Is this really science?

We continued our studies in energy on Friday. How does weight impact kinetic energy? How much kinetic energy does a ball need to make a loop on a roller coaster? How far can we shot potatoes?  Those were some of the questions we sought to find answers to as well played - erhm, I am mean did school with our friends.
Our first experiment was see how far little vehicles would go when we let them go at the top of a ramp. The results were not exactly what they had expected as design had a big impact, one that they had not taken into consideration when making initial predictions. A great learning moment and with Noah's enthusiasm for Lego and Lukas engineering capabilities this is something we will come back to.  Although we did not calculate the energy, we had all the measurements so that each person could calculate the energy later - Lukas and Noah, have you done it yet?
Noah was crowned the winner of the potato plug shooting, reaching the driveway across the street. It took a bit of trial and error to get some good distance and aim, however they all caught on quickly. Since we only had a few potatoes, we tried jams as well, with not such great results. Another good learning opportunity, and chances for future trials with other household items - what really does go the furthest?
The final challenge of the day was to build a roller coaster for a small marble. Silas quickly took the lead in the tree and the team worked together to increase height, create steeper drops and more advanced turns. Hopefully, they will have a greater appreciation for all the physics that goes into building a fun roller coaster next time they visit an amusement park.