Activity Detail
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Watching Your Weight
 


Activity Overview

In this activity, students examine how moving a weight up along a board affects the downward force on the board. They explore how children with different weights can be balanced on a seesaw.

Before the Activity

  • Position the scale and the block far enough apart so that the wooden plank is supported on one end by the scale and the other end by the block
  • Starting at the edge of the scale, place marks at 10-cm increments on the wooden plank
  • Set up the calculator for data collection using the procedure described in the attached Appendix PDF file
  • See the attached PDF file for detailed instructions for this activity
  • Print pages 25 - 37 from the attached PDF file for your class

    		•

    		During the Activity

    		Distribute the pages to the class.

    Follow the Activity procedures:
  • Place books at the 0 cm mark on the plank and record the weight
  • Move the books to the 10 cm mark and record the weight
  • Continue to move the books away from the scale in 10-cm increments and record weights
  • Enter the data of distance and weight as a list
  • Use this data to graph a scatter plot
  • Visually estimate the trend line and find the line that contains as many points as possible
  • Determine an equation for a trend line for the data, calculate the slope, and graph the trend line
  • Find the weight of objects placed at different distances from the scale
  • Find the distance from the scale given the object's weight shown on the scale


  • Find a linear equation for the data
  • View the graph of the best fit line
  • Use the linear regression model, find weights at different distances, and find the distance given the weight

    		After the Activity

    		Students will complete the Data Collection and Analysis page and answer questions.

    Review student results:
  • As a class, discuss questions that appeared to be more challenging
  • Re-teach concepts as necessary

    		Other Downloads




    view standards alignment
    view textbook alignment

    Subject Area:
    Math : Middle Grades Math : Algebraic Thinking
    Math : Algebra I : Linear Equations and Functions
    Math : PreAlgebra : Linear Functions

    Author:
    Texas Instruments

    Level:
    5-8

    Activity Time:
    60 Minutes

    Device:
    TI-73 Explorer™

    Apps:
     

    Software:
     

    Accessories:
     

    Other:
    This is Activity 3 from the EXPLORATIONS Book:
    Activities for Algebra with the TI-73.

    The following materials are required for this activity:

  • Scale
  • Wooden plank or meter stick
  • Books
  • Tape measure


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