Barbie Launcher
Can you help barbie and her pool
toys get into the hot tub?
Your Goal:
• 1. Create a zip line using fishing line
and use gravity and projectile motion to
get a barbie into a hot tub near the
bottom of the slide.
• 2. Create a catupult to launch
Barbie’s toys into the hot tub.
The Basics
• You will work in groups of 2 or 3
students.
• You will have 3 full class days to build,
test and analyze
• Your group may choose what they
want to build
• You may not use anything that would
be considered inappropriate at school
KITS are not allowed
Zip Line
• The line should have a comfortable carriage
for Barbie and a release mechanism that
operates on its own once she is released at
the top of the line. Barbie will accelerate
down the line, converting her vertical
velocity into horizontal velocity as she leaves
the line at a fixed position determined by
YOU. She should land IN the hot tub. She
MUST have a horizontal component of
motion when she leaves the line. The purpose
of this activity is to investigate an
example of projectile motion.
• You will get 3 official trials and Barbie must
land consistently in the tub. Barbie should
not be damaged, held in an uncomfortable
position, or be naked at any time. Any
inappropriate comments, positions, etc. will
cause you to lose points.
• The tub is centered, 1.00 m from the tied
off far position of the zip line. 60% of the
Barbie must be in the hot tub in order to get
full credit for the event. A Barbie that
bounces out counts as an “In” if most of her
was in when she bounced out. Barbie dolls
have a relatively high coefficient of
restitution (bounce).
Catapult
• Your challenge is to build a miniature
catapult to chunk a Barbie toy into the hot
tub. Each student will be provided with a
toy for practice. You must use school
appropriate materials to make your
catapult. (no alcoholic beverages,
explosives, or obscene language.) Your
catapult may not be powered by
electricity, batteries, etc. KITS are NOT
ALLOWED.
Choose your groups wisely
You will have three full class days to do
the following:
a) build and test a prototype
b) collect data
c) demonstrate your success to your
instructor and
d) complete the calculations.
Timeline
Step 1: Choose your groups and sketch a
design. Make a list of what you need to
bring to class. This list will be turned in.
DATE: Oct. 29
Step 2: Bring materials to class – you will
receive a grade based on whether you
brought materials. DATE: Oct. 20-Nov.
1
Step 3: Build and test your design in class.
DATE: Oct. 30-Nov. 1
Step 4: Demonstrate your design and data
analysis. DATE: Nov. 2
What you will turn in
Rubric
Sketch of design
Point Value
10 points
Materials needed – contributed to the 10 points
group
Diagram of launch area with all
variables labeled.
10 points
Data analysis and calculations.
40 points
Correctly launch all 3 attempts
30 points
Correctly launch 2 attempts
20 points
Correctly launch 1 attempt
10 points
Fail to hit target but have a working
mechanism
5 points
Mechanism does not work
0 points
The Physics - Launcher
Release
The Physics behind the Launcher
• You will determine the horizontal
distance your barbie will travel and have
me place the hot tub at that distance.
• You will then use your data to solve for
all of the projectile variables we have
discussed in class.
• Make sure your results are repeatable.
The Physics behind the launcher
• This is a projectile motion problem once the
Barbie leaves the line.
• You are not allowed to have an abrupt stop
and the Barbie drop into the hot tub. She
must have some horizontal component of
motion when she leaves the line.
• You will need to time her down the line,
measure the height of her fall to determine
the time she is in the air, measure the
height she falls as she goes down the line
and measure the angle of your zip line.
The Physics: Catapult
• You will need to determine the
best angle to hit a required
distance.
Helpful websites:
• So many different catapults here:
http://www.stormthecastle.com/catapult/
how-to-build-a-catapult.htm
Just search catapult at instructables:
http://www.instructables.com/howto/cata
pult/