DIY: Hooke's Roller | Tinkerer Box Blog

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Hooke's Roller

Stem Activities

Ages: 6-8

Less than 30 minutes

Grownup needed

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Have you noticed how rubber bands or springs always bounce back to their original shape when stretched? Behind this lies an fascinating scientific law—Hooke's Law! Create a Hooke's roller using simple materials to observe how rubber bands store and release energy.

Materials Needed

Cardboard
Bowl
Hot glue gun
Battery
Rubber bands
Cotton swabs
Pencil
Scissors
3 wooden sticks
Ruler
Tape

A collection of crafting materials is laid out on a light woodgrain work surface, viewed from above. The items include a rectangular piece of brown cardboard, a clear glass bowl, a roll of yellow tape, a small purple battery, a rubber band, two cotton swabs, a yellow hot glue gun with its cord visible, a gray pencil, a pair of blue-handled scissors, two thin wooden dowels, and a clear plastic ruler. The arrangement suggests the preparation for a DIY or crafting project.

Step-by-step tutorial

Step 1

Place the bowl upside down on the cardboard and trace its outline with a pencil. You'll need to trace two circles in total.

On a light wooden table, a piece of brown cardboard lies flat, with a clear glass bowl placed on top. A hand holding a gray pencil is tracing the rim of the bowl onto the cardboard. Additional crafting supplies, including colorful rolls of tape, a ruler, and a utility knife, are visible in the background, suggesting this tracing is a step in a larger crafting process. The hand tracing has fingernails decorated with a design.

Step 2

Use scissors to cut out the circles along the outlines.

Two hands are shown manipulating circular pieces of cardboard on a light woodgrain surface. One hand holds a cardboard circle while the other hand uses scissors to trim the edge of the circle. Another identical cardboard circle lies fully cut on the table nearby. This scene suggests a crafting activity involving cutting and preparing cardboard shapes, with other crafting materials like colorful tape, a ruler, and a utility knife visible in the background. The fingernails of the hands holding the scissors and cardboard are painted with a decorative design.

Step 3

Use the pencil to make a hole in the centre of both cardboard circles.

Two round pieces of cardboard are displayed on a light wooden surface. Each cardboard circle has a small hole punched in the center. One circle is positioned slightly closer to the viewer than the other. The image suggests these prepared cardboard pieces are intended for a craft or construction project.

Step 4

Cut the wooden sticks into 15cm lengths - you'll need three pieces of equal length.

Two hands are in the process of cutting a thin wooden dowel with scissors. The dowel is measured at 15cm, indicated by a black line and text label. The hands hold the dowel and scissors against a light woodgrain background. A partially completed cardboard circle is visible in the top left corner, suggesting this action is part of a crafting sequence. The fingernails of the hands holding the scissors and dowel are painted with a decorative design.

Step 5

Using hot glue, attach the three 15cm wooden sticks to the cardboard. Try to keep equal spacing between the sticks.

Two hands are assembling a craft project involving a circular piece of cardboard with two wooden dowels inserted through small holes near its edge. A second, identical cardboard circle lies on the light woodgrain work surface to the left. Various crafting materials, including bottles of paint, rolls of colorful tape, wooden gears, a utility knife, and boxes labeled WATER BLASTER and BALLISTA, are visible in the background. The fingernails of the hands holding the dowels and cardboard are painted with a decorative design.

Step 6

Glue the second cardboard circle onto the wooden sticks. Make sure it aligns with the bottom circle.

Two hands hold a partially constructed craft project made of cardboard and wooden dowels. The project appears to be a frame or stand, with two dowels extending upwards from a circular cardboard base and connected at the top by a strip of cardboard. Another identical cardboard circle lies on the light wooden work surface. Crafting supplies, including paint, tape, wooden gears, and a utility knife, are visible in the background, along with boxes labeled WATER BLASTER and BALLISTA. The fingernails of the hands holding the craft project are painted with a decorative design.

Step 7

Cut two cotton swabs into 4cm lengths.

Two hands are shown cutting a cotton swab with scissors. The swab's stick, measured at 4cm and indicated by a black line and text label, is being trimmed on a light woodgrain surface. The hand holding the cotton swab has fingernails decorated with a floral design. The focus on the cutting action suggests this is a step in a crafting or DIY process.

Step 8

Take the rubber band and thread one end through the centre hole of the cardboard circle.

Two hands hold two stacked circular pieces of cardboard. A yellow rubber band is looped through a small hole in the center of the top cardboard circle. The hands, with fingernails decorated with a floral design, manipulate the rubber band. A utility knife, rolls of colorful tape, and bottles of paint are visible in the background on the light wooden work surface, suggesting this is a step in a crafting project.

Step 9

Then, as shown in the picture, thread the 4cm cotton swab piece through the rubber band to secure it.

Two hands are working on a craft project. They are placing a short piece of a cotton swab stick through a hole in the center of a circular piece of cardboard. A yellow rubber band is also looped through the same hole. The cardboard circle rests on a cylindrical cardboard structure supported by wooden dowels. The background includes craft supplies like paint, tape, and a utility knife on a light wood surface. The fingernails of the hands working on the project are painted with a decorative design. A box labeled BALLISTA is also visible in the background.

Step 10

Secure the rubber band on the other cardboard circle in the same way.

Two hands hold a cylindrical structure made of two cardboard circles connected by three wooden dowels. A yellow rubber band is stretched between the two cardboard circles, passing through central holes in each. The hands, with fingernails decorated with a floral design, appear to be adjusting the rubber band. In the background, on a light wood surface, are various craft supplies, including paint bottles and rolls of colorful tape, along with a utility knife.

Step 11

Finally, attach the battery to the rubber band using tape, and your Hooke's roller is complete.

Two hands hold a small ballista or catapult constructed from cardboard, wooden dowels, and rubber bands. A small battery, wrapped in blue textured material, is held in place between the two cardboard discs by a yellow rubber band, which appears to be the launching mechanism. The hands, with decorated fingernails, are positioning the battery. The construction sits on a light wooden surface, and colorful craft supplies are visible in the background, indicating a DIY or crafting project.

Step 12

Now, push the Hooke's roller forward and observe the magical phenomenon that occurs!

A small toy car made of cardboard circles for wheels, wooden skewers as axles, and a yellow clay or playdough center rolls back and forth on a light wooden surface. The backdrop is a white wall adorned with colorful paper stars, dots, and flowers. A hand briefly enters the frame to push the toy. This short video demonstrates a simple craft activity, likely for children.

The Science Behind It:

The core principle of the Hooke's roller is Hooke's Law, which describes the relationship between the pulling force and extension of rubber bands. When you pull the roller, the rubber band stretches and stores elastic energy. When released, the rubber band returns to its original state, converting the stored energy into rotational motion of the roller. The roller oscillates back and forth because the rubber band continuously stores and releases energy, eventually stopping due to friction!

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