ERIC Number: EJ1174720
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-May
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0031-9120
EISSN: N/A
Simple Methodologies to Estimate the Energy Amount Stored in a Tree Due to an Explosive Seed Dispersal Mechanism
do Carmo, Eduardo; Hönnicke, Marcelo Goncalves
Physics Education, v53 n3 Article 035008 May 2018
There are different forms to introduce/illustrate the energy concepts for the basic physics students. The explosive seed dispersal mechanism found in a variety of trees could be one of them. Sibipiruna trees carry out fruits (pods) who show such an explosive mechanism. During the explosion, the pods throw out seeds several meters away. In this manuscript we show simple methodologies to estimate the energy amount stored in the Sibipiruna tree due to such a process. Two different physics approaches were used to carry out this study: by monitoring indoor and "in situ" the explosive seed dispersal mechanism and by measuring the elastic constant of the pod shell. An energy of the order of kJ was found to be stored in a single tree due to such an explosive mechanism.
Descriptors: Physics, Science Education, Scientific Methodology, Scientific Concepts, Energy, Forestry, Botany, Science Experiments
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A