Energy-Themed Family Day Features Washington, D.C., Electric Vehicle Grand Prix

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum will host Super Science Saturday at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center Saturday, May 10. This family day will be devoted to education about energy, efficiency and environmental consciousness.  The museum has teamed up with the Washington, D.C., Electric Vehicle Grand Prix and the Global Education Energy and Environment organization to bring visitors an exciting day of activities.

In addition to participating in hands-on activities and demonstrations related to energy, visitors will marvel at go-cart-size cars built by high school students. The electric cars will race, (weather permitting), with the winner determined by how far it travels in an hour.Other activities include:

• Learning about potential vs. kinetic forms of energy with a Patent and Trademark Office Energy Spool Racer

• Exploring static electricity with static wands and a Van de Graaff machine• Finding out about conductivity and magnetism with simple electromagnetic activities

• Making a pinwheel, in order to understand wind power, which helps produce renewable energy• Exploring photovoltaics with an explanation of solar energy explanation using solar toys

• Learning about vocabulary and electricity using energy sticks

Admission to the museum and family day activities is free; parking is $15. Super Science Saturdays are made possible through the support of FBR. Learn more about his event here.

The National Air and Space Museum building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., is located at Sixth Street and Independence Avenue S.W. The museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is located in Chantilly, Va., near Washington Dulles International Airport. Attendance at both buildings combined was 8 million in 2013, making it the most visited museum in America. The museum’s research, collections, exhibitions and programs focus on aeronautical history, space history and planetary studies. Both buildings are open from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. every day (closed Dec. 25). # # #