Praxis: Jumping to a scientific conclusion
By Medicine Hat News on February 24, 2018.
Well, do I have a story to share with all of you, my closest friends! As I look back today, I am not sure why, but I was recently “convinced” to take an extended long weekend and hit the slopes. Let’s be honest, I am not as young as I used to be (which I often forget), and subsequently things often do not go as well on the hill as I hope. I like to go at my own pace and as those younger skiers race by me, I often get challenged to do some jumps — well, you can likely guess the answer I give to that challenge! As I am thinking of a clever answer for those that think they are so much better than I am, I begin to explain to them the science behind such acrobatic feats and how age has nothing to do with it — of course, science does!! What you can say though is that I am a team player and I persevered despite the fact that it may not have been that graceful out there on the hill. Let’s get started! *Remember to ask an adult before you do this experiment. Materials – measuring tape – pencil – large piece of cardboard – six to eight large books – marble – masking tape – large flat area to work — preferably on the floor Procedure 1. Using the measuring tape, cup a piece of cardboard out that is about 30 cm x 60cm. 2. Take a few books and make a pile about 15cm high. Use the measuring tape to measure if you are not sure. 1. Make another pile of books twice as high; about 30 cm tall, right beside the first pile of books. 2. Take the piece of cardboard and make a ramp from the tall pile of books to the lower pile. Secure in place with masking tape. 3. Take the marble and release it from the top of the ramp. 4. Observe what happens. 5. Now, position the ramp in between the two stacks of books. 6. Secure the ramp in place with masking tape. 7. Hold the marble on the edge of the cardboard and release. 8. Observe what happens. What is going on? In this activity, you discovered how the shape of the ramp affects how well you can jump. The second ramp is similar to a “half pipe” you may see at the ski hill. When you held the marble and released it, the potential energy turned to kinetic energy as the marble went down the cardboard. It increased in speed as in order to make your jump, you need a great deal of speed to make it up the other side and display your jump! The first ramp on the other hand allowed the marble to move horizontally, increasing speed as you go down. This is similar to a ski jumper as well. What is a bit more complicated in this jump is that the skier has to learn how to lean, position their skis into a “v” and even hold their body parallel to their skis to get the maximum jump possible. Not to mention landing the jump. I know this sounds pretty complicated, but do not worry, no skiers were seriously injured while researching this experiment! Patty Rooks is senior scientific consultant at PRAXIS, “Connecting Science To The Community.” Contact Praxis at praxis@praxismh.ca, http://www.praxismh.ca, Tweet or follow us @PraxisMedHat, or friend us on Facebook. 28-27
