The Wright brothers have rightly pointed out that it is possible to fly without motors, but not without knowledge and skill. As a part of their DO IT YOURSELF project, Geckos embarked on a scientific journey to understand the way objects like aeroplanes and birds fly. The session started with a thought provoking question about how to make an object fly in the sky when a great force like gravity acts on it to pull it down. They found the answer in a principle proposed by a great physicist Daniel Bernoulli. They had to make a shape such that the speed of the wind above it was higher compared to speed of wind below it. This creates a difference in the pressure, creates a lift and makes the object fly in the air. The enthusiasm bubbled up when the geckos were handed over the material to make kites.Understanding the geometry of the kite’s shape helped them come up with beautiful and innovative designs. They chose material which was light enough to fly and strong so that it can resist the force of the wind. They built a kite using thick bamboo stick as spine and a thin bamboo stick as cross bar.
The real challenge lay in making it fly. They solved the problem by tying the bridle in a way that the thread towards the nose of the kite was smaller in length. This makes the kite tilt and results in creation of pressure difference above and below the kite surface. It was a thrill to see the kites made by these budding innovators flying high and strong in the sky. They realized that in order to soar high in life, one needs to acquire the right knowledge and skill.
Facilitators: Mr. Ram and Mr. Sahoo
Some highlights:
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