This is a question from Chegg and I'm thinking that it's a pretty standard Physics problem; something that I remember doing when I was in high school. There are a lot of good conversations that could come from this, but the question only begs for one precise response/outcome. If "find the distance from the ramp" is the only question we're asking, we need to restructure, or bulldoze, the problem altogether.
Using Google Sketchup, I create a ramp. It's ugly, and it is certainly not going to be the best design, but it allows me to demonstrate something that this problem couldn't. It reminds me, in a way, of Dan's Makeover Monday.
Using Google Sketchup, I create a ramp. It's ugly, and it is certainly not going to be the best design, but it allows me to demonstrate something that this problem couldn't. It reminds me, in a way, of Dan's Makeover Monday.
My wife says it looks more like a shoe than a ramp, and I agree. Looking at this, though, I can do a lot more with it than that problem pulled from Chegg (and used throughout math/physics classrooms around the world). Some examples:
The main points to make in this are that the students are doing the majority of the investigation and learning and they are given a number of routes to take in order to meet their objective. If you want the full lesson plan that goes with this, Airwolf3D should have it on their site relatively soon. More importantly, I'm looking to make this a better lesson.
What would you ask students to do?
As of right now, the ramp is printing. I've intentionally created it to be large so that I can test out the durability of the printer (it's supposed to take 11 hours to print) and I want a giant ramp so that I can revert back to my 6 year-old self and launch cars, balls, rocks, and other fun stuff with my two sons. I'll add more pictures when it finishes up tomorrow.
- Have students run trials of how far a ball travels
- Have students run trials of the average velocity while on the ramp, overall, or once it leaves the ramp
- Have students compete to see who can design a ramp to travel a specific distance
- Have students compete to see who can design a ramp with a precise average velocity
- ..... And soooooo much more
The main points to make in this are that the students are doing the majority of the investigation and learning and they are given a number of routes to take in order to meet their objective. If you want the full lesson plan that goes with this, Airwolf3D should have it on their site relatively soon. More importantly, I'm looking to make this a better lesson.
What would you ask students to do?
As of right now, the ramp is printing. I've intentionally created it to be large so that I can test out the durability of the printer (it's supposed to take 11 hours to print) and I want a giant ramp so that I can revert back to my 6 year-old self and launch cars, balls, rocks, and other fun stuff with my two sons. I'll add more pictures when it finishes up tomorrow.
Until then, Happy Fishing.
OK so it took a long time to print, and I made it wayyyyyy too big, but this was FUN! Next up, I'll be spending about 8 years of my life (or until it breaks. With my boys, and my desire to break stuff, it'll probably be a week) acting like a kid with my boys as we send all sorts of objects through the ramp of zoom :)
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