Outreach Programs

3rd Grade Demo: Velocity

March 13, 2009

School Visits and Demonstrations | Early Elementary School | Middle School and High School | Summer Youth Program | MTU Open House

This demonstration was to teach third grade schoolchildren about velocity or speed and how we measure it. They learned how velocity tells how far you have gone in a car, and how to calculate the distance of lightning by counting seconds until thunder is heard. The kids participated by timing toy cars using stop watches. Each person had a turn, and all the velocities were averaged for each of five groups. Participants learned about friction, which causes the cars to stop eventually. The car speed increased when silicon lubricant was used. The compiled data of distance and time were used to calculate the velocity using calculators.

DATA SHEET FOR VELOCITY MEASUREMENT (DOC)

Bernoulli's principle was introduced, describing the lift given to airplane wings. This was demonstrated by placing pennies on the edge of the table and blowing on them. Differences in air velocity over and under the penny cause it to lift up, similar to the wing of a plane.

The group then made ice cream using liquid nitrogen. The kids enjoyed the ice cream and the activities.

Student assistants were Nick Gast, Dale Goodloe, Meghan Haycock, and Ashwinkumar Vekaria, all undergrads in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. The demos were coordinated by Engineer/Scientist Edward A. Laitila.

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