The question I chose was: Which pendulum will come to rest more quickly- a lighter pendulum or a heavier pendulum?
Materials:
I got the two marbles from the kit (one light and one heavy), some clear scotch tape, ruler, protractor, triple beam balance, stop watch, kite string, a 2 x 4, a hammer and a finishing nail. I hammered the finishing nail into the wood and placed it on my Television stand with some books to hold it down.
Procedures for Making the Pendulum:
I tied the string around the marbles. To secure the string and marble together I taped them with scotch tape. I got the ruler and made sure both strings were the same length (76 cm) and tied a loop at the end.
Lab Procedure:
1. Find the mass of both marbles and record your observations.
2. Place the loop end of the string on the nail.
3. Raise the marble thrity-degrees from the center rest position.
4. Ready the stop watch and release the pendulum. Start the stop watch right as the pendulum is released.
5. Time how long it takes for the pendulum to come to rest. Record observations.
I predicted that the smaller marble would take longer to come to rest but my data did not support that prediction. I released the marble and let it swing for a bit and found that the pendulum takes a long time to come to a stop. I would reinforce the part of the lab that says come to rest and talk about the rest position. The small marble took seven minutes and twenty-seven point twenty-seven seconds (7:27.27s) to stop. The large marble took seven minutes and three point zero seconds (7:03.00 s) to stop. I thought the small marble would have more velocity and swing faster and longer. The velocity was the same but the masses of the objects were different and the large marble took longer to stop.
The experiment started well with a good swing. However, the knots I tied around by the loop slipped and tightened on the nail. Tie a nonslip knot on the loop end. I used a strait finishing nail and the string moved down on the nail. I would recommend a steel hook to keep the string in one spot.
Scientific Inquiry:
The research question could be changed and still be at the guided inquiry level where the research question is given to the students (
Banchi, & Bell, 2008).
Example: Which pendulum has a higher period- a lighter pendulum or a heavier pendulum?
Which pednulum has a higher period- a long string or a short string?
To get to the open inquiry, I might just recommend showing the video of the pirate ship and placing materials ate each students lab table and letting them generate the questions and lab investigation (Newton's Pirate Ship).
My Students:
For my students I would show the video on the pirate ship for the engagement part (
Hammerman, 2006).I would then have a class discussion and ask some inquiry questions. One strategy recommended for engagement is filling out a K-W-L (Hammerman, 2006). Then, I would have the students break up into their lab groups.
Exciting:
To make it exciting for my class I would place different types of hooks on the cieling, different types of string and different size string. Also, I would not place tape in the materials box to secure the string to the marble, very exciting watching them try to secure the string to the marble. Place a boat in the materials tray or have them make a boat out of paper. Place some paper for the students to make a miniature person in the boat or place washer in the boat to watch what happens when you place them in the boat and let them swing.
Learning:
I would like for students to learn how to calculate the period of a pendulum. Students could also learn about the potential energy and kinetic energy. Also, the different masses with the same velocity changes the length of time for the pendulum to come to rest or reach equilibrium. Different string materials cause friction to change the period. Different size string chages the period.
Relevant:
Have students design a safe Pirate Ship for their miniature person the feel safe in. Also, come up with a catchy name for their ride to get more patrons to ride it.
My Learning:
I learned that the velocity was constant and the mass of the marble played an important role in the pendulum experiment I performed. The larger marble took longer to stop.
Reference
Banchi, H., & Bell, R. (2008). The many levels of inquiry. Science and Children, 46(2), 26–29.
Hammerman, E. (2006). Modified five Es lesson plan format. Becoming a Better Science Teacher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Newton’s Amusement Park. Retrieved from http://mym.cdn.laureatemedia.com/2dett4d/Walden/SCIE/6661/CH/mm/scie6661_theme_park.html.
