Materials to Make Swingers
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2 Strings, 50cm
2 Paper clips
2 Pennies
2 Pencils
1 Meter tape
* Masking tape
* How to Build a
Swinger sheet
Vocabulary
Pendulum
A mass hanging from
a fixed point that is
free to swing back
and forward
Experiment
• How many times do you think your
swinger will swing in 15 seconds?
• How can you find out?
Standardize the Counting Cycle
• When the swinger is released, the swinger
will swing away and then come back
• This is one Cycle
• Need to count each time the swinger
comes back close to the point from which
it was released.
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What could you change in your swinger
system that might change the number of
swings in 15 seconds?
number of pennies
release position
length of swing
Push the swinger
as you release it.
Blow on it.
Vocabulary
Variable
anything that you can
change in an experiment
that might affect the
outcome
Pendulum
a mass hanging from a fixed
point that is free to swing to
and fro
Cycle
any motion or activity that
repeats itself
What can you think of that
swings?
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old clock
museum
playground swing
metronome
ponytail
birdhouse
leaf on a tree
Content/Inquiry Chart
• What is a variable?
• What is a pendulum and where have you
seen one?
• What variables might affect the number
of cycles the pendulum makes in 15
seconds?
Science Stories
• What Scientist Do?
Materials
Part 2: Testing Variables
For Each Group
For the Class
• 2 Swingers
• 2 Strings, different
lengths
* 2 Pencils
* 4 Pennies
• 1 Meter tape
* Scissors
* Masking tape
* Clock or watch with
second hand
• Swingers number
line
Standard Pendulum
• Review the three variables that they thought
might affect the number of swings of a
pendulum.
• Review the setup for the pendulum -38 cm
long, one, penny, released straight out to the
side for 15 seconds. This is called a
standard pendulum system. (record this in
your journal)
What is an experiment?
• An experiment is an investigation
designed to find out how variables affect
outcomes.
• An experiment in which one variable is
changed and the outcome is compared to
a standard is a controlled experiment.
Test the Variable of Release
Position
How do you think this new release
position will affect the number of
swings?
More swings? Fewer swings?
Same number?
If we change the angle
Change the angle
The number of swings will
angle
Test the Variable of Mass
How do you think adding mass to
the pendulum bob will affect the
number of swings?
More swings? Fewer swings?
Same number?
The effect of mass on the number of swings
If we increase mass
The number of swings will:
Pennies
Test the Variable of Length
How do you think changing the
length of the pendulum will affect
the number of swings?
More swings? Fewer swings?
Same number?
Materials for Variable length
• Each group will be given an envelope with
different lengths of strings
• Handout – Swingers Picture Graph – each
person
• Use the meter tape make the swinger the
same way we made the standard swinger
Length
Number of Swings
______________________________________________
200 cm
170 cm
120 cm
90 cm
70 cm
55 cm
Is there a relationship between the length of
the pendulum and the number of swings a
pendulum makes in 15 seconds?
• The longer the pendulum, the ____the swings.
• The shorter the pendulum, the _____the swings.
• The greater the number of swings, the _____the
pendulum.
• The fewer the number of swings, the _____ the
pendulum.
Content/Inquiry Chart
• Which variables made no difference in
the number of swings?
• Which variable did make a difference in
the number of swings?
• What variables might affect the number
of cycles the pendulum makes in 15
seconds?
Project Folder
• As students come up with questions or ideas that
suggest further investigation, you will ask them to
write the idea on a piece of paper, which you will
keep in a class folder.
• This will be a resource for students at the end of
the module when they are choosing a project to
investigate on their own.
Two-Coordinate Graph
• The x-axis (along the bottom) is reserved
for the independent variable.
• What did I know before the experiment
started?
• The y-axis (along the side) is reserved for
the dependent variable.
• What did I find out as a result of doing the
experiment?
Two coordinate graph
• Read the t-table on the Swingers Picture graph to
find the length and number of swings of the first
swingers
• Find the number along the (x axis) horizontal line
that represents the length of the first swinger
• Run your finger up that line until you come to the
horizontal line representing the number of swings
made by the first swinger
• Make a pencil dot on that intersection
• Repeat the procedure for the rest of the swingers
Content/Inquiry Chart
• How can you predict how many swings an
80-cm pendulum will make in 15 seconds?
Word bank
• Two-coordinate graph- shows the outcome
of a series of experiments when a variable is
changed by steps.
Read Science Stories
• Swinging through History?
Part 1: Exploring Boats
• What are lifeboats and how are they used?
Materials for Exploring Boats
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6 paper cups
Sponge
2 books
Pencil
Permanent marking
pens
• Scissors
• 50 Pennies- 1983-later
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1 Meter tape
2 Plastic cups
1 Syringe 50ml
1 Basin
Variable Journal
Student Sheet #8
Student Sheet #9
How many passengers can your
lifeboat hold before it sinks?
• Test your boat
• In your journal write a
list of variables that
might affect the
number of passengers
supported by their
boat.
Identify Variables
• Boats of slightly different size.
• Distribution of passengers in the boat.
• Gentle versus reckless placement of
passengers.
• Condition of the sea.
Variable of the boat
• How could you check the variable of boat
size to find out if in fact all the boats are
identical?
Vocabulary
• The greatest amount of fluid a container can
hold is its capacity.
Capacity
• Using the handout Measuring Lifeboat
Capacity measure the capacity of your 3cm
boat
Construct Four New Boats
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All new boats should be a different size.
No shorter than 2 cm
No taller than 4 cm
Name each boat.
Find the capacity of each boat.
Write the name and capacity of each boat on
its side.
Part 2: Lifeboat Inspection
• In a controlled experiment, all of the variables are
controlled, or kept constant, except one, so that the
experimenter can observe the effect of that one
variable on the experimental outcome.
• You will conduct controlled experiments to find
out how the variable of capacity affects the
number of passengers a lifeboat can hold.
Standard
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Place pennies gently.
Place pennies evenly.
Don’t shake the basin.
Dry pennies.
Place the pennies with heads up.
Independent and Dependent
Variables
• If you wanted to make a graph of the results
of your lifeboat experiment, what are the
two variables you would graph?
• Which variable did you know before the
experiment started, the size of your boats or
the number of passengers they hold?
• The independent variable goes on the x-axis.
• The dependent variable goes on the y-axis.
Content/Inquiry Chart
• Is there a relationship between the capacity
of lifeboats and the number of passengers
they hold?
Part 3: Inspecting Other Boats
• In a controlled experiment, all of the variables are
controlled, or kept constant, except one, so that the
experimenter can observe the effect of that one
variable on the experimental outcome.
• You will conduct controlled experiments to find
out how the variable of capacity affects the
number of passengers a lifeboat can hold.
Review Variables/Content Inquiry
• Which boat held the greatest number of
passengers?
• What variables make it possible for a boat to hold
lots of passengers?
• What variables did you have to control?
• What is the relationship between the capacity of
the boat and the number of passengers it can hold.
• If you had a new boat, could you use your graph to
predict how many passengers it could hold?
Swap Fleets
• Record your results in part 3 of the Lifeboat
Inspection sheet
Content/Inquiry Chart
• How were you able to predict the number of
passengers a new boat would hold?
• Did any results surprise you? If so, what do
you think happened?
Content/Inquiry Chart
• What variables might affect the number of
passengers (pennies) a paper-cup boat can
hold?
Exploring Flight-Materials
1-Foss Plane
Construction Sheet
1-Jumbo Straw
1-Super Jumbo Straw
1-Propeller
1-Hook
1-Rubber Band
1-Sandpaper Piece
• 2-Craft Sticks
• 1-Scissors
Part I: Exploring Flight
• The FOSS plane flies along a piece of
fishing line called a flight line.
• The FOSS plane and the flight line together
are called the FOSS plane system.
Conduct Test Flights
• If you had a piece of fishing line, could
you get your plane to fly the entire length
of the line?
Additional Materials
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1- Fishing line 4 meters long
2- Chairs
Duct tape (to attach to back of chairs)
1 Zip lock bag
Placing your chairs avoid other groups or
traffic flow.
Flight Challenges
• Get your FOSS plane to fly.
• Fly your plane the entire length of the
line.
• Figure out the minimum number of
winds needed to fly your plane the length
of the line.
Flight Logs
• Airplane pilots keep records of every flight
in a logbook. Pilot record information such
as date, time, weather, number of passenger,
mass of cargo, elevation and performance of
the aircraft.
• Handout – FLIGHT LOGS
Fly Halfway
• How many winds of the propeller do you
think it would take to fly your plane
halfway down the line?
Think of Additional Variables
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mass
rubber bands
slope of the line
tension of the line
propeller changes
lubricants
fan (wind shear)
Plan Variable Experiment
• Select a variable that can be change step-by-step.
• Choose a standard number of winds to put on the
propeller for all of the experiments from this point on.
• Measure the distance the unmodified plane will go
when flown with the standard number of winds.
• Get the materials needed to conduct the experiment.
Is there a relationship
between the variable you
investigated and the flight of
your plane?
Investigation 4: Flippers
• Part I: Assemble Flip Sticks
Materials for Flipper System
• Corks
• rubber stoppers
• extra craft stick for pressing down on the
flip stick
Explain
• When you were flipping corks and rubber
stoppers, did they always fly the same
distance?
• Discuss the reasons for the different
outcomes.
Control One Variable - Mass
• Prepare 2 aluminum balls.
• One is made from a piece is 20 cm long.
• The other is made from a piece10 cm long.
Meet the First Challenge
• How high can you flip your aluminum ball?
• Describe how you set up your flipper
system to achieve the highest flip.
Meet the Second Challenge
• How far can you flip your aluminum ball?
• Describe your setup of the flipper system
when you achieved the greatest distance.
Describe the Standard Launch
• Launch angle - O (flat)
• Position - launch object between the two
short sticks.
• Object - large foil ball.
• Flip - stick position-all the way in.
• Energy - flip stick depressed all the way.
Investigate Spacers, Stick
Length, or Angles
• Spacers. Pennies are used for spacers.
• Flip Stick Length. The flip stick can be
adjusted from 0 cm (all the way in) to 5 cm
(all the way out).
• Angle. The angle brace can be set at angles
from 0 degrees (flat) to 40 degrees in 10
degree increments.
Science Story
• Prove It