Choose Your Own Project!! (Due 1/28/08)
***Note the new due date!!! Now you have time to put those special touches on your project that make it stand out!! Good Luck All, I can't wait to see them :)
As a culmination to our study of the principles of physics, you may select a project through which you will demonstrate your understanding of what you have learned. The purpose of the assignment is to allow you to think creatively about motion and to apply your knowledge of energy, forces, and machines to create a device that is not a "serious" machine, but a whimsical contraption. You will have three choices of projects to complete. This is usually an individual project. If you desire to work with one other person, see me about the requirements to ensure that it is comparable to the individual projects concerning the amount of work. Select one topic from the choices below and get the appropriate instructions and requirements from the teacher for the project you select.
Roller Coaster Physics of Fun! Research the history of roller coasters. Where did the idea originate? What were they originally used for? How were the early roller coasters built and were they safe? What roller coasters are considered the "best" to ride? How are they ranked? Write a 3-5 page paper in 12 font to present your findings. Examine the physics of roller coasters to determine what makes them do the things they do. Create diagrams or other visuals to show what you have learned. You may present your findings in PowerPoint, a web page, or using posters or transparencies. Prepare/Create a 3-D model of a roller coaster (No store bought models) to use in your demonstration for the class with a marble, ball, or other built cart as the "rider". Show your calculations related to velocity, potential and kinetic energy for at least four locations along the "track". Explain how other factors such as gravity and friction play a part in the coaster. Include a creative story, advertisement, raft or story board using 20 of the 40 physics terms on the teacher provided rubric.Design and Construct a Rube Goldberg Device Research the ideas of Pulitzer Prize winning artist Rube Goldberg. What did he do that made him memorable? Find some of his "invention" cartoons. What was he trying to accomplish? What motivated him in the kind of cartoons he produced? Rube Goldberg had a way of looking at a problem, taking logical thought, and spinning it into a chaos of imagination. The end result was usually a collection of bits and pieces of found objects and mechanical parts put together in a whimsical and unlikely working configuration that actually performed a task. His drawings, using simple machines and household items were incredibly complex and wacky, but always ingenious Write up what you find out about Rube Goldberg in an essay. Design a machine to accomplish a task similar to those listed above. Develop a series of sketches showing your ideas for your machine. When the final plan is complete, build or draw your machine according to the rubrics in class. There are seperate requirements for either choice. Demonstrate it for the class.
Physics in the Art World Research the art of Fernand Leger. Some of his work appears to focus on the workings of machines and frequently he "abstracted" other things to make them look like machines. What influenced his work? Why did he choose to show subjects as machines? What was going on in the world at the time that he did this work? How did he go about doing it? Write a 3-5 page paper 12 font or other approved about his life and work. Using your knowledge of simple machines and physics, create your own "work of art" by taking some subject, drawing, painting, or sculpturing in the style of Leger. Be able to show/discuss all of the parts of your "machine" and tell how it works and all physics concepts involved. Use all of the simple machines in your picture. Make this a finished work of art.
INCLUDE AN APA FORMAT BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR ALL ESSAYS WITH A MINIMUM OF 5 SOURCES OF WHICH ONE SHOULD BE A BOOK AS A RESOURCE!!