Activity Overview
In this activity, students' use the motion detector to collect position data and study the relationship between position and velocity. They explore the relationship between functions and their derivatives. Students' learn to connect mathematical relationships to real-world phenomena.
Before the Activity
Connect the CBR 2™ unit to the calculator
Start the Ranger program
See the attached PDF file for detailed instructions for this activity
Print pages 77 - 82 from the attached PDF file for your class
During the Activity
Distribute the pages to the class.
Follow the Activity procedures:
Set up the CBR™ to collect position data every 15 seconds
Move back and forth in front of the CBR and collect distance versus time data
Identify regions on the graph where the velocity is positive, negative, and zero
Make a sketch of the predicted velocity versus time graph
Determine the instantaneous velocity
Use the stat plot for velocity as a function of time to sketch velocity versus time graph and compare it with the prediction
Sketch a velocity versus time graph for a given position versus time graph
Use the RANGER application to collect velocity data, and match the sketched graph with the actual graph of the data
Observe the derivative graph as the function graph changes
After the Activity
Students' will collect data and analyze the results.
Review student results:
As a class, discuss questions that appeared to be more challenging
Re-teach concepts as necessary