Energy Checks at the Baseball Bullpen

A Quiet Afternoon at the Bullpen

Imani's science club visited an empty baseball bullpen, where pitchers usually practice. No balls were being thrown during the visit. An adult checked the equipment and helped the club record four kinds of observations. The club used a low-voltage battery kit, a quiet buzzer, a battery lantern, and a temperature sensor. Nothing was plugged into a wall outlet.

First, the club placed a battery near the gate and a buzzer three meters away. Wires and a switch connected them in a complete path. Imani listened from a marked spot beyond the buzzer. Closing the switch made the buzzer sound, and Imani heard it. Opening the switch stopped the sound. The club repeated this twice without moving the battery, buzzer, or listening spot.

Next, the club aimed a separate battery lantern at a number label inside a deeply shaded glove rack. With the lantern off, Imani had trouble reading the label from her marked spot. With it on, she could read the number easily. The club then turned on both the lantern and the buzzer. An adult placed a wide wooden practice panel between the equipment and Imani. The label became hard to read again, but Imani still heard the buzzer. Removing the panel made the label easy to read again. Equipment positions and settings stayed the same.

Finally, the club studied a thin metal bench that had been in sunlight. An adult checked that it was safe to touch, then placed a large sunshade over it. The shade kept direct sunlight off the bench. The nearby air stayed at 24°C. The club measured the same spot on the bench at the start and every four minutes. Nobody sat on the bench or put anything on it during the test. The graph in the next section shows the club's measurements.