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These are a series of questions asked by a teacher bringing his students to Physics Day for the first time. The webmaster responded to the inquiry, and is publishing the answers here for everyone to review. As always, comments are welcome, as are additional questions that we can help you answer in advance of the actual event. |
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Q Do students at the park have and use the homemade vertical and lateral accelerometers with them? |
A Most schools show up with some form of the vertical and lateral accelerometers. Most buy from PASCO, a few from CENCO, and the rest make their own. Yes, students use them and need to use them to get any sort of mathematical values to work with. This is a lab activity, not one where people are merely spectators. |
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Q Will the plastic tube vertical (with spring or rubberband) and the 'protractor' triangulation tool (with a hanging weight) will be adequate enough for measuring vertical and lateral acceleration and estimating height ? Any Suggestions? |
A Yes. The values have to be trusted within the limits of the instruments you are using. You don't have a surveyer's transit, for example. A good first approximation may be what you get on the rubber band version of the accelerometer, but it gets them inside the ballpark. A protractor version can give within 5% of heights if used carefully. There are SPOTS in the park where the baseline distance is known and posted to various parts of the rides. The Drop Zone spot is next to Psycho Mouse where you can see both the top and bottom of the ride clearly. Others are similarly located. See the park map for specific locations. Students should also be able to measure off horizontal distance using their pace. Mark out 10-m lengths at school and have them walk them. From this they can determine their pace length and then can use that to measure, for example, the diameter of Orleans Orbit. The 2-3 pages of Measurement at the Park are usually copied into materials we give our students so they will know how to take measurements when they are at the park. We also have a day when we go over the process at school prior to coming. |
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Q I heard that you have accelerometers to be checked out--
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A We'll be at the Gazebo near the Vortex from around 10:00 to 2:00 most days. Students must leave us something of value - credit card, drivers license - in order to check out one of the units. These need to be rotated frequently in order to meet the demand we anticipate. One ride per group is all we can support. Rides: roller coasters, Orbit, Centrifuge, etc. Think about them getting nice measurements on part of a ride rather than imprecise measurements over a whole ride. We are using LabPro's now, which can gather more than 1000 data points. When and where to gather data on a ride may be the best questions for students to ask. |
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Q I would like to avoid taking our TI calculators,,,what do you reccommend? |
A If you want the students to do any calculations, they will need a calculator. A small carrying bag can handle both the measuring instruments and the calculator for security and water proofing. They could get away with a 4-function calculator for the most part. Anything more complex they could do back at school. |
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Q Will students gather their own data for the various rides? |
A I don't have that in front of me to see what you originally referenced. If it's the data from the rides, as I suspect, then this has been furnished to teachers. Use it as a check on what the students get in their work. We don't provide all the numbers, heights, weights, speeds. Students need to be able to estimate and do their own mathematics. |
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Q I've heard that there are information tables/booths set up in the park .. no info provided in the booklet sent to me
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A We're not sure how many help tables will be around this year. In the past, we've had students from SJS, Hayward State, etc. who had a table with some demos. They could help out some, but were less than perfect on their physics, being students themselves. Better than nothing. Make sure your students have a map with them, and if you want them to meet somewhere at some time, then they'll know where it is. I recommend that you have them check in with you (within a 30-35 minute period) sometime during the late morning. Meeting place at your discretion, but I recommend one where there's shade. |
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Q We have a short day 9:00 to 2:00. How many activities would be realistic? |
A I would think in terms of having them do a great job on 2 rides while at the park. There are two other items: one for on the way to the park and the other called "Where in the Park" (which is online). This gives a total of 4 items for them to contemplate, these latter two which can be done away from the park going and coming. |
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Q Are certain rides to be attempted early? |
A Biggest lines are the big coasters - Top Gun and Invertigo. Early on, Demon is pretty fast. Drop Zone gets long, too. It's a great ride to get data, and the operation is sweet. It's short, though, 45 seconds tops from start to finish. |
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Q I want to help make this a successful learning experience for my students, in hopes that I can generate parent support for future year's trips. Any other advice you can give a novice? |
A Don't expect to be perfect on the first outing. Learn what works for you and your students, and then build that in for next year. Don't have them do too much, but expect them to do quality work and hold them to it. |
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Q Who should I contact at the park? |
A Contact Group Sales. Their information is given here: Group Sales |
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Q What products are available for purchase from the park? |
A A table of products and prices is given here. Contact Group Sales if you are intersted in purchasing them. A complimentary copy of either the packet or the CD-ROM is provided when you puchase your ticket.
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