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	Forensics Case 2 Bouncing Back: Using ground-penetrating radar to locate buried objects

Activity Overview

In this activity, students gather data to explore the use of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to find buried materials. They use a range finder to detect the presence of an object and to distinguish between different-shaped objects. They find the buried car and help solve a case.

Before the Activity

Use TI Connect™ to download Vernier EasyData™ application

Attach the USB cable to CBR 2™ and connect it to the calculator

See the attached PDF file for detailed instructions for this activity

Print pages 12 - 16 from the attached PDF file for your class

Print sample data and student work pages

Activity Downloads:

(file types)

During the Activity

Distribute the pages to your class.

Follow the Activity procedures:
Collecting Data:

Set up the CBR 2 to collect one data point every 0.05 seconds for 200 seconds

Place a block of wood or a small box on a desk making sure that there is nothing else on the surface

Hold the CBR 2 about a meter above the desktop and toward one end of the desk with the light-gray part of the detector facing the desk

Slowly move the motion detector, at a constant height above the desktop, from one end of the desk to the other end at constant speed

Examine the graph formed for each shape

To find the location and shape of the hidden object:

Without looking inside the box, place the CBR 2 on the top edge of the box and move the detector at a constant speed and constant height from one end to the other end in 10 seconds

Sketch the display shown on the screen into the Evidence Record and use it to identify the shape of the object

Find the site where the car is buried, and its shape

After the Activity

Students analyze the results and answer the case analysis questions.

Review student results:

As a class, discuss questions that appeared to be more challenging

Re-teach concepts as necessary

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