Squish and Spring Back
The Spring explains why a squished marshmallow pops back, and how a garage door spring does the same.
Listen to this lesson
Read aloud by The Spring.
The Dessert Idea
A marshmallow springs back after a squish.
The Door Idea
A garage door spring stores energy when it is twisted, and gives it back to lift the door.
The Lesson
Boing! Squish a marshmallow and let go. It pops back, because it is a puffy foam made of sugar and gelatin that likes its old shape. A spring is the same kind of springy. When a spring is twisted or squeezed it stores some energy, like a squished marshmallow does. When it lets go, the energy comes out as a push. The big springs over a garage door are twisted tight, and when the door goes up and down they do the heavy lifting, so the opener hardly has to work. That is my job!
Told by The Spring
Be Safe
Garage door springs are under a lot of tension. They are only for a trained tech. Never touch one.
Try It With a Grown-Up
Squish a fresh marshmallow and a stale one. Which one springs back faster? Squeeze a sponge and a ball of play dough too. Which ones remember their shape?
Keep Exploring
This button opens another site, about how real garage doors work. Ask a grown-up first.
Learn more about real garage doors