Science Reasoning Center - Projectiles

You have reached the Construction Zone. As of April 1, 2023 the redo of our Science Reasoning Center was elevated to our top priority. We should have a large amount of content ready by August 1, 2023. We release content once it is ready, allowing teachers to preview and to test our latest creations for potential adoption into their curriculum and unit planning. You can stop by periodically to view our progress. It will be like watching a skyscraper being built ... only more exciting. You can also keep abreast of our developments by a periodic visit to the
What's New at TPC? page.
The
Legacy version of the Science Reasoning Center can be found
here.
Learn more:
About the Science Reasoning Center.
The following activities are planned for our Grand Opening. Once construction is completed, we will include a link to the activity:
Up and Down
This activity describes a demonstration in which a ball is launched upward from a cart moving at a constant speed. The motion of the ball is analyzed using video analysis and the results are presented in the form of a position (both x- and y-) vs. time graph and a velocity vector diagram. Questions target a student's ability to read, interpret, and interpolate from a graph, to formulate models that are consistent with data, and to translate information from one representation to another representation (e.g, from a diagram to a graph, and vice versa).
Maximum Range of a Projectile
This activity uses Excel-generated plots to describe the trajectory of a projectile, to compare the trajectories for three different launch angles, and to show the effect of launch angle upon range for three different launch speeds. Questions target a student's ability to read graphical information, to interpolate from graphs, to recognize the effect of one variable on another variable, and to use information presented in graphs to answer related questions.
This activity describes the trajectory of a rotating juggling club moving through the air. The trajectory of three points on the club are presented in the form of a position (both x- and y-) versus time graph. Questions target a student's ability to select information from a complex graph and to use graphical information to make conclusions regarding the club's orientation and the relative position and rotational direction of the club's handle and head.