Louisville Public Library teaches young kids about physics – Boulder…

Physics is more than just math, and it is never too young to start learning about the world.

The Louisville Public Library, 951 Spruce St., hosted Renee Gurganus, a physics instructor at the University of Colorado Boulder, for the monthly People in My Community event to teach attendees about some basic physics concepts.

Gurganus started the event by reading “Llama Destroys the World” by Jonathan Stutzman to a room of more than 25 attendees. She said she wanted to choose a book that was simple and silly, while still incorporating aspects of science, so she chose a book where a llama eats too much cake and accidentally creates a black hole.

She also did a physics demonstration, where she took a basketball and a small foam ball. She first let them both fall to show how each one bounces back up.  She explained that because the basketball is bigger, it has more energy so it bounces back higher than the smaller one will. However, she then placed the smaller foam ball on top of the basketball and let them drop together. The smaller foam ball bounced up much higher than before.

She explained that all the energy of the basketball transferred to the foam ball, resulting in the foam ball bouncing high in the air and the basketball bouncing very close to the floor.

The kids in attendance then worked through all the different combinations they could, asking to drop two foam balls together, two basketballs, the foam ball beneath the basketball and even asked if they could stack three basketballs on top one another to see how high it would bounce.

“People hear physics and they are afraid, but it’s just another way to describe life,” Gurganus said.

She noted that the simple demonstration was an example of conservation of energy and conservation of momentum, basic building blocks in physics and the world. She said that the demonstration was accessible and low-cost, so it could be recreated by the kids at home. The young kids could then start to grasp the simple physics demonstration.

She hopes the demonstration motivates kids to learn more about the world by breaking down big physics ideas into simple, interactive activities. By making physics feel tangible and real, she said she hopes to make the topic seem less intimidating.

“Always ask questions and observe the world and question why the world works,” Gurganus said.

The People in my Community event allows local kids to meet a wide range of members of the local community. Kristen Bodine, youth services supervisor, said that the goal of the program is to give kids an idea of how big the world is and how they might fit into the world one day.

“We just love to see people learn something new,” Bodine said.

Bodine noted that the event has hosted local politicians, bakers, civil rights activists and Army Rangers, and will host a computer coder next month. The event hopes to create curiosity in kids and nurture a love of learning.

More information about the Louisville Public Library and future People in My Community events can be found on the Louisville Public Library website.