Springs

PRODUCT SUMMARY

For sale in U.S. and Canada only-- In Springs, a visiting inventor observes a family harvesting coconuts on Mammoth Island, using a number of devices called springs. Springs come in two shapes: there are coil springs, and there are bending bars called "leaf springs," which is what the islanders use to improve their coconut collecting. When a spring is bent, the molecules on one side are pushed together while the molecules on the other side are pulled apart. So once the bending force is removed, the molecules rapidly "spring" back into their natural places. Springs store potential energy when they are stretched or compressed. This stored energy is transferred to the energy of motion -- causing the coconuts to go flying through the air! Part of the multivolume The Way Things Work DVD Series, based on the best-selling book by David Macaulay. A teacher's guide is included and available online.

EDITORIAL REVIEWS

"The series is humorous, informative and very educational. Explanations are clear and relevant, with neccesary diagrams to explain exactly how things work...These are exceptional physics videos that merit a place in all educational collections."- School Library Journal (August 2003)