Terror in Space
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Student Handout |
Controlling the Cube
One theory about why the supply ship Progress crashed into Mir was its center of mass was not centered, making the ship move unpredictably. See what happens when you change the location of an object's center of mass. Then see if you can alter the location of an object's center of mass to make the object move the way you want.
Part I | Part II
Procedure
Roll the Styrofoam ball across the
table to your partner. Experiment with using different amounts of force. What do you observe about the ball's path and motion? Insert a weight into the Styrofoam.
Secure the weight with tape, if
necessary. Predict what will happen when you
roll the ball this time. Roll the ball again. Experiment with
using different amounts of force. What do you observe about the ball's path and motion?
Questions
Write your answers on a separate sheet of a paper.
What happens to the motion of the
ball, with and without the weight? Explain the similarities and differences you observed. How does this activity model the
behavior of the Progress as it attempted to redock with Mir?
Part II
Procedure
Assemble the cube, folding the edges carefully so they align as accurately as possible. Use the same size piece of tape on all sides (even the folded side). Cut out a small piece of self-stick note to hold down the lid. Roll your cube 30 times and record
how often each side lands facing up. Assuming a cube has uniform sides
and its center of mass is located at the "center" of the cube, the theory of probability states that each side has a 1 in 6 chance of landing face-up. Combine your data with data from other teams, and compare the class's results with the theoretical probability. Now alter the location of your cube's
center of mass by placing clay on one of the interior sides of the cube. How can you position the clay so that when you roll your cube, the NOVA logo appears face up the most often? The team that rolls the most NOVA logos in 30 rolls becomes the center of mass master!
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