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Re: Goal Oriented Physics Activities



I use two goal-oriented labs. One is rolling a ball across a tabletop and,
using the speed of the ball and the height of the table, predicting where
the ball will land. They place a cup on the floor, etc. The second is one
I call "Swingin' like Tarzan." A fishing weight is hung on a light thread
and swung like a pendulum. A razor blade is placed so the thread will be
cut as the weight reaches the bottom of the arc (start the swing with the
thread parallel with the floor). From the length of the thread and the
height off the floor, students predict landing position, place a cup. etc.
I especially like how the students discover that the mass and g both cancel
out and the thread length and height off the floor are the only two factors.
Sharp razors are a must.

Tony, I'd like a copy of your bungee lab, thanks.
--
Dr. Dave Hamilton, President
Oregon Science Teachers Association

----------
From: Tony Wayne <wayne@PEN.K12.VA.US>
To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
Subject: Goal Oriented Physics Activities
Date: Thu, Mar 9, 2000, 6:38 AM


At the end of the year I wanted to do a set of small, IN CLASS, contests.
Some contests that I've done in the past I have incorporated as labs. For
example, my projectile motion labs have students shoot a ball out of a
spring launcher at a given angle off a table and have them place a cup on
the floor where they think the ball will land. For an energy lab, I have the
students bungie jump a weighted plastic egg from the ceiling while trying to
adjust the cords length to get as close to the floor as possible. These goal
oriented labs count less than "regular" labs because the required write is
not as rigorous. The kids are very enthusiastic about these goal oriented
labs.

Please share any ideas for other goal oriented labs or contests for physics
students with the list [and me ;-)]

If anyone is interested in my Bungie jump lab, e-mail and I'll reply with an
e-mail attachment containing a pdf file of my lab. You will need Acrobat
Reader 4.0 to read the file.
-tony