Roller Coaster!
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Student Handout |
Humpty Dumpty Revisited?
You have been hired to develop a bungee-jump ride. The only requirement is that the ride be both thrilling and safe. Here is the challenge: Build the ride so that an egg, when it is attached to a rubber band and dropped from the top of a scaffolding, comes close to but does not hit the ground. Here is the catch: You only get one egg. Keep these goals in mind while you create and test a model of the bungee-jump ride.
Procedure
Lay paper towels on the floor and over the top of your desk. Create the bungee-jump scaffolding by laying the coat hanger flat on the desk, on top of the paper towels and twisting the hook end so that the end points up. Allow the hook to hang over the edge of the desk. Weight the hanger down with the books. Tie several rubber bands together into a "bungee cord" that stretches from the hook almost to the floor. Attach the "bungee cord" to the hook. Using the materials you have gathered, build a seat for your egg. Test your seat by putting a less fragile passenger into it. For a "test pilot," find another object of similar size and weight. A few trial runs with the test pilot may help you to adjust your seat or cord. When you are ready, attach the seat to the bungee cord and let the egg go for a ride!
Questions
Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.
Is the ride both thrilling and safe for the egg? Why or why not? (If not, you may need more paper towels!) How did your trial runs help you improve your design? What adjustments could you make so that the ride is either safer or more thrilling?
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