Race Track Lab

TheLaboratory

RaceTrackLab

Teacher'sGuide

Topic: CircularMotionandSatelliteMotion

Thefollowinginformationisprovidedtothestudent:

Question: Whatisthemosteffectivestrategyforsuccessfullyguidingasimulatedcararoundaracetrackusing forcebuttonsandhowdoesthestrategyrelatetoNewton'slawsofmotionandvectorprinciples? Purpose: TouseNewton'slawsofmotionandvectorprinciplestosuccessfullyguideasimulatedcararounda racetrackusingforcebuttons,todescribeasuccessfulstrategyfordoingso,andtorelatethestrategy toNewton'slawsofmotion. Acompletelabwrite-upincludesaTitle,aPurpose,aDatasection,andaConclusion/Discussionof Results.TheDatasectionmustincludetheinstructorsinitialsindicatingthatyousuccessfully navigatedthetrack(andalsoincludeanynoteswhichyouwishtotake).TheConclusion/Discussion describesthefeaturesofasuccessfulstrategy,focusingonhowtoavoidtroublesomesituationsand whattoconsiderwhenconfrontedwithadifficultmove.Particularattentionshouldbegiventohowto navigateaturn.TheapplicationofNewton'slawsofmotiontothestrategyshouldbeexplicitly explained.



MaterialsRequired: ApagefromTheShockwavePhysicsStudios:

DescriptionofProcedure: Studentslogontotheabovepageandusetheon-screenforcebuttonstoguidearacecararoundanoval track.Thehorizontalandverticalcomponentsofthecar'svelocitiesareshownateveryinstant. Studentswillhavetostartoveriftheyrunthecaroffthetrack.Thenumberofmovesrequiredtoget fromstartinglinetofinishlineiskepttrackof.S/hewhofinishesintheleastnumberofmoveswins.

AlternativeMaterialsandProcedure: Analternativeistosimplydothelabforfunwithoutaskingstudentstoreportontheirfindings.

SafetyConcern: Thereisalwaysahigherthanusuallevelofriskassociatedwithworkinginasciencelab.Teachers shouldbeawareofthisandtakethenecessaryprecautionstoinsurethattheworkingenvironmentisas safeaspossible.Studenthorseplayandoff-taskbehaviorsshouldnotbetolerated.

Suggestions,Precautions,Notes:

?ThePhysicsClassroom,2009

TheLaboratory

1. Thisisachallengingactivity.Reviewinadvancewithstudentsthataforcecausesachangein velocity,thataforceinthedirectionofmotioncausesanobjecttospeedup,thataforceinthe oppositedirectionofthemotioncausesanobjecttoslowdown,andthataforceperpendicularto themotioncausesanobjecttoturn.

2. ThisactivitymaybringtomindaquotefromEinstein:"Thedefinitionofinsanityisdoingthesame thingoverandoveragainandexpectingdifferentresults."Resistthetemptationofsharingthe quotewithyourstudents.

3. Pairingstudentsupmayresultinmorelearningthanhavingthemworkalone. 4. Thisactivityisanassessmentofanumberofconcepts:velocityandacceleration,forceand

acceleration,inertia,thecentripetalforcerequirement,componentsofvelocity,andthe independenceofperpendicularcomponentsofmotion.Itisalsoanassessmentofobservation skills,problem-solvingskills,intelligence,andexperiencewithelectronicgaming.

AuxiliaryMaterials:

None

ScoringRubric:

CG3. RaceTrackLab Included,labeledandorganizedallpartsofthelabreport. Datasectionincludestheinstructor'sinitialsindicatingasuccessful

completionofthesimulation;mayincludeotherinformation. Conclusion/Discussiondescribestheelementsofasuccessfulstrategy,

explicitlyreferencingNewton'ssecondlawofmotionandvectorprinciples; accuratelyandthoroughlyexplainedhowtonegotiateaturn.

Score

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ConnectionstoThePhysicsClassroomTutorial: Thefollowingreadingsareasuitableaccompanimenttothislab:

ConnectionstoMindsonPhysicsInternetModules: Sublevels1through4oftheCircularandSatelliteMotionmodulearesuitableaccompanimentstothis lab:

?ThePhysicsClassroom,2009

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