1823-04 - Single Advanced Ping-Pong Launcher Activity
The
Ping Ball Launcher combines the two favorites, building and making things fly.
This activity comes with all the components to build an adjustable launcher base
and a launcher mechanism. From there choose a design purpose. Do you want to hit
a target at a given distance? Do you want to launch the ping pong ball the
highest or farthest? Is consistency important? How do the constants or
variables affect your results (angle of trajectory, gravity, stored energy,
mass, range, environment, etc.)? Now design, build, implement and innovate
with your launcher to allow for experimentation with the elements of projectile
motion. This advanced activity
includes additional parts and components that allow your design and innovation
to go way beyond the basic launcher. How about building
catapult, ram, sling shot, kicker or whatever else you can
imagine to launch the ball and achieve your
goals.
Activity Guides
Click to download the pdf document (Acrobat
Reader5
or newer is required):
The TeacherGeek Ping Pong Ball Launcher V2 Build Guide
will take you step by step through the
construction of the adjustable base and one launcher example (sling shot).
Additional photos provide sample ideas of other launcher mechanisms. This
is where you can design and engineer a launcher to meet your goals.The V2 base
platform easily allows for changing the angle of trajectory. Choose a
design purpose. Do you want hit a target at a given distance? Do you want to
launch the ping pong ball the highest or farthest? Is
consistency important? How do the constants or variables affect your
results? (angle of trajectory, gravity, stored energy, mass, range, environment,
etc.)
TeacherGeek™
Ping Pong Ball
Launchers
The Launcher Activity
Teaches...
Newton's Laws
Kinematics
Two-Dimensional Motion
Forces
Conservation of Energy
Simple Machines
Data Collection
Data Analysis
Construction
Design and Innovation
Engineering
Challenges
Use kinematic equations for motion and two
dimensions to determine the range of a projectile.
Determine which launcher angle resulted in
the greatest distance traveled.
Determine which launcher angle results in
consistently hitting a given target.
What forces act on a projectile in flight?
How does the mass of the projectile affect the
distance it will travel when the same force and launch angle are used?
Calculate the average distance traveled for each
angle.
Calculate the standard deviation of the distance
traveled for each angle.
Create a spreadsheet / graph / table of your
results.
Give a presentation using your data as
argumentation for your best design.
