National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mississippi Space Grant Consortium
Annual Teachers Conference
University of Southern Mississippi
January 26, 2007
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASA’s Toy Box
Presented by:
Diana Nunez
Aerospace Education Specialist
Educator Resource Center Coordinator
Mississippi Space Services (MSS)
Diana.Nunez@ssc.nasa.gov
John C. Stennis Space Center
www.nasa.gov
NASA’s Vision for Space Exploration...
NASA’s Mission for Education
Attract and
retain students
in STEM
disciplines
Strengthen
NASA and
the Nation’s
future
workforce
Science
Technology
Engineering
Mathematics
Engage
Americans in
NASA’s mission
NASA’s Toy Box
Grades: 5 – 12
Purpose: To explore physics concepts
while having fun with toys!
Objectives


Model a variety of hands-on activities related
to physics using toys that are readily
available.
To observe the behaviors of toys in
microgravity on the International Toys in
Space and Toys In Space II DVD’s and
determine how microgravity affects the
motions of familiar toys.
History of Toys in Space
Toys in Space I
STS-51D
Space Shuttle Discovery
April, 1985
Toys in Space II
STS-54
Space Shuttle Endeavour
January, 1993
International Toys in Space
Expedition 5
International Space Station
2002
NASA CORE
Central Operation of Resources for Educators
http://core.nasa.gov
International
Toys in Space
and
Toys in Space II
DVD
NASA CORE
http://core.nasa.gov
Activity Kits
International Toys in Space
Cost: $40
9 Toys
Toys in Space 2
Cost: $25
6 Toys
International
Toys in Space
Science on the Station
Video Resource Guide
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/151730main_International.Toys.In.Space.pdf
Toys in Space II
Video Resource Guide
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/151731main_Toys.In.Space.II.pdf
NASA’s Toy Box
Agenda

What is microgravity?


Physics Concepts


A review of forces involved
with today’s toys
Teaching Physics with Toys


An explanation of freefall
Inquiry activities using toys to
teach physics
Toys in Space

Inquiry activities examining
the effects of microgravity on
toys
What is microgravity?
Gravity (g)
Gravity is a force of
attraction between objects.
The more massive the object, the greater
the pull. However, the object has to be
really massive, like Earth,
for the pull to be obvious.
The g’s
Earth’s gravity = 1 g
Provides a force of
acceleration known as free
fall (9.8 m/s2).
High g’s
Any acceleration greater
than free fall.
>1g
2
 9.8 m/s
Low g’s
Any acceleration
less than free fall.
<1g
< 9.8 m/s2
Gravity



Mass – the amount of
matter an object
contains
Weight – the
magnitude of a
gravitational pull
Ex. The moon’s
gravitational pull is
1/6th that of earth.
You know you’re in
microgravity when . . . .
You sleep tethered to a wall or ceiling.
You turn a screw, but you turn instead.
A sneeze sends you flying backwards.
A drop of water forms a sphere and floats
in the air.
The toilet acts like a vacuum cleaner, using
flowing air instead of water.
Microgravity 8/13
NASA at the Amusement Park
What is microgravity?
 Microgravity
is an environment
where some of the effects of
gravity are reduced.
 Objects
may appear to be
weightless in mg conditions.
 You
can create mg conditions
with freefall.
Water Mystery
What effect does gravity have on a falling
can of water with a hole punched near the
bottom?
Physics Concepts
Review
Physics - Friction



The force that makes it difficult for one
object to slide over another
On earth, push an object and friction
slows it down.
In space, there is no friction. If you push
an object, it continues to move and is
difficult to stop or change direction.
Precision Air Bearing Floor (PABF)
 Simulates lack of friction in
microgravity
 Astronauts practice moving
large objects without letting
them get away
Physics - Momentum


Momentum = mass X velocity
Conservation of Momentum - In a
collision of 2 objects, the momentum
lost by object 1 is equal to the
momentum gained by object 2.
Physics-
Centripetal and Centrifugal Force


Centripetal Force – The inward force which
causes an object to turn.
Centrifugal Force – The apparent outward force
exerted by an object moving in a circle. In
reality, the object is simply tying to move in a
straight line.
Physics
Angular Momentum


a measure of the amount of spin
or orbital motion an object has.
Ex. Gyroscope, wheel
Angular Momentum =
mass × velocity × distance
(from point object is spinning or
orbiting around)
•Linear momentum and centripetal
force combine to give an object
angular momentum.
•Angular momentum must be conserved
– Conservation of Angular Momentum.
Physics -
Newton’s 1st Law of Motion
-
An object at rest
stays at rest and an
object in motion stays in
motion indefinitely along
the same straight line
unless acted on by an
unbalanced force.
Inertia (1) –an object
tends to resist any change
in its motion
Physics -
Newton’s 1st Law of Motion
Whirl a yo-yo around on
the end of its string.
What will happen when
you let go of the string?
Why does a satellite orbit
the earth?
Physics -
Newton’s 2nd Law of Motion
Force = mass X acceleration
F=m
F=m
(ball)
X
a
X
a
(cannon)
(ball)
(cannon)
Physics -
Newton’s 2nd Law of Motion

Would you apply a
greater force to kick the
basketball or the beach
ball the same distance?

Baseball or a whiffle ball?

Golf ball or a ping pong
ball?
Physics –
Newton’s 3rd Law of Motion
For
every action there is an
equal and opposite reaction.
Objects move
forward
by pushing
backward on
a surface or
on a fluid.
Teaching Physics
with Toys
Teaching with Toys
Balloons
A cushion of air lifts
hovercraft off of the
surface and reduces
friction.
 Build a small hovercraft
to demonstrate how it
floats without friction.

Tabletop Hovercraft
NASAexplores
http://www.nasaexplores.com
• Detailed lesson
plans and articles
• Search engine
• Teacher Sheets
and Student
Sheets
• 3 Grade Levels:
K-4, 5-8, 9-12
Teaching with Toys
Marbles

Collisions - Part 1Observe colliding marbles
to demonstrate the law of
conservation of momentum.
Amusement
Park Physics
with a NASA
Twist
Educator
Activity Guide
//insert clip # 1//
Toys in Space
Student Investigations:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Describe how you play with
this toy here on Earth.
Name the physics concepts
that make this toy work.
Will toy work in space?
Why?
Would you change anything
to make toy work in space?
Results in microgravity (DVD)
Toys in Space
Boomerang








Make your own boomerang by cutting out the
pattern and curving the blades upward.
Throw the boomerang with a vertical spin.
On Earth, a spinning boomerang exhibits angular
momentum.
Boomerang does not return unless it is spinning.
Faster it is spinning and the more upward the
curve of the blades, the more quickly it returns –
Newton’s Second Law of Motion.
Gravity causes the boomerang to fall.
Blades act as propellers pushing back against the
air and propelling it forward - Aerodynamics.
Axis of boomerang changes from vertical to
horizontal causing it to return to thrower.
Toys in Space
Boomerang
In space, there is no
gravity to turn the
boomerang from vertical to
horizontal.
 The boomerang continued
to move forward and did
not change orientation or
return to the astronaut
- Newton’s First Law of
Motion.

Toys in Space
Kendama or Ball and Cup
Make your own kendama with
a dixie cup, craft stick, string
and a ping pong ball.
•Gravity causes the ball
to fall into the cup and
stay there.
Toys in Space
Kendama or Ball and Cup
• In space, the ball follows a
straight path until it is snapped
back when the string is
stretched all the way out –
Newton’s First Law of Motion.
•
The astronaut was able to get
the ball into the cup by
redirecting the ball toward it,
but he had a hard time keeping it
in the cup. The ball kept bouncing
back out Newton’s 3rd Law of
Motion (Action-reaction)
because there was no gravity to
help keep it in.
Toys in Space
Jump rope


Gravity pulls the jumper
back down to the
ground.
The jump rope circles
the jumper by
centripetal force.
Toys in Space
Jump rope
When the rope
circles in one
direction, the freefloating astronaut
may swing around in
the other direction
to conserve angular
momentum.
Toys in Space
Klackers
•Balls move up by pushing down
on the handle and move down
by pushing up on the handle –
Newton’s Third Law of Motion
(Action-Reaction).
•While the balls move around
the handle, they possess
momentum.
•A stationary ball has no
momentum. When the moving
ball hits the stationary ball, it
passes its momentum to the
stationary one –Conservation
of Angular Momentum.
Klacker Balls in Space
Toys in Space
Klackers


In space, the klacker’s
motion where the balls hit on
the top and bottom could be
done.
The circular motion where
you hit the ball at the
bottom of each circle could
not be mastered in space.
There was no force (gravity)
to hold the ball down at the
bottom of the circle and it
kept circling the handle with
the other ball - momentum.
Toys in Space
Basketball


Gravity brings the ball
down through the hoop.
A banked shot moves the
ball forward by pushing
back on the backboard –
Newton’s 3rd Law of
Motion.
Show Basketball movie clip
from Toys in Space II DVD
Toys in Space
Basketball


In space, the astronaut
could not arc the ball
into the basket
(Newton’s First Law of
Motion) or make a
banked shot off the
backboard.
To make a basket he had
to bounce the ball off
the ceiling or do a slam
dunk.
Toys in Space
Car & Track
•On Earth, the car moves forward by
pushing backward on the track –
Newton’s Third Law of Motion
(Action-Reaction)
•There is not enough acceleration
generated by the car - Newton’s
Second Law of Motion (F= M X A) to
break the force of gravity. The car
can’t circle the track.
Show Car and Track movie
clip from Toys in Space II DVD
Toys in Space
Car & Track
•In space, gravity does not act
on the car, so the car will travel
around the track until its engine
winds down – Newton’s First Law
of Motion. It will remain where
it stopped until the track is
moved.
•Centrifugal force holds
the car against the track
because there is no gravity
pulling it down.
Learn all you can
and who knows how far you’ll go?