PhET + Tuva: Projectile Motion
Sim Lesson
Lesson Purpose: Students of physics often think of the subject as a precise science, but real systems built by engineers display statistical behavior. This lesson introduces students to the idea of variability in performance of real systems in the context of projectile motion. Narrative: In this lesson, students will: Generate data pertaining to motion of projectiles launched using different launch mechanisms. Create graphs to visualize the spread in the range of the projectiles launched using different launch mechanisms. Standards: This lesson (and the next) address the following AP Statistics course standards: HSS-ID.A.1: Interpret differences in shape, center, and spread in the context of the data sets, accounting for possible effects of extreme data points (outliers). HSS-ID.A.1: Represent data with plots on the real number line (dot plots, histograms, and box plots). How Tuva Enhances This Activity: PhET offers exemplary simulations to help students visualize complex, real world phenomena. However, the data generated by these simulations is sometimes hard, sometimes impossible to capture and analyze. Tuva allows students to run simulations, collect generated data and analyze it in different ways using Tuva’s data exploration tools, making a perfect combination that enables real inquiry-based learning.
Physics learned in a classroom often lacks real-world complexities. Take projectile motion for example. In projectile motion problems, we are often told about a ball or a stone thrown with a certain speed and at a certain angle, and asked to determine its range, time of flight and other such variables. However, real world launchers are not able to consistently launch a projectile at the same speed and the same angle. Such variations make it challenging for a real-world engineer to pick an appropriate launcher that suits their needs. So, what do they do when the laws and equations of physics are inadequate? They take help from data and statistics! In this lesson, we will see how simulations can help us pick the right launcher to meet our needs.
Topics and standards: Science, Physical Science, Projectile, Simulation, Grades 9-12, Tools Lab, PhET + Tuva, Assessment