Thames & Kosmos Perpper Mint in the Great Treehouse Engineering... User manual

EXPERIMENT MANUAL
Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH  Co. KG, Pfizerstr. -,  Stuttgart, Germany | + ()  - | www.kosmos.de
Thames  Kosmos,  Friendship St., Providence, RI, , USA | --- | www.thamesandkosmos.com
Thames  Kosmos UK LP,  Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent, TN HE, UK |   | www.thamesandkosmos.co.uk
Fun
stem
Projects and
EXPERIMENTS
IN
Treehouse
Engineering
Adventure
The G r eat

WARNING! Not suitable for children under 3 years. Choking hazard — small parts may be swallowed or inhaled. Strangulation
hazard — long cords may become wrapped around the neck. The catapult must only be used to fire balls of crumpled-up paper into the
air. Do not aim at eyes or face. There is a risk of injury if other projectiles such as sharp or heavy objects are used! Only to be used with
adult supervision.
WARNING! Only for use by children aged 8 years and older. Instructions for parents or other supervising adults are included and have
to be observed. Keep the packaging and instructions as they contain important information.
The electronic components of this product are recyclable. For the sake of the environment, do not throw them into the
household trash at the end of their lifespan. They must be delivered to a collection location for electronic waste, as
indicated by the following symbol:
Please contact your local authorities for the appropriate disposal location.
SAFETY ADVICE FOR batteries
››› Two AA batteries (1.5 volt, type LR6) are required for operation.
These are not included in the kit because of their limited shelf
life.
››› The supply terminals are not to be short-circuited. A short
circuit can cause the wires to overheat and the batteries to
explode.
››› Different types of batteries (e.g., rechargeable and standard) or
new and used batteries are not to be mixed.
››› Do not mix old and new batteries.
››› Do not mix alkaline, standard (carbon-zinc), or rechargeable
(nickel-cadmium) batteries.
›››
Batteries are to be inserted with the correct polarity and
pressed
gently into the battery compartment. Instructions for inserting
and changing batteries are on page 29.
››› Non-rechargeable batteries are not to be recharged. They could
explode!
››› Rechargeable batteries are only to be charged under adult
supervision.
››› Rechargeable batteries are to be removed from the toy before being
charged.
››› Exhausted batteries are to be removed from the toy.
››› Wires must never be inserted into a power socket.
››› Warning! Do not manipulate the protective device in the battery
compartment (PTC). This could cause overheating of wires, eruption
of batteries and excessive heating.
››› Dispose of used batteries in accordance with environmental
provisions, not in the household trash.
››› Avoid deforming the batteries.
Notes on disposal of electrical and electronic components
Also from Pepper Mint
Join Pepper for a new adventure
in the Bermuda Triangle
Come aboard with Pepper for an expedition
by ship to the Bermuda Triangle. There
you’ll find more exciting experiments
waiting for you. Build ahydraulic crane,
trap the sea monster, or make a machine to
blow soap bubbles into the air.
thamesandkosmos.com
Safety Information

Did you know?
Have you ever wondered why so many famous physicists of the
pastwere men, and only a few were women? It was because of
thestrict rules of society back then. Marie Curie had to leave her
homecountryso that she could go to a university, and after she
graduated,she still couldn’t get a job at a university in Poland.
InFrance, things were a bit more liberal, and in , she became
thecountry’s first female professor. Fortunately, things have changed
abit over the last  years! Now you can study whatever you
choose …
Albert Einstein
•
Once said: “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.”
•
Born in the 19th century in Ulm, Germany
•
Liked to wear his hair wild and hated socks
•
Won a Nobel Prize in physics for discovering the photoelectric
effect (look it up on the Internet!), but privately would have
preferred to win it for his Theory of Relativity — which
produced one of the most famous equations in the world: E = mc2
•
He also established the law of Conservation of Energy
Marie Curie
It was fun to have an
adventure together!
Ihope you’d like to
havemany more. Bye!
CONSERVATION OF ENERGY
Energy cannot be destroyed, nor can it be created. When we talk
about “using energy”, we mean that the form of energy changes.
In a light bulb, for example, electrical energy is converted
into light and warmth.
• Once said: “We must believe that we are gifted for
something, and that this thing, at whatever cost,
must be attained.”
•
Won the Nobel Prize for physics AND chemistry
•
Was born in Poland in the 19th century and
worked as a research scientist in France
•
Discovered radioactivity and two new
chemical elements: Polonium (named after
her home country, Poland) and Radium
•
Kept a sample of radium by her bed as a night light
(very unhealthy!)
Just believe in yourself!
33

This STEM experiment kit gives your child a
fun way to discover the basic principles of
physics. This kit includes everything needed
for the experiments, except batteries and a
few other common household items. Please
help your child obtain these things.
Along with step-by-step instructions, this
manual includes a story that unfolds
alongside the experiments. The heroine of the
story is Pepper Mint — an eleven-year-old girl
whose creativity and cleverness help her to
find her way through a series of small
adventures and to overcome various
challenges. The kit includes afigurine of
Pepper Mint herself, and atreehouse, so that
your child can play along with the story.
The treehouse set offers a total of nine
experiments. Each experiment adds another
element to the treehouse: a rope ladder, a
hoist, string of lanterns, and so on.
Every construction project provides a short
explanation of the physics behind it. Along
the way, your child learns why a block-and-
tackle hoist can save energy, how a sloping
surface causes acceleration, and why a
catapult is an energy converter.
Children in this age group are at different
stages of development, so you can decide in
advance which experiments your child can do
alone, and where your
help will be needed.
Please support your child with advice and
practical help
, and check the completed
assemblies for each experiment.
This kit is not suitable for children under the
age of 8. Please keep small children and pets
away from the experiments and read through
the safety information with your child. Keep
the instructions handy for reference at all
times.
Have fun experimenting and playing!
I’m Pepper Mint.
I’ve got lots of good ideas — and
sometimes I can get a little carried
away with my projects. But they
usually work out in the end! This time
I’m visiting my Aunt Linda in her jungle
treehouse. Come along with me!
Here’s what to do:
1
Read the story or get someone
toreaditaloud
2
Carry out the experiment
3
Learn through playing
Dear Parents and Adu Supervisors
626020-02-040518

1
2
3
8 9
10
11
4
6 5
7
17
16
21
26
12
13
14
15
22
23
24
25
18
19
20
No. Description Quantity Item Number
1 Wood sheet, plain 3 720573
2 Wood sheet with
printed illustrations 2 720573
3 Cardboard sheet 1 720565
4 Pepper Mint figure 1 720566
5 Fastener, front 5 720707
6 Fastener, rear 5 720706
7 Gear wheel, large 2 720709
8 Gear wheel, small 2 720708
9 Pulley wheel 2 720710
10 Axle, long 1 720716
11 Axle, short 5 720715
12 Axle stopper 10 720717
13 Trolley zipline 1 720714
Make sure you have all of the components of your kit and check them off:
No. Description Quantity Item Number
14 Pulley with hook 2 720711
15 Catapult, part 1 1 720713
16 Catapult, part 2 1 720712
17 Crank handle 1 720718
18 Long cord, 40 cm 2 720702
19 Short cord, 30 cm 1 720702
20 String, 140 cm 1 720701
21 Rubber band 1 720700
22 Spring 4 713882
23 Conductive thread,
100 cm 1 720704
24 Baery compartment
with cables 1 720703
25 LED, yellow 4 720705
26 Sandpaper 1 720574
You will also need:
ruler, scissors, colored pencils, craft glue,
wood glue, Scotch tape, 5 coins, brown paper,
2 x AA batteries (1.5 volt, type LR6)
2
Kit Contents
Tip!
If you are missing any
parts, please contact
Thames  Kosmos
customer service.
US: techs[email protected]
UK: techs[email protected]

Coconut catapu
Pages 4–8
Rainforest
trhouse
Lanterns
Block-and-tackle
hoist
Pages 26–31
Pages 13–14
Pages 23–25
Tip!
More background knowledge can
be found on pages –.
Tapdr
Page 22
Rain shield
Pages 18–19
Pages 20–21
Pages 15–17
Be puey
ipline
Retractable ladder
Pages 9–12
3
Table of Contents

4

Welcome to e Rainforest
“Wow, Aunt Linda, you weren’t kidding! You really do live in
the middle of nowhere!” Pepper opened the passenger door of
the large SUV, maneuvered her bulging backpack onto the
ground, and stepped shaky-legged — it had been a prey
bumpy ride — into a green wilderness.
Right away she heard a buzzing in her ear. Then she felt her
first mosquito bite. Welcome to the jungle!
Of course, Pepper’s Aunt Linda didn’t get bien, because
even the bugs respected her. Aunt Linda was a
research scientist and an expert on primates. She
took Pepper’s backpack and loaded it into a
basket that was dangling from the end of a rope.
Pepper stared in astonishment. She looked up to see
where the rope went and saw a house at the top of a
huge tree.
“At night it’s beer to be up there!” grinned Aunt Linda.
“I hope you’re not scared of heights!”
To be clear, Pepper wasn’t scared of anything! Sure,
sometimes she got queasy on long car rides, and
creatures with more than six legs made her hair stand on
end. But a treehouse in the jungle? Pepper jumped up and
down with delight at this new adventure. Or, to be more
precise, not just with delight … Where would the bathroom
in the treehouse be?
5

2
YOU NEED …
HERE’S HOW!
1
Begin with the right tree trunk. Remove the
two large wooden pieces from the sheet with
the Kosmos logo at the boom and fit them
together.
2
Fit the small branches (the diagram shows
you where to find them on the sheet) into the
two slots as shown. The tabs should be on
the rear side.
3
Now fit together the two pieces from the
second wood sheet, as shown in the diagram.
This is the left tree trunk.
3 x wood sheets,
plain
2 x wood sheets
with illustrations
cardboard sheet
1
Tip!
If the pieces snag instead of
sliding together smoothly, you
can use your sandpaper to make
the slots alile wider or the tabs
a lile narrower.
3
tabs
6
Rainforest Thouse
and the

4
Complete it by adding the small branches
from the third wood sheet.
5
Your right and left trunks are joined with the
large floor platform. Push the tree trunks into
the right and left side slots, until the floor
platform rests on the supports and the tabs
fit as far as possible into the slots in the floor
platform. At the top of the left tree trunk, add
the leaf canopy piece with the picnic blanket
on it, and complete the right trunk with the
platform with the bird on it.
4
5
picnic blanket
bird
tabs
7

6
Put your treehouse on a stable surface where it
won’t be in the way, so that you can leave it
there. To make it stronger, you can glue the slot
joints together with wood glue.
6
Now add the two smaller platforms to the
treehouse. The leaf canopy layer with the
snake on it goes on the right, and the one
with the chameleon on it goes on the left.
Make sure the tabs fit right into the slots on
the platforms, so that they are flush.
7
You’re almost done. Remove both pieces of
the hut from the wood sheet, slide them
together, and aach the leaf roof from the
cardboard sheet. You just need to bend the
leaf roof slightly and fit it over the wooden
hooks. Now your treehouse is ready for you
and Pepper Mint to move in!
7
chameleon
snake
8
Rainforest Thouse
and the

In e Trtops
“So how do we get up there?” asked Pepper impatiently. There
was something she needed to do — and soon!
Aunt Linda walked once around the broad trunk of the tree, and
then climbed as skillfully as a monkey up a shaky-looking rope
ladder. Was that the only way up? Pepper climbed fearlessly
upward, rung by rung. She wasn’t sure she looked quite as
graceful as her favorite aunt did. When she reached the top,
Pepper
gasped with astonishment again. “The best thing about
my treehouse is the fantastic view!” said her aunt, standing
right beside her. “Over there, you can see the waterfall, and
to the left you can see a group of monkeys living in the trees.”
Pepper squinted, trying to see the waterfall and the monkeys,
but she couldn’t see anything amongst the leaves. But the sound
of the waterfall reminded her of something. “May I use the
bathroom?” asked Pepper, hopping from one foot to the other.
Aunt Linda shrieked with laughter. “If you really have to go,
you’d beer use that pail in the corner,” said her aunt,
pointing to a covered bucket. “I have to go and get fuel for
the generator, the tank’s nearly empty. Will you be okay
here for two or three hours without me?”
Understandably, Pepper was a lile unsure about
being left alone in the treehouse. She didn’t really
know what a generator was, either. But if she was
going to use the bucket, she would only be able to if
her aunt was out of sight. “Hey, Aunt Linda, I’m eleven
years old! Of course I’ll be okay! You’d beer go right away!”
Aunt Linda spun around on her heels and climbed back down the
ladder. As Pepper started walking over to the pail, she heard a call
from below: “Don’t forget to hoist up the rope ladder, and use the
block and tackle to haul up your backpack!”
9

YOU NEED …
HERE’S HOW!
1
Take one of the cords and tie a knot in it. The
knot should be about  cm to the right or left
of the center, rather than exactly in the center.
Practice this “pretzel knot” a few times, until
you’re happy with the way it looks.
2
Thread both ends of the cord through the
hole at the end of one of the rungs and push
the rung down onto the knot.
Now pay close aention: Take the longer end
of the cord and tie another “pretzel knot”
onto the shorter end,  cm above the rung.
Then you can thread on another rung and
push it down to the knot.
3
The next knot goes another  cm away from
the last rung. Keep going like this, until
you’ve threaded on the fourth rung, then tie a
last knot just above it.
2 x long cords
4 x rungs from the
plain wood sheet
1
2
3
10
Retractable Ladder
and the

?
WHAT’S HAPPENING
What happens when you pull on the long
ends? If you did everything right, the rope
ladder pulls up! You can pull it up and
down again and again. If nothing moves,
you need to check your slipknots.
4
Be careful: make sure you use the same end
of the cord each time for the knot. If you’re
not sure whether you’re using the right end
for the knot, give it a pull. If nothing moves,
it’s the right one! If the knots slide along,
you’ve got the wrong end!
5
Now you need to follow the same steps again
with the second cord on the right-hand side
of the rungs:
• Make a “pretzel knot” in the cord. One end
must be  cm longer than the other.
• Thread both ends of the cord into the
boom rung.
• Tie the next knot  cm further up, thread
the ends into the next rung, then tie another
knot, and so on.
• Tie in the last rung with a knot just
above it.
6
Fasten your rope ladder at the front of the
main platform by tying one last knot on each
side. Make sure you use the correct end of the
cord for the knots!
4
5
6
11
Retractable Ladder

1
HERE’S HOW!
Using the third cord and the remaining rungs you
can make another ladder, a fixed one this time, at
the rear of the treehouse on the right. You’ll see
there are ready-cut holes in the main platform
and the platform with the snake on it.
1
Thread both ends of the cord up through the
holes in the lower platform, from underneath.
The ends of the cord above the platform
should be the same length. Make a knot in
each piece of cord,  cm above the platform,
and thread a rung above the knots.
2
Tie another knot on each side,  cm above the
first rung, and thread another rung, before
pulling both ends of the cord through the
holes in the upper level platform, and fixing
them with knots. Finished!
2
YOU NEED …
short cord
2 x rungs from the
plain wood sheet
12
Retractable Ladder
and the

1
YOU NEED …
2 x pulleys
with hook
string
small basket from
the cardboard
sheet
HERE’S HOW!
1
Remove the small basket carefully from
the cardboard sheet and fold it together as
shown in the picture.
2
Take one of the two identical hooks and look
at it carefully. It actually consists of a small
pulley wheel, with a large hook and a small
ring aached to it. Tie the thin string onto the
ring as shown in the picture. It’s best to use a
double knot. Thread the string through the
pulley wheel on the other hook.
3
The hook that has loose string over the
pulley can be aached to the top of the
treehouse as shown ...
You will also need: five large coins
?
WHAT’S HAPPENING
You’re using a “fixed pulley”. The pulley itself doesn’t move along, it just guides the moving rope.
Thanks to the pulley, you’re changing the direction in which you need to pull to move your “load”.
Instead of pulling upward, you can now pull downward. That makes it easier to pull, doesn’t it?
2
3
Pepper Mint
figure
13
Hoist
and the
Retractable Ladder

REMEMBER
Both pulley systems need the same amount of
“work” to pull the basket up to the top. With the
fixed pulley you need the full amount of energy,
but only one length of rope. If you use the fixed
pulley and the movable pulley together, you only
need half as much effort, but you have to pull
twice as far (two lengths of rope).
Aach your hoist to the treehouse and transport small “loads” up to the top. Don’t ever hang more
than 500 g (the weight of two sticks of buer) on your hoist!
?
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Your basket is now hanging on two strings.
The “movable pulley“ moves upward when
you pull on the end of the string. Did you
notice that it’s also easier to pull the
basket up to the top? In fact you need
exactly half as much “effort” (or “force”).
By using one fixed and one movable
pulley, this “block-and-tackle” hoist has
changed three things:
) You’re pulling downward instead of
upward.
)You only need to use half as much
effort to pull the basket up to the
top.
)But you need twice as much
string — double the length — to
transport Pepper up to the top.
… Hang the basket onto the lower hook, the
one you knoed the string onto. Put your
Pepper Mint figure, or a pile of coins, into the
basket and try pulling it up to the top.
4
Now you’re going to add a “movable pulley”.
Swap the two hooks around: Now the hook with
the loose string is carrying the basket. Aach
the other hook, the one that’s knoed onto the
end of the string, to the top of the treehouse.
5
Thread the loose end of the string up and
over the pulley aached to the hook that’s
fixed at the top, then down again. Put Pepper
in the basket and pull her up to the top.
4
5
14
and the Hoist

A Sudden Downpour
Relieved to be on her own, Pepper went into the private recess in the
tree where the pail was siing. She had never seen such a wonderful
view from a bathroom before!
Next, she pulled up the rope ladder using the slip knots. Using the
hoist, it was as easy as pie to bring her heavy backpack up into the
treehouse. “Now what?” thought Pepper. She really wanted to climb
up to the top level, high up in the crown of the tree, and stay up there
for a while. Pepper tucked a book and a picnic blanket under her arm.
Another rope ladder led upward. Between the branches, Pepper
discovered a small belt pulley system which she used to transport
herself over to the other tree. A pair of monkeys apparently found it
funny to hang on the belt pulley and move from side to side.
After arriving safely at the top of the tree, Pepper spread out her
blanket and made herself comfortable. The monotonous chirping
and humming sounds and the warm air soon made her eyelids feel
heavy. Shortly after, snoring sounds could be heard from far away.
(Pepper’s snoring was a closely kept secret. Fortunately, there were
no human neighbors in the jungle!)
In the middle of a particularly loud
snore, Pepper was awoken by
a sudden downpour of rain.
In just a few seconds, she was
completely soaked. Her blanket
was as soggy as a dishcloth. She
needed something to shield her from
the rain, and she needed it fast …
15
Hoist

YOU NEED …
2 x short
axles
2 x pulleys
2 x fasteners, front
and rear parts
rubber band
2 x axle
stoppers
1
2
HERE’S HOW!
1
Connect the two parts of each fastener
through the pre-cut holes in the tree trunk, as
shown in the picture. To do this, you need to
fit the two parts together, positioning one on
each side of the tree trunk, and then turn the
front part, as shown in the drawing.
2
Stick a short axle through each of the
completed fasteners.
If you’re ever unsure
what to do next, just
give it a try or ask
your parents.
16
Be Puey
and the

The axle stoppers make sure that the moving
parts don’t fall off the axle. Use as many
stoppers as you need!
Tip!
?
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Your stretched rubber band transfers the motion force from one pulley to the other. You’ve
found a way to bridge the gap between the pulleys. And the effort you use to turn one of the
pulleys is transferred to the other one. The pulley on the other side turns because it takes
less effort to move the pulley than to hold the rubber band in greater tension. The rubber
band grips well onto the plastic pulley wheel, stretches when the pulley turns, and pulls
itself back together (compresses) again immediately. Would that work with a loose string
as well?
3
At the back of the tree, push a pulley wheel
and an axle stopper onto each axle. This
should make it so that your pulley wheel
doesn’t slide off the axle when it moves.
4
Now stretch the rubber band over both
pulley wheels, and your rubber band belt
pulley system is ready!
3
4
On the cardboard sheet,
you’ll find two lile
monkeys that you can hang
onto the belt pulley to make
it easier to see the elastic
moving. You can turn the
pulley wheels by hand, or fit
the crank handle onto the end
of the axle at the front and use it to
turn the pulleys.
17
Be Puey