Outreach
Department
of Physics
Department
of Physics
The
Who: 3 groups of 25
third grade students and Me (for 30 minutes for each group)!The What: Goodie bags (contents): Handout, small plastic, practice golf ball (cheap at Target),
coffee filter, ultra-mini paper binder (any color but black) with its regular handles
(from the office supply store), ultra-mini paper binder (black color) with its handles removed
and with the handles of the next size in its place, one standard clothespin,
one hugh binder clip with handles removed, one-half of a clothes pin, and a rock.
Last component: "Trading Card of Physicists" from the American Association of Physics Teachers.
(The cards are a big hit!)
The Intro: Brief discussion, students put their fingers on the words/pictures on Handout.
(If I get excited, I forget to do this part!)
The How: Test Gravity; ball vs. coffee filter; ball vs. crumbled into a ball coffee filter.
Then do the "Penny and Feather" Free Fall Demonstration.
Free fall is mass independent if we can neglect air resistance!
Then What: Which small binders are earier to open? Mechanical advantage due to increased lever arm.
Lever arm from pivot point to place of fingers: easy to see with clothespin and
fingers in different positions.
Then What: How to open large binder clip? Use half-clothespin and rock! A wedge!
Then for some fun: do the Demonstration with a basketball and small ball.
(The students enjoy the collision with the ceiling!)
Then: The students get hands-on time with pulleys, gears, balls.
"Homework for the students":
1. Teach the 2-ball drop to someone at home.
2. Complete page 2 of your "notebook".
3. Have some fun!
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