Education Technology

How Much Does Bubble Gum Stretch a Rubber Band?

Subject Area
Math: Algebra I: Data Analysis
Math: Algebra I: Equations and Inequalities
Math: Algebra I: Linear Functions
Level
9-12
Activity Time
45 Minutes
TI Calculator
TI-Nspire™ CX series
Other Materials
Individually wrapped bubble gum, paper cup, paper clip, metric ruler, hand sanitizer
Resource Types
Lessons

How Much Does Bubble Gum Stretch a Rubber Band?

Activity Overview

Students will conduct an experiment where they determine how much various quantities of bubble gum affect the length of a rubber band.

Before the Activity

Students should be familiar with graphing points on the coordinate plane as well as finding a line of best fit.

During the Activity

Students will use the materials: individually wrapped bubble gum, paper cup, paper clip, and metric ruler to create an experiment which answers the question "How much does bubble gum stretch a rubber band?" The teacher may want to direct students to page 1.9 of the .tns file which shows an example of how to set up the experiment, or have students come up with various methods for having the bubble gum change the length of the rubber band. (There are messy ways and non-messy ways to set up this experiment, so teachers may also want to have some hand sanitizer available as well.) Students collect data for at least 8 trials, then graph and find a line of best-fit using a quick graph, as well as find a linear regression on the handheld. Students also answer an application problem as well.

After the Activity

Engage in class discussion to monitor student understanding. Reteach concepts as necessary.

Subject Area
Math: Algebra I: Data Analysis
Math: Algebra I: Equations and Inequalities
Math: Algebra I: Linear Functions
Level
9-12
Activity Time
45 Minutes
TI Calculator
TI-Nspire™ CX series
Other Materials
Individually wrapped bubble gum, paper cup, paper clip, metric ruler, hand sanitizer
Resource Types
Lessons
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