Workbook of Four Activities

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Math, Science, and Physics Day
at SplashTown,
Houston, Texas
Workbook of Four Activities
Shot Gun Falls
Texas Free Fall
Texas Big Spin
Tornado
SplashTown, Houston, Texas &
Department of Physics, Prairie View A&M University
ACTIVITY ONE
SHOTGUN FALLS
SHOTGUN FALLS
Introduction
Challenge a friend and race down two 30-foot slides.
Data
Starting Height:
Plateau Height:
Maximum Speed:
Time to end of slide:
Time to hit the water (after leaving
the plateau):
Range:
___________ sec.
___________ sec.
___________ m
NOTE: This activity meets the State of Texas TEKS requirements from §112.47,
Physics, including items (c) (2) (B) to (D), (5) (B) and (C), and 6(A). The activity also
meets state TEKS requirements from §111.32 Mathematics, including items (b) (1) (A),
(B), and (D). http://www.tea.state.tx.us/teks/
This activity also meets National Science Education Teaching Standards B, C, and D;
and Program Standard D (“Good science programs require access to the world beyond
the classroom”). More details about these and other national science education
teaching standards can be found at http://www.nsta.org/standards
Questions
1. What are some of the factors that determine how far out into the pool you go when
you come off the slide? List as many as you can think of.
2. What are some sensations you experienced while in mid-air, before hitting the water?
3. Where on the ride did you feel you were going the fastest?
4. How would (1) and (3) be changed if you (a) started with a firm push versus starting
from rest (b) were overweight versus underweight or (c) were wearing different kinds of
swimsuits (made of different fabric)? Compare the outcome of both contrasting factor
(for “c” consider, if they let you, how wearing jeans as opposed to swim trunks would
affect the outcome of the experiment)
Calculations
1. To calculate the average plateau velocity vo:
Elapsed time on plateau / distance of plateau = vo
2. To calculate how far the rider traveled after he/she left the plateau, use the time you
measured from the point the rider left the slide to the time he/she hit the water, use the
velocity from #1 and solve for:
Range = vo t cos!
3. To calculate the height of the slide plateau above the water surface, use the formula
below, with the measured time t and g (the acceleration due to gravity, 9.80 m / s2):
1
Height = gt 2 , g = 9.80 m / s2
2
4. Physically measure the height of the slide above the water (if possible) or obtain that
from one of the staff working today’s event. How does the calculated value for height
compare with the measured value? If they are different, discuss as many things as you
can think of that made these values different from each other.
5. Just by looking at the formulae above, does mass (weight) play a role in the outcome
of the experiment? Why or why not? How does this compare with your actual
experience?
6. Your instructor(s) may have additional questions pertaining to this ride; you may write
your responses to these on the back of this sheet if needed.
ACTIVITY TWO
TORNADO
The TORNADO
Introduction
The Tornado looks like a huge funnel, 60-feet tall, lying
on its side. This exciting ride begins on a platform 75
feet in the air, where riders are sent down a 132-foot
long tunnel and thrown into the giant funnel. Riders go
in groups of four, on special clover-leaf shaped tubes.
The tubes are carried along by 5,000 gallons of
swirling, splashing water.
Data
Funnel Diameter:
Maximum Speed:
61 feet at large end, 12 feet at small end
(= 18.6 m and 3.65 m)
30 m.p.h. = 48 km / h = 13 m / sec.
Time to end of tunnel:
___________ sec.
Total time to end of ride
___________ sec.
Number of Oscillations:
___________
Average period of oscillation (see
the first calculation problem below
to get the answer to this one):
Manufacturer
___________ sec.
ProSlide Technology, Inc
NOTE: This activity meets State of Texas TEKS requirements from §112.47, Physics,
including items (c) (2) (B) to (D), (5) (B) and (C), and 6(A). The activity also meets state
TEKS requirements from §111.32 Mathematics, including items (b) (1) (A), (B), and (D).
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/teks/
This activity also meets National Science Education Teaching Standards B, C, and D;
and Program Standard D (“Good science programs require access to the world beyond
the classroom”). More details about these and other national science education
teaching standards can be found at http://www.nsta.org/standards
Questions
1. Why is the highest point of the ride at the very beginning?
2. What are some sensations you experienced while descending the tunnel?
3. What did you experience when you were poured into the funnel?
4. As you were going back and forth in the tunnel, how high were you able to swing?
How did you feel at the ends of the swing? Near the middle of the swing?
5. Where on the ride did you feel you were going the fastest?
Calculations
1. To calculate the average period of oscillation:
[T (ride total) – T (tunnel only)] / # counted oscillations
2. Throughout the tornado portion of the ride, the riders move like a pendulum whose
length from the pivot point is continuously decreasing from L = 9.3 m near beginning to
L = 1.8 m near the end. How does that affect the period of oscillation (based on
observation), all other things being equal?
3. If you had two pendula, one with L1 = 9.3 m feet, a second with L2 = 1.8 m, all else
being equal, how do their periods, T, of oscillation compare? (The value π = 3.14159,
and g = 9.80 m / sec., the acceleration due to gravity)
T1 = _______ sec.
T2 = ______ sec.
How do these values compare with your average oscillation calculation?
4. Consider the following scenarios. How would the speeds and oscillations (including
the amplitude or maximum height) change if you have (a) four light people? (b) two light
and two heavy people, with the heavy people sitting diagonal from each other on the
tube? (c) two light and two heavy people, with the heavy people sitting next to each
other on one side of the tube? (d) and four heavy people?
5. Here’s a new spin on things. Suppose the tube with the above configurations starts to
spin in each case, so that not only are the people going back and forth, but they are
also spinning in their tubes as they go along. How would this affect the results? (Hint,
think about the fact that the center of mass of an object moves consistently…)
6. Your instructor(s) may have additional questions pertaining to this ride; you may write
your responses to these on the back of this sheet if needed.
ACTIVITY THREE
TEXAS FREEFALL
THE TEXAS FREEFALL
Introduction
The Texas FreeFall starts you sixty feet (that is, five stories) in
the air and has you going so fast you actually come off the
slide for a few seconds. Freefall down the Texas Freefall-five
stories of race-you-to-the-bottom thrills!
Data
Starting Height:
60 feet or 12 stories = 18.3 meters
Maximum Speed:
Time to very beginning of
horizontal part of ride (that is, the
time of free fall):
Total time to end of ride:
___________ sec.
___________ sec.
NOTE: This activity meets State of Texas TEKS requirements from §112.47, Physics,
including items (c) (2) (B) to (D), (5) (B) and (C), and 6(A). The activity also meets state
TEKS requirements from §111.32 Mathematics, including items (b) (1) (A), (B), and (D).
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/teks/
This activity also meets National Science Education Teaching Standards B, C, and D;
and Program Standard D (“Good science programs require access to the world beyond
the classroom”). More details about these and other national science education
teaching standards can be found at http://www.nsta.org/standards
Questions
1. What are some sensations you experienced at the very top of the slide, before you
started down?
2. What did you experience when you were in freefall?
3. What did you experience as you were leveling your descent, eventually coming to a
stop?
4. Where on the ride did you feel you were going the fastest?
Calculations
1. Calculate your potential energy at the beginning of the ride (Hint: if you know your
weight in pounds, convert to kilograms by multiplying your weight by 0.454):
P.E. = mgh
2. Calculate your kinetic energy at the bottom of the slide (hint: get the velocity by
having someone time how long it takes to go 5 meters immediately after you level off):
K .E. =
1 2
mv
2
3. Does the final speed and / or kinetic energy at the bottom of the vertical part of the
slide depend on the rider’s mass? Why or why not?
4. For two riders, the one with the lower weight and the one with the higher weight,
which one ends the farthest along on the horizontal part of the ride? About how far does
each come to rest from the end?
5. For the same two riders, list as many things as you can think of that would influence
where they come to a stop at the end of the ride?
6. Your instructor(s) may have additional questions pertaining to this ride; you may write
your responses to these on the back of this sheet if needed.
ACTIVITY FOUR
BIG SPIN
BIG SPIN WATERWORKS
Introduction
Climb up the dualing body slide and make your choice to ride
enclosed or outside this thrilling adventure all the while spinning
your way down to the inviting pool below.
Data
Starting Height:
Spin Diameter:
Maximum Speed:
Time to end of tunnel:
Total time to end of ride
Number of Revolutions:
Period of revolution (see the first
calculation problem below to get
the answer to this one):
___________ sec.
___________ sec.
___________
___________ sec.
NOTE: This activity meets State of Texas TEKS requirements from §112.47, Physics,
including items (c) (2) (B) to (D), (5) (B) and (C), and 6(A). The activity also meets state
TEKS requirements from §111.32 Mathematics, including items (b) (1) (A), (B), and (D).
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/teks/
This activity also meets National Science Education Teaching Standards B, C, and D;
and Program Standard D (“Good science programs require access to the world beyond
the classroom”). More details about these and other national science education
teaching standards can be found at http://www.nsta.org/standards
Questions
1. What are some sensations you experienced while descending the tunnel?
2. What did you experience when you arrived in the circular chamber?
3. How is this experience different when you use the covered chamber?
4. As you were going around and around, how did you feel?
5. Where on the ride did you feel you were going the fastest?
Calculations
1. To calculate the period of revolution:
Length of Time in the Round Part / # counted rotations = T
2. Compare the experience of a large rider with that of a small one. How does weight
affect the period of rotation (based on observation), all other things being equal? Which
rider stayed on the ride longer?
3. Use the following formula to compare the centripetal force of a heavy rider with that of
a light rider (use m1 = 50kg for the mass of the heavy rider and m2 = 25kg for that of the
light rider; use two equations, one for each rider, as shown below; and notice the v2 and
R will divide out…). After doing the calculation, summarize your comparison.
Fc =
m v2 / R
mv 2
; to compare the two riders, use Fc1 / Fc 2 = 1 2
R
m2 v / R
4. Comparing two different initial conditions: If someone were to push off at the
beginning of the ride to get a faster starting speed as opposed to starting from rest, how
would that additional speed affect the behavior of the rider (speaking from a physics
perspective) in the circular portion of the ride? Think in terms of the rotation period, the
centripetal force, and the length of time spent in the circular portion before dropping out.
5. Your instructor(s) may have additional questions pertaining to this ride; you may write
your responses to these on the back of this sheet if needed.
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