Sugriva can’t believe that electricity can be transferred through air, as the Tesla coils would make possible.
Sugriva: How is it possible? I still cannot believe it!
Vali: Every science “magic” we do is already being done by Nature over millions of years.
Sugriva: What do you mean?
Vali: For example, lightning travels from the ionised clouds for three to seven km towards the ground.
Sugriva: Oh yes! Nature does it 1000 times better! Perhaps, it’s possible to provide electricity to all houses directly from the clouds?
Vali: Some scientists on Earth tried doing exactly that!
Sugriva: So humans are learning science from Nature?
Vali: Right from the creation of the universe and the planets to the movement of animals, there is science behind everything. Humans study these phenomena and try to replicate them.
Sugriva: Have they been successful?
Vali: Yes! Much of their scientific knowledge and inventions have been the result of studying Nature. Aircraft control system was inspired by birds; humans learnt to swim and developed the ship control system by observing fish, and they came upon the creation of alloys by studying volcano eruptions.
Sugriva: Basically, they learnt how to use and master air, water and heat to their advantage.
Vali: What humans really learnt is the “Law of Conservation of Energy”.
Sugriva: What does that mean?
Vali: Let me explain that in a simple way. Right now you can walk, jump or run with a certain level of energy. Can you do them with same energy level after a few hours?
Sugriva: Yes, if I eat and rest in between.
Vali: Exactly. Food is a source of energy that gets converted into muscular energy or kinetic energy, which you use when performing any mechanical work like using a bow and arrow or gathering water from a well. So what the Law basically means is “Energy can neither be created nor be destroyed; it just transforms from one form to another.”
Sugriva: Can you help me understand this a little better with an experiment?
Vali: Sure. Since you are familiar with using the bow and arrow, let me show you my version of a bow and arrow where elastic energy is converted into mechanical energy or potential energy is converted into kinetic energy. (Refer to experiment)
Sugriva: That is interesting! I am going to try it on a bigger scale like some spherical mountain structures.
Little did Vali know that Sugriva would use this device against him in the near future.
Rubber band-powered cannon
Materials required:
- 2 carboard tubes (2 toilet roll tubes or 1 paper-towel tube, cut in half)
- Tape
- Pencil
- 2 rubber bands
- Scissors
- Paper or small plastic ball
The science: The rubber bands have potential energy. When they are stretched by pulling the plunger back, their potential energy increases. When the plunger is released, the potential energy is converted into kinetic energy, propelling the ball across the room.
The author is the founder and CEO of Vaayusastra Aerospace, an IIT-Madras incubated ed-tech startup that offers Air Science workshops for children between five and 14 years.
Published - December 15, 2022 10:30 am IST
