
- Mixed gears (Sizes: 50 tooth, 40 tooth, 20 tooth, & 5 tooth)
- Dowels (350mm x 5mm)
- Hole Plates
- Stop Clips
Check out our Gear Ratio Activity here.
The kit includes the following items:
Check out our Gear Ratio Activity here.
This activity was originally created for the 2023 KidWind Challenge as the Instant Challenge. During this 15-minute activity, students will create different gear ratios and evaluate which ratio would benefit electricity production the most.
Materials and Resources:
The “Measure the Distance” activity is done as a walk. Students pick a prominent starting point such as a stop sign, building, or telephone pole. From that point, they walk in a single direction while using a measuring wheel. As students reach the “height” of one of their landmarks, they will place the appropriate flag in the ground at that point. This activity helps students visualize how large the turbines actually are. Adding in local landmark heights, such as your school or water tower, also helps bring this into perspective.
How fast do you think the blades on a wind turbine are spinning? Faster than a cheetah? Challenge students to line up (locked arms) in a straight line. One student represents the hub (in the center) and will not move, just pivot. The person at the end of the line represents the tip of the blade and they will be moving quickly. Challenge students to make one rotation as quickly as they can while staying in a straight line! An extension to the activity is to record the time - check out our example "Tip Speed Spreadsheet" below for calculations.
This activity was originally created for the 2022 KidWind Instant Challenge. During this 15-minute activity, students will evaluate and analyze three separate maps to determine the best location for a wind farm in a magical land. They’ll need to meet the Ruler’s requirements, avoid dragons and dinosaurs, and generate a pro and con list for each map.
To prepare, gather these items for each group of 3-4 students:
This generator has 4-foot leads which are attached with shrink-wrapped, reinforced soldering. Typical output in non-geared wind devices is 0.5–2.5 V at 0.1–0.3 A.
A KidWind Generator is the only piece of required equipment to be used during the KidWind Challenge. The Kansas Energy Program can provide generators to teams competing in the Kansas KidWind Challenge.
Perform all of the same investigations as the Basic Wind Experiment Kit with the ability to generate more power at higher voltages (0.5 V–20 V). Discover advanced concepts of wind turbine technology, including gearboxes and generator construction (with the GenPack add-on).
This kit allows young scientists to test a variety of blade designs, generate electricity (0.5 –3 V range), and lift weights. The Basic Wind Experiment Kit has all the materials you need to begin understanding wind power. The kit is also a great starting point for students new to the KidWind Challenge.
With the Go Direct Energy Sensor from Vernier, students can connect a power source, such as a small wind turbine or solar panel and measure voltage (V), current (mA), resistance (Ω), power (mW), and energy output (Joules). The device uses the free Graphical Analysis 4 companion app, which is available for Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, Android, iOS, and iPadOS.
