Newton's Laws That's the Way the Apple Falls

Newton’s Laws: That’s the Way the Apple Falls Teaching High Schoolers the Wonder of Physics Float’n Illini Academic Institution: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 306 Talbot Laboratory 104 South Wright Street Urbana, IL 61801 Faculty Advisor: Eric Loth loth@uiuc.edu (217) 244-5581 Team contact: Adam Jaslikowski jaslikow@uiuc.edu (217) 365-8103 Team Members: *Byrne, Emily – (ebyrne@uiuc.edu) / Senior / Astronomy / April ’03 (Ground Crew) *Eberle, Steven – (eberle@uiuc.edu) / Sophomore / Aerospace Engineering / April ’03 (Ground Crew) Huffman, Heather – (hhuffman@uiuc.edu) / Freshman / Aerospace Engineering *Jaslikowski, Adam – (jaslikow@uiuc.edu) / Junior / Aerospace Engineering / April ’03 (Flight Crew) Kabureck, Christopher – (kabureck@uiuc.edu) / Junior / Aerospace Engineering Kathrein, Scott – (kathrein@uiuc.edu) / Sophomore / General Curriculum LAS Kuang, Robert – (rkuang@uiuc.edu) / Sophomore / Civil Engineering Maldonado, Robert – (ramaldon@uiuc.edu) / Senior / Aerospace Engineering *Milczarek, Stephanie – (smilczar@uiuc.edu) / Sophomore / Aerospace Engineering / April ’03 (Ground Crew) Navarro, Jonathan – (jnavarro@uiuc.edu) / Junior / Aerospace Engineering Ngan, Chung – (cngan@uiuc.edu) / Freshman / Aerospace Engineering Ragheb, Adam – (aragheb@uiuc.edu) / Junior / Aerospace Engineering Wallace, Carlisle – (cwallace@uiuc.edu) / Freshman / Aerospace Engineering Zhou, Kevin – (kzhou@uiuc.edu) / Sophomore / Aerospace Engineering Advisor Signature: 2 Acknowledgements The Float’n Illini would like to thank several people who have made our research possible. First, we would like to express our appreciation to Professor Loth, our head advisor, for all his help this year and in years past. Also, we send a thousand thank you’s to Leo Linares and Suhail Barot who have contributed much time, effort, and support to our team this year. Thank you all! We couldn’t do this without you! Table of Contents 3 Flight Week Preference and Mentor Request Technical I. Synopsis II. Test Objectives III. Test Description IV. Justification for Follow-Up Flight V. References Experiment Safety Evaluation I. Flight Manifest II. Experiment Background / Description III. Equipment Description IV. Structural Design V. Electrical System VI. Pressure / Vacuum System VII. Laser System VIII. Crew Assistance Requirements IX. Institutional Review Board (IRB) X. Hazard Analysis XI. Tool Requirements XII. Ground Support Requirements XIII. Hazardous Materials XIV. Procedures Outreach Plan I. Objective II. Website III. Audience IV. Educational Outreach Activities V. Recent Educational Efforts VI. Educational Outreach Contacts Administrative I. Institution Letter of Endorsement II. Statement of Supervising Faculty III. Funding/Budget Statement IV. Institutional Review Board (IRB) V. NASA/JSC Human Research Subject Consent Form VI. Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) VII. Parental Consent Forms Appendix I. Photo Identification Copies (original copy only) II. Proof/Statement of Undergraduate Status (original copy only) III. Material Safety Data Sheets IV. Sample Education Outreach Presentation 4 5 6 6 8 9 11 11 11 15 15 16 16 16 16 17 21 22 22 22 24 24 25 26 29 36 38 39 40 40 40 40 40 41 Flight Week Preference: 4 Primary: Secondary: Tertiary: March 18, 2004 April 1, 2004 March 4, 2004 Mentor Request: Not Applicable Technical 5 I. Synopsis Physics education can be greatly enhanced if experiments could be performed in environments like that of the KC-135. Many principles can be demonstrated in unique and insightful ways, such as angular momentum conservation, weight and mass, and pendulum systems. We plan on video taping experiments and demos which teach these concepts on the KC135 and then later traveling to several junior high and high schools, in both this and future years, to give an interactive presentation on the material. One of the most troublesome concepts for beginning students to understand is the difference between weight and mass. We intend to demonstrate this difference by showing how mass is constant in the KC-135 but weight is not, and in doing so, demonstrate several other concepts as well. For example, we will illustrate that weight is a force by showing how weight is actually measured, and how the flight path of the KC-135 can affect this measurement. To measure mass we will invoke the concepts of stored energy in springs, conservation of energy, and the relation between kinetic energy and mass. The rest of our experiment will use two physical systems that demonstrate a wide array of physical concepts. First, we will use demonstrate the conservation of angular momentum using gyroscopes. This aspect of gyroscopic motion is used by spacecraft to ascertain their bearings as we will demonstrate with our own model of the system. Second, we will conduct an experiment involving a simple pendulum system. At first, we will impart to the students how a basic pendulum system works in 1-g. Then we will extend this idea to a pendulum in an environment with a non-constant g force. This will yield interesting results that are unmatched by classroom experimentation. As a part of everyone's education, they are required to learn elementary physics. However, Earth’s gravity places a heavy limitation on the amount of demonstration that can be accomplished in the classroom. Therefore, we propose to give the students a look into some of the possibilities that are available outside the classroom. II. Test Objective The objective of our experiment is to demonstrate to advanced junior high and high school students basic concepts of physics such as the conservation of angular momentum, the conservation of energy and demonstrate the fundamental differences between mass and weight. We plan to demonstrate these principles by performing several simple experiments using gyroscopes, pendulums, masses, springs and scales to prove that despite the absence of gravity, the basics of Newtonian Law still hold true. It is our intention to video tape our experiments and produce interactive lessons that can give junior high and underclassman high school students their first introduction into the basics of Newtonian physics as well as give them an idea of practical applications. We have had several high schools express interest in our program. III. Test Description Our experiment can be broken down into three related demos: mass v. weight, gyroscope, and pendulum. 6 A. Mass v. Weight For students first learning physics concepts it is sometimes very difficult to understand the difference between mass and weight. In order to demonstrate this difference we will measure weight and mass of certain objects using two separate tests. To measure weight, a conventional scale will be used, the results of which will vary depending on the current perceived gravity inside the plane. Figure 1: Spring tube. To measure mass, we will need a more sophisticated experiment. The mass will be measured indirectly using conservation of energy principles. The energy will start in a compressed spring of known spring constant and compression distance. This energy will be imparted to a projectile which will move along a closed clear cylindrical tube (see figure 1). A thin wire will run down the center of the tube, along which the projectile will be constrained. So as to facilitate testing in the presence of gravity, the friction between this projectile and the wire will be kept low so that the final velocity will not be significantly affected. The compressed spring will be held by a latch. When the latch is released, the spring will release its energy and accelerate the projectile along the wire. The tube will be marked off in equal length increments. There will be a video camera mounted directly above the tube recording the motion of the projectile. We will use the videotape of the spring’s motion to calculate its velocity by dividing distance by time. Using the conservation of energy as follows the mass can be calculated: 1 2 1 2 Kx 2 Kx  mv  m  2 2 2 v To reset the experiment, a plunger device will be used to push the projectile back against the compressed spring (see figure 2). 7 Figure 2: The plunger is inserted to push the ball back towards the spring. B. Gyroscopes Our experiment will also illustrate how gyroscopes are used to provide bearings for spacecraft, such as the space shuttle. This will be demonstrated by attaching a scale model of the NASA space shuttle to two gyroscopes. The gyroscopes will be mounted at right angles to each other, providing stabilization for the shuttle in all three axes. The gyroscopes will be mounted on poles protruding from the body of the shuttle (see figure 3). This model will be free floating during the zero g portions of the flight, and will only be used at these times. As the KC135 rotates along its parabolic path, the shuttle model's orientation will remain constant due to the gyroscopes. The shuttle model will appear to rotate as seen from the cabin while the KC-135 completes its parabolas. This will not only demonstrate the usefulness of gyroscopes in providing orientation, but also will give the students an opportunity to see visually the changing angle of the KC-135 aircraft. We will use this fact as an aid to accomplish another of our goals: to teach students how the KC-135 "creates" microgravity. Figure 3: Space shuttle with gyroscopes mounted to demonstrate how spacecraft can maintain their bearings. 8 In similar fashion to the shuttle model, we will attach a video camera to two gyroscopes (see figure 4). The camera's orientation will be constant due to the gyroscopes. And using this fact, students will see, from the viewpoint of the camera, that the plane is rotating around the camera. This allows them to visualize the camera and the plane as disparate systems, which is essential to understanding how microgravity is created. The video will aid in the understanding that the camera is actually moving like a rock through air, and the aircraft is just flying “around" the camera. This approach gives us the ability to show the rotation of the plane from a different Figure 4: A representation of the camera with gyroscopes attached. perspective. C. Pendulum The last component of the experiment will be a pendulum system. This apparatus will be a pendulum hanging from a frame which is mounted on the experiment body (see figure 5). The period of the pendulum will be affected by the gravity constant g. The motion in the pendulum will be initiated by hand. The pendulum will be unobstructed so that it can make full rotations as the plane goes from positive gravity to microgravity. The transition between gravities will be of special interest and represents a unique opportunity for study; it is a situation which is not feasible to experiment with in the classroom. We expect to see some interesting results as the gravity changes from strong to weak. For example, if the Figure 5: Pendulum assembly gravity reaches microgravity while the kinetic energy of the pendulum is zero, then the pendulum will stop at this time; however, if it happens when the kinetic energy of the system is at a maximum, then it will continue to swing, making full revolutions. D. Lesson Plan 1. Mass v Weight 9 Our experiment with the spring tube demonstrates the concept of conservation of energy as well as the difference between mass and weight. Even though the mass v. weight concept may be more appropriate for junior high school students, this demonstration can be geared towards older students as well. We will assist the students in calculating the mass given the energy in the spring beforehand. They will use and understand the following equations: 1 2 1 2 Kx 2 Kx  mv  m  2 2 2 v Where the actual values from the experiment are given, and they calculate the mass. From this the students will see that the mass is not dependent on the gravity at all. The weight discussion will proceed with the exposition of the equation F = ma. We will show the students how the acceleration of the KC-135 impacts the weight of the objects; from this, we will teach them how the KC-135 manipulates the perceived g force in the cabin. They will be able to check their previous weight calculations by viewing the measurement being conducted on the KC-135. This will lead into a discussion about the gravitational constant. 2. Gyroscope For our gyroscope lesson, we will use the data and video obtained in the experiment to supplement several of our current educational outreach activities. These activities include Lunar Colony, Drop Tower, and other special interest activities. Our lesson plan will introduce the basic ideas behind the gyroscope such as conservation of angular momentum and inertial reference frame. From these concepts we will transition into a discussion of our experiment, during which we will explore the students’ previous knowledge of the subject matter. Upon showing the video of our experiment, we intend to expand their knowledge of gyroscopes by showing several applications of gyroscopes. Such topics include, but are not limited to, the balance system used in the Segway and Space Shuttle/satellite stabilization systems. This will provide students with a clear understanding of real-life applications of the conservation of angular momentum. 3. Pendulum The pendulum apparatus will demonstrate a system which behaves differently in changing gravitational environments than it does on Earth. The concepts that will be taught are the period of the pendulum and how it is affected by the gravitational constant g. We will also show students how, in a system such as the KC-135, the kinetic energy is always conserved, but potential energy does not appear to be conserved. For example, we will have the students predict what will happen as gravity goes from 2g to microgravity, and then have them view the actual results. They will also learn what happens when in microgravity and the pendulum makes full revolutions Experiment Safety Evaluation I. Flight Manifest Flight Crew: Day One Day Two 10 II. Experiment Background / Description This experiment is intended to demonstrate Newton’s Laws in the unique environment of zero-gravity aboard the KC-135. Our experiments will include attaching gyroscopes to a camera and to a space shuttle model to demonstrate conservation of angular momentum, using a scale to measure the varying weight of a billiard ball, using a spring and tube track to measure the mass of another billiard ball of comparable mass, and using a pendulum as a system to demonstrate results that cannot be illustrated in an 1-g environment. III. Equipment Description The experiment consists of the following components: 1. Space Shuttle model with gyroscopes 2. Video camcorder with gyroscopes 3. Stand-alone video camcorder 4. Main structure i. Spring/tube assembly and billiard ball ii. Pendulum iii. Scale and billiard ball 1. Space Shuttle Model with Gyroscopes A scale model of the Space Shuttle will be attached to two gyroscopes and allowed to float during periods of zero-gravity. The model will be composed of plastic and all small parts that could possibly break off will be omitted during construction. The gyroscopes will be hand powered, via a pull string, and attached to the model with small poles. The model/gyroscope system will be stowed in the storage bin (described below) during takeoff and landing. 2. Similar to the shuttle, a camcorder will be attached to two gyroscopes and allowed to float during periods of microgravity. The gyroscopes will be attached to the camcorder using small poles. It will be stowed in the storage bins during takeoff and landing. 3. A second video camcorder will be stored in the bins during takeoff and landing and used throughout the flight to video tape the space shuttle model, the pendulum and the scale, as described below 4. 11 The main structure is composed of a ½” thick 6061-T6 Aluminum base plate with dimensions 24” X 24” on which multiple fourteen gauge, zinc-plated steel angle beams will form a frame. 16” above the base plate, a ¼” thick 6061-T6 Aluminum plate will serve as a shelve on which the other experiments will rest. The frame will extend a total of 48” above the base plate, allowing for the mounting of downward looking camcorder. The camcorder will be attached with quick connect devices and cargo straps to a small aluminum plate mounted on the upper framework. The plastic bin used to store the camcorders, gyroscopes, and shuttle model will be placed in between the lower framework and secured to the base plate with cargo straps (see Figure 6 ). i. An acrylic tube will serve as a track for the motion of the billiard ball. At one end of the tube, a small spring of known spring constant will be mounted. Running down the length of the tube will be a taut wire on which the billiard ball will be constrained to move. An end cap opposite the spring will prevent the billiard ball from flying off into the cabin. The end cap will have a hole in which a plunger will be inserted to reset the system. The plunger will be mounted next to the tube using Velcro and tied at one end with a string. The tube will be approximately 20” in length and will be attached to the shelve plate using brackets. A pendulum will be mounted on the shelve plate. The pendulum length is 6” and the total height of the swing mount is 7”. The pendulum will be a rigid rod with a small mass at the end, as oppose to string, thus constraining the pendulum to planar motion. A small scale will be mounted to the shelve with a billiard ball (of comparable size to the ball used on track) permanently attached for the entire flight. ii. iii. 12 Figure 6 : Experiment structure. IV. Structural Design The main framework is comprised of ASTM-A36 steel angle beams. The beams have an L-shaped cross-section that is 1/16" thick and 1½" wide. This gives a total cross sectional area of 0.184 in2. One-quarter inch diameter steel bolts will connect each angle beam to its adjacent beams. Similar structures have been safely flown on the KC-135 by this team in prior flights, and a rigorous structural analysis will follow in the Test Equipment Data Package. All ASTMA36 steel components have a yield stress of 3.63104 psi. As described above, the base plate is made of ½” thick 6061-T6 Aluminum and the shelve ¼” thick 6061-T6 Aluminum. All of the 6061-T6 Aluminum plates possess a yield strength of 3.99x104 psi. The video camera will be mounted to a small Aluminum plate at the top of the framework. The female end of quick connect device will be bolted to the plate and the male end will be screwed into the camcorder bottom. The camcorder will further be secured to the plate via a cargo strap. Similar mounting systems have successfully been used by this team in the past. V. Electrical System 13 The only electrical equipment will be in the form of three video camcorder. Two of the camcorders will be stand alone, in that they will be run off their own batteries and not be mounted to the equipment frame. The last one will retain its battery as a backup; however, it will draw its primary power from the KC-135. It will require a 115 VAC single phase power outlet. The camera draws a maximum of .2 Amps. A UL certified power strip will be used to distribute power to the camera and serve as a kill switch. Component Camcorder Quantity Current Draw per component (A) 1 .2 Total Current Draw Total (A) .2 .2 Amps KC-135 Power Strip Camera Power Supply One Camera Figure 7 : Electrical schematic VI. Pressure / Vacuum System Not Applicable. No pressure or vacuum system is used. VII. Laser System Not Applicable. No laser is used. VIII. Crew Assistance Requirements Not Applicable. No special assistance will be necessary. IX. Institutional Review Board (IRB) 14 Not Applicable. No human or other living organism is involved. X. Hazard Analysis HAZARD SOURCE CHECKLIST Enumerate or mark N/A N/A Flammable/combustible material, fluid (liquid, vapor, or gas) N/A Toxic/noxious/corrosive/hot/cold material, fluid (liquid, vapor, or gas) N/A High pressure system (static or dynamic) N/A Evacuated container (implosion) 1 Frangible material N/A Stress corrosion susceptible material N/A Inadequate structural design (i.e., low safety factor) N/A High intensity light source (including laser) N/A Ionizing/electromagnetic radiation 1 Rotating device N/A Extendible/deployable/articulating experiment element (collision) 1 Stowage restraint failure 1 Stored energy device (i.e., mechanical spring under compression) N/A Vacuum vent failure (i.e., loss of pressure/atmosphere) N/A Heat transfer (habitable area over-temperature) 3 Over-temperature explosive rupture (including electrical battery) N/A High/Low touch temperature N/A Hardware cooling/heating loss (i.e., loss of thermal control) N/A Pyrotechnic/explosive device N/A Propulsion system (pressurized gas or liquid/solid propellant) N/A High acoustic noise level N/A Toxic off-gassing material N/A Mercury/mercury compound N/A Other JSC 11123, Section 3.8 hazardous material N/A Organic/microbiological (pathogenic) contamination source 8+ Sharp corner/edge/protrusion/protuberance N/A High voltage (electrical shock) N/A High static electrical discharge producer N/A Software error N/A Carcinogenic material Flammable/Combustive Material N/A - The equipment does not incorporate any materials that pose a Flammable/Combustive Material hazard. The hardware is composed of aluminum, steel, plastic and other non-flammable materials. Toxic/Noxious/Corrosive/Hot/Cold Material or Fluid N/A - No such materials for fluids are used. 15 High Pressure System N/A – No part of the equipment will be pressurized in any manner Evacuated Container N/A - The equipment does not involve any evacuated containers. Frangible Material 1The only breakable material is the acrylic tube track. Acrylic has a yield strength in excess of 9,500 psi and there will be no pressure difference between the inside and outside of the tube. Furthermore, the tube will be situated within the framework of the experiment, making accidental contact unlikely. The risk of the tube shattering is minimal. Stress Corrosion Susceptible Material N/A - No part of the experiment is susceptible to stress corrosion within the timeframe of the two flights. Inadequate Structural Design N/A - The structure of the experiment has been designed to meet and surpass all safety requirements. The structural concept being used has flown two consecutive years and performed outstandingly. A rigorous structural analysis will follow in the Test Equipment Data Package. High Intensity Light Source N/A - The experiment does not include any high intensity light source. Ionizing/Electromagnetic Radiation N/A - The experiment does not involve any sources of ionization or electromagnetic radiation. Rotating Device N/A – A pendulum will be used as part of this experiment. The mass and size of the pendulum will be small to prevent any hazard. Furthermore, the pendulum will be situated within the experiment frame, preventing inadvertent contact. Extendible/Deployable/Articulating Experiment Element 16 N/A - The experiment does not contain a hazard of this type. Stowage Restraint Failure 1The experiment will consist of one plastic containers used to store the stand-alone cameras, scale, and shuttle model. The containers will be restrained to the base plate using cargo straps. The frame of the apparatus will serve to further restrain the containers. Stored Energy Device 1– The experiment requires one spring. The spring will be small, large enough only to impart a moderate momentum to a billiard ball. The stored potential energy will be small and will only be held for a short amount of time. Vacuum Vent Failure N/A - The experiment contains no vacuums or evacuated chambers. Heat Transfer N/A - The experiment does not contain a heat transfer safety hazard. Over-Temperature Explosive Rupture 3The experiment contains three batteries for the camcorders. All batteries are UL certified and will be used in the correct manner. They do not pose a significant threat of rupture. High/Low Touch Temperature N/A - There are no high or low temperature parts in this experiment. Hardware Cooling/Heating Loss N/A - Thermal control is not required in any part of the experiment. Pyrotechnic/Explosive Device N/A - The experiment has no pyrotechnic or explosive devices. Propulsion System N/A - The experiment contains no propellant of any sort, and does not have a propulsion system. 17 High Acoustic Noise Level N/A - There are no acoustic devices in use on this experiment. Toxic Off-Gassing Material N/A - There are no toxic materials within the experiment. Mercury/Mercury Compound N/A - The experiment contains no mercury compounds of any sort. Other JSC 11123, Section 3.8 Hazardous Materials N/A - There are no hazardous materials in the experiment whatsoever. Organic/Microbiological Contaminants N/A - No organic material is included as part of the experiment. Sharp Corner/Edge/Protrusion 8+ The edges of the frame are very hard, and pose a threat to the safety of the crew if appropriate precautions are not taken. During freefall, crewmembers could accidentally run into a corner with considerable force, risking personal injury. To prevent this from happening, all sharp edges, corners, and protrusions will be covered in protective foam padding. The padding will be secured with tape, and will protect the crew from injury. High Voltage N/A - There are no high voltage sources on the experiment. High Static Electrical Discharge Producer N/A - No such device is onboard the experiment. Software Error N/A - No software is in use on this experiment. Carcinogenic Material 18 N/A - No carcinogenic material of any sort is part of the experiment. XI. Tool Requirements An inventory of tools to be brought to the Reduced Gravity Facility will be limited to the following list: 1 set of 8 Standard English hex wrenches 1 Philips screwdriver 1 Standard screwdriver 3 Crescent Wrenches 2 ½" Ratchet Duct Tape The remainder of the tools inventory will consist of a small variety of accessories that will include set screws, bolts, nuts, washers, wires, and wire connectors. All tools and accessories will be stored in a toolbox. No tools will be necessary for in-flight use. XII. Ground Support Requirements No special arrangements are required for this experiment, except for a 115 VAC power source in the hangar to charge the camera batteries. XIII. Hazardous Materials The experiment does not involve any hazardous materials. XIV. Procedures The team has developed a strict set of procedures to be used in ground, pre-flight, takeoff/landing, in-flight, and post-flight operations. They are enumerated below. Ground Operations For ease of transport, the experiment is designed to be quickly disassembled, stowed, and then reassembled. The experiment will be shipped in a near complete assembled state. Upon arrival in Houston, all components including the pendulum, tube track, camera, and scale will be mounted in their proper places. We will require a 115 VAC power source to charge the camcorder batteries. Pre-Flight Operations All equipment will be properly stowed and/or attached if not done so already. The equipment will need to be loaded onto the KC-135 via a forklift and bolted to the floor. 19 Takeoff/Landing Prior to the first parabola, the cameras will be turned on and set to begin recording. Before landing, all cameras will be deactivated and all equipment stowed in their proper containers. In-Flight Operations During the parabolas, the crew will be required to run each of the experiments multiple times. This involved starting the pendulum, pulling the spring back to shoot the billiard ball down the tube track, and videotaping of the plane and the shuttle model/gyroscope system. While this will require a great deal of crew interaction, the significant number of parabolas flown will allow the collection of useful footage and data even in the event of some crew being incapacitated. Post-Flight Operations The data tapes from all video cameras will be extensively scrutinized to determine the best footage for use. This footage will then be compiled and made into VHS and Video CD’s for use as part of our interactive lesson plans. Those lessons will then be incorporate into the Float’n Illini’s Educational Outreach program presented to numerous middle and high schools. A final report detailing our presentations and the content of our lessons will be drafted. Educational Outreach Plan I. Objective 20 The Float’n Illini Educational Outreach programs have two general focuses. The first is to fuel the interest of space among people of all ages and use it to further encourage academic excellence. The second is to spread the knowledge gain through the experiments and to promote NASA sponsored events and competitions. Considering that there is a general interest in NASA and space exploration, the Float’n Illini team also recognizes the need for more specific focuses within each audience tiers. For the K-8 audience (tier one), the team will try to spark curiosity and general fascination in space exploration and development. For presentations on a high school level (tier two), the team will explain abstract physical concepts and the research done by the team to the students and promote NASA sponsored events to the teachers. Outreach concerning adults (tier three), will serve as a platform for the team to promote experiments and also other opportunities put forth by NASA. Details of these tiers and the focus will be given in Section III. During any outreach presentation, Float’n Illini’s objectives are to educate the audience about NASA and its programs, whether it involves teaching a kindergarten class how to build paper airplanes, or presenting information about our research to fellow university students. Float’n Illini also strives to show that in order to fulfill our dreams of researching with NASA, we need hard work and dedication above all else. Although one outreach presentation, or even an entire yearlong outreach activity, is too short to teach a substantial amount, it is enough for Float’n Illini to engage and influence younger students. At every outreach presentation, Float’n Illini fuels and encourages students’ interest in space and science. II. Website: http://www.ae.uiuc.edu/floatn The Float’n Illini website was created and maintained by the team webmaster. The Float’n Illini educational outreach website is publicly accessible from that site. (www.ae.uiuc.edu/floatn/outreach1.htm) The educational outreach website is comprehensive and informative, highlighting several aspects of the organization’s projects, both past and present, and the team’s involvement in the RGSFOP. Our website also provides teachers and other educators a means of obtaining more detailed information about the organization's Educational Outreach Program. One feature allows teachers to fill out an online presentation request form. The aim of the website is to aid students, teachers, and community members in finding information about NASA, space, and the team’s research and experiences. a. Educational Outreach: The outreach page is set up to provide detailed information about the Educational Outreach Program. This is further divided into the following sections: Recent News, Our Mission, Framework, Presentations, Teachers, Awards, Contacts, and Press. Two significant sections include the Mission Statement and Framework. These two detail the program’s focused objectives, and the means of accomplishing them. Another key section is the presentations section, which details upcoming outreach activities. The links page, available 21 on the homepage, provides access to several exceptional space and science related educational sites. The Awards page details the team’s honors for both educational outreach and campus leadership. These awards recognize the contributions the team has made in the campus and in the community. Float’n Illini's earlier outreach activities and work are described in the Past Presentations section. b. Acknowledgements: Float’n Illini’s activities would not be possible without the generous support of University Departments, local business, industry, and individuals. The acknowledgment page recognizes those who have assisted in the development of the team’s projects and outreach program. This page is divided into individual sections for each year of the organization's existence. III. Audience Tiers Float’n Illini has developed a three-tier program aimed at actively engaging audiences composed of all ages. The program presents space exploration and microgravity research in a way that is exciting and educational for all. The program includes presentations at local schools, scouting groups, university groups, and at park service activities. The three-tier program is detailed below. a. Tier One: Grades K-8 at Local Schools Students in kindergarten through eighth grade comprise Tier One. Fast-paced, interactive and visually stimulating demonstrations are used to capture and hold students’ attention. Float'n Illini has developed lesson plans based on NASA and National Air and Space Museum educational materials. Highlights of the lesson plans include a video presentation featuring inflight outreach experiments from previous flights by the Float’n Illini, experiments with a portable drop tower that demonstrate concepts of gravity, and video clips from NASA’s Astrosmiles. Paper airplanes demonstrate simple aerodynamic principles such as lift, drag, and the center of gravity. Film canister rockets propelled by antacid tablets and water teach students about rates of reaction and Newton's three laws of motion. The goal of outreach is to help young students see the wonder, excitement, and fascination found in the exploration of space and science as a whole. b. Tier Two: Young Adults at High Schools Tier Two is made up of high school students, who are seriously considering their future education and career options for the first time. This presents an excellent opportunity for demonstrating the merits and rewards of pursuing a career in sciences, math, or engineering. Rarely do professors present their research to high school students; therefore, Float’n Illini’s presentations offer a unique opportunity for students to learn both about the research process and the results. Also, college students are wonderful advisors for high school students trying to decide on a major or career path. Float’n Illini plans the presentation with the teacher so that the presentation will supplement the regular instruction. The use of NASA’s publication, 22 Microgravity - A Teacher’s Guide with Activities in Science, Mathematics, and Technologies, helps ensure that all major aspects are covered. c. Tier Three: Adults such as Professors, Community Members, and University Students Adults of all ages comprise Tier Three. The adults in the community have a positive impact on NASA by their support of and interest in space programs. Presentations to fellow college students are an opportunity to explain our research process and to learn about other research opportunities. Tier Three presentations highlight current and future research in microgravity, along with an overview of NASA’s advancements in space exploration. The goal is to showcase NASA’s efforts, and how Float’n Illini students, who represent the future of space exploration, are involving themselves in those efforts. IV. Educational Outreach Activities A core tenet of Float’n Illini’s Educational Outreach program is to provide innovative resources to teachers and other educators. In addressing this, the program has developed a versatile array of media and activities that suit students’ level of understanding and stimulate further interest. The presentations introduce students to challenging scientific problems. Described below are some of the interactive presentations the team has developed to engage the students during the presentation. a. Drop-Tower Float’n Illini’s primary purpose is to conduct microgravity research. It is important, therefore, that outreach presentations highlight concepts of gravity, using demonstration tools that simulate microgravity in a way that is “physically real.” The Float’n Illini Drop Tower will bring microgravity into the classroom. The drop tower stands a maximum height of eleven feet, six inches tall, yielding up to 0.86 seconds of microgravity in the payload’s reference frame. A miniature video camera is mounted inside the payload box with the video feed set to a frame advance VCR. Using the frame advance feature, the relatively brief 0.86 seconds is slowed for easy visualization of the experiments. Fully portable, the drop tower can be taken anywhere and assembled in minutes. The drop tower has been a popular and effective presentation because it helps students to understand the concept of microgravity through direct observation. b. Newton's Rockets Newton’s Laws and rates of reaction will be demonstrated through the use of film canister rockets. Antacid tablets and water propel these small rockets. Smaller children will learn about propulsion and gravity. Older children will learn about rocket motion and rates of reaction. With a given initial velocity, students will have to calculate how high their rocket will fly. c. Einstein’s Relativity, and Gravity Probe B 23 This presentation is given to high school students in advanced physics. It integrates the ideas of space-time and gravity into an explanation of the concepts behind Gravity Probe B. Gravity Probe B is a system consisting of a gyroscope, a telescope, and a satellite. From within a polar orbit, the telescope will remain fixed on a specific star while the axis of the gyroscope remains constant with respect to the Earth’s space-time field. The theoretical system will measure the angle between where the telescope and gyroscope are pointing at the end of one year. Although the telescope and gyroscope are initially aligned, the drag of Earth’s localized space-time field is predicted to cause the two to become misaligned by 42 milliarc-seconds over the course of one year. After a brief discussion of gravity, the students will calculate the time it takes light to travel from the sun to various planets. Students will then be led in a discussion regarding the space-time field. To illustrate the concept of space-time curvature caused by gravity, a large rubber sheet is held taut and heavy objects are placed upon it. When much lighter balls are rolled on the sheet, their path curves around the indentations caused by the more massive objects. This is an approximate two-dimensional representation of the four-dimensional space-time field. To demonstrate frame dragging in space-time, the students will perform the following experiment: a large marble will be placed in the middle of a paper plate in a large puddle of molasses or honey. A few drops of food coloring and some small peppercorns will be sprinkled throughout the liquid. The students will spin the marble and observe that the objects near the marble will experience a drag force, but objects farther away will not be affected by the rotation. This presentation is based on outreach material provided by the Gravity Probe B research group at Stanford University. d. Paper Airplanes Many of the Float’n Illini team members are Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering majors and enjoy sharing their knowledge about flight mechanics with younger students. In this activity Float’n Illini members will explain the four principles of flight, which include lift, weight, thrust, and drag, using paper airplanes. Building the paper airplanes gives the students practice in following instructions. The students experiment with different airplane designs and with paper clip placement, which teaches center of mass. Seeing paper airplanes used as an educational tool amazes many teachers. e. Lunar Colony This activity combines social studies and science. The entire class discusses what is necessary for a community (food production, housing, waste management, etc.) and then divides into small groups. Each group designs one component of the community out of recycled materials such as Styrofoam balls, Popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, and clay. As the students combine the modules to create the lunar colony, they talk about the needs their module fulfills and their design process. f. Moon rock Float’n Illini was quite honored to have been loaned a moon rock obtained by the astronauts of the Apollo 15 mission from Glenn Research Center last year and hopes to borrow the same rock again this year. This artifact introduces school children, fellow college students, and community members to planetary science and geology. The audience members at 24 Engineering Open House were able to examine terrestrial rocks of similar composition as the moon rock. Based on observation, they could then guess the composition of the lunar sample. The explanation that the moon likely formed from terrene debris as a result of a comet impact three million years ago introduces planetary science concepts. h. In-flight Experiments This year Float’n Illini will try to demonstrate controlled rotation in microgravity. First, two tennis balls will be connected by a rubber band and carefully spun around in microgravity. This will show how the center of mass is conserved. The same demonstration will be done with balls of different masses to prove that the center of mass is not equidistant from balls of different masses. Float’n Illini plans to use the lunar and Martian parabolas for educational outreach. We will spin a small tornado tube during the different gravities and see how tornados look in different gravities. V. Recent Educational Outreach Efforts (2002-2003) The Float’n Illini has a strong tradition of excellence in its educational outreach program. In addition to visiting local schools, Float’n Illini gives to local scouting groups, serves as mentors for younger students participating in Space Day, and participates in the University of Illinois’ Engineering Open House. Film Canister Rockets September 9th, 2002 Float’n Illini members Laura Butler and Melonee Wise joined three undergraduates from the UIUC Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering Department to give a presentation to Boy Scout Packs 25 and 94 at the Mahomet School District’s Sagamon building. The 100 cub scouts about their research clubs and to help them build and launch alka-seltzer pop rockets. Team journalist Todd Gleason made a guest appearance and told the boys what they really wanted to learn, how to vomit in microgravity. Mrs. Burgess’s 4th Grade Class Booker T. Washington Elementary School October 28th, 2002 Float'n Illini members Laura Butler, Emily Byrne and Robert Kuang visited Mrs. Izona Burgess's 4th grade class at Booker T. Washington Elementary School. They were currently studying the moon, so the presentation included fun moon facts, information about the Saturn V rockets, and a chance for the students to build and launch their own alka-seltzer pop rockets. This was a repeat visit; Mrs’s Burgess’s 4th grade class last year had really enjoyed the presentation, so she invited Float’n Illini back. 25 Lincoln Square Mall Halloween Funfest Champaign Park District and Urbana Park District October 30th, 2002 Float'n Illini members Emily Byrne, Nick Ilchena, Kristyn Nesteikis, Scott Tagge, Sean Warrenburg, and Melonee Wise visited Lincoln Square Mall to participate in Halloween Funfest, a trick-or-treat opportunity for children. Float'n Illini had a paper airplane booth modeled after the Paper Airplane contest at the How Things Fly gallery at the National Air and Space Museum. The children threw paper airplanes through a cut-out hole in a Halloween themed box. Float’n Illini members also publicized the upcoming film canister rockets with the Champaign-Urbana Astronomical Society. Mrs. Jones’s Kindergarten Class Carrie Busey Elementary School November 15th, 2002 Float'n Illini members Adam Jaslikowski, Nick Ilchena, and Sean Warrenburg visited Mrs. Jones's kindergarten class at Carrie Busey Elementary School. They had a fun time teaching the kids how to build pop-rockets. The kids were so excited some of them had calm down in time outs. But in the end, everyone was amazed to see his or her rocket launch into the air. The event was such a success that Mrs. Jones asked us if we could come back. Thanks to her and her wonderful class for all the fun. Space Day Kids Forces of Flight November 16th, 2002 Float’n Illini members Laura Butler, Steve Eberle, and Melonee Wise along with Illini Space Development Society member Eric Biedermann visited a group of enthusiastic sixth graders participating in the Space Day design challenge, “Celebrating the Future of Flight.” About 20 students represented four of the teams from Franklin Middle School. The students’ projects involved designing aircraft of the future and building working models. The presenters talked about the forces of flight, wing and tail design, engines, and alternative power sources. The students then built paper airplanes and held a paper airplane contest. Everyone involved had a great time. Junior Girl Scouts Holy Cross School November 18th, 2002 Float’n Illini members Laura Butler and Stephanie Milczarek helped a group of 13 4th grade Junior Girl Scouts earn their aerospace badge. The girls enjoyed learning about Laura and Stephanie’s majors and hobbies. They were especially interested in hearing Stephanie’s stories 26 about Space Camp. The girls examined astronaut menus while hearing about taste testing astronaut food. Then the girls experimented with building three different airplane types. For the first two, the girls followed instructions and build typical gliders. For the last one, the girls had a few supplies and experimented with their own ideas. The girls, leaders, and Float’n members all enjoyed the presentation. Space Day Kids Franklin Middle School February 6th, 2003 Float’n Illini members Emily Byrne, Adam Jaslikowski, Stephanie Milczarek, and Kristyn Nesteikis visited the Space Day Kids at the their weekly meeting. The two-dozen sixth graders were excited to show and explain their projects: building model airplanes, researching planetary bodies, and writing reports. The four Float’n Illini members were greatly impressed by the students’ team work, intelligence, creativity, and determination. Boy Scout Merit Badge Seminar Holy Cross School Saturday, March 8th, 1-5 pm Float’n Illini members Emily Byrne, Steve Eberle, Robert Kuang, and Sean Warrenburg taught a group of thirty Boy Scouts about aerospace. The boys learned about the purpose of space exploration, aerospace pioneers, and careers in space exploration. Float’n members explained the law of action-reaction, how rocket engines work, and how satellites stay in orbit. After discussing Mir and ISS, the boys designed and built a space station out of paper tubes, cellophane wrap, pipe cleaners, and other odds and ends. Engineering Open House March 21st and 22nd, 2003 Over 30,000 visitors from around the country attend the University of Illinois Engineering Open House each year. Visitors to the Float’n Illini booth learned about the RGSFOP, attended research talks about granular flow and flame balls, saw a short drop tower in action, celebrated the 100th anniversary of flight by designing and flying paper airplanes, and became rocket scientist by building alka-seltzer film canister rockets. Float’n Illini members enjoyed sitting back and watching visitors teach each other how to make their favorite airplanes. The film cannister rockets reached new heights; some reached the ceiling of the 40-ft lecture hall Float’n Illini probably attracted more than 1000 visitors; the team members were too busy leading activities to count. Visitors made over 300 film canister rockets and over 150 paper airplanes. Schoolchildren, undergraduate and graduate students, primary and secondary school teachers, parents, professors, and alumni all enjoyed the presentations and, hopefully, learned some interesting new science facts or ways to teach science. 27 Carrie Busey Elementary School Rocket Scientists April 4th, 2003 Twenty-two first grade students in Mrs. Davis’s class listened excitedly as Float’n Illini members Laura Butler, Dawn Cole, and Adam Jaslikowski taught the students about propulsion and led them in building film canister rockets. The students had just completed a unit on the solar system and enthusiastically told the Float’n Illini members about their roles as planets and astronauts in the upcoming class play about the solar system. Quite a few of the students counted “astronaut” as one of their future careers. Ms. Johnson’s 4th and 5th Grade Class Robeson Elementary School October 7th, 2003 Float’n Illini members Robert Kuang, John Navarro, Adam Jaslikowski, and Adam Raghev split up into two teams to teach Ms. Johnson’s class about rockets and Martian habitat. While Adam Jaslikowski and Adam Raghev went outside to show a rocket demonstration, Robert Kuang and John Navarro played an interactive game that led students to learn about the building a Martian habitat. They expressed interest in competing in NASA’s Martian habitat building contest. Mr. Wilson’s 4th Grade Class Bottenfield Elementary School October, 2003 Team members gave an interactive presentation on what life would be like on a Mars colony. Afterwards, the class was broken up into four groups and given the task of designing an entire Mars colonization mission. It ranged from Mars colony designing to hand picking the crew that will be manning the colony. The presentation was wrapped up by talking about the Xprize competition and the Martian colony competition. VI. Educational Outreach Contacts The following schools have been contacted earlier this year and expressed interest in having the Float’n Illini giving a presentation. Vernon Barkstall Elementary Bottenfield Elementary Carrie Busey Elementary Dr. Howard Elementary Garden Hills Accelerated School Kenwood Elementary Marquette School 28 Robeson Elementary South Side Elementary Kenneth Stratton Elementary Martin Luther King Elementary Leal Elementary Prairie Elementary Thomas Paine Elementary Booker T. Washington Elementary Westview Elementary Wiley Elementary Yankee Ridge Elementary Edison Middle Franklin Middle Jefferson Middle Urbana Middle Centennial High Central High Urbana High University Lab High Unity High Oakwood High VII. Media In order to publicize our educational outreach program, we intend on contacting several media outlets in the community. Some of these media resources will include but not limited to the community newspapers (The News Gazette), local school publications, and perhaps articles in a scientific magazine. 29 Administrative The Float'n Illini are willing and able to comply with all of the program requirements. This team will pay close attention to the program timeline and deadlines and will comply with all requests to provide information to any of the Program Coordinators. I. Institution Letter of Endorsement Please see next page (original copy only) II. Statement of Supervising Faculty Please see page following next (original copy only) 30 31 32 III. Funding Budget Statement Estimated Expenses  Experiment Equipment (Aluminum for frame ~ $500 Miscellaneous ~ $200 )  Office Supplies  Travel (Vans, Food, Lodging)  Educational Outreach  Flight Physicals Equipment Total $ 700 $ 200 $15,000 $ 500 $ 480 Total Expenses Expected Resources  Department of Aerospace Engineering  Student Organization Resource Fund (SORF)  Corporate Sponsorship  University of Illinois Engineering Design Council  Float’n Illini Account $16,880 $ $ $ $ $ 1,500 6,000 1,000 6,000 7,200 33 Total Resources IV. Institutional Review Board (IRB) Not Applicable. V. NASA/JSC Human Research Subject Consent Form Not Applicable. VI. $21,700 JSC Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) Not Applicable. VII. Parental Consent Forms N.A. All team members are age 18 or over. Appendix I. Photo Identification Copies Photo Identification Copies are attached to this document. II. Proof/Statement of Undergraduate Status Proof/Statements of Undergraduate Status are attached to this document. III. Material Safety Data Sheets N.A. No hazardous materials will be used. IV. Sample Education Outreach Presentation This handout gives instructions and plans for kids to build pop rockets at home, explain some underlying scientific principles, suggests ideas for further experimentation, and lists educational, space-related websites for kids. V. Letters of Interest 34 Several high schools have expressed an interest in this experiment. Letters from these high schools are attached. Build a Pop Rocket at Home Here are instructions so that you can build another pop rocket and try to launch it even higher. First, gather the materials you will need        Fugi film canister1 Rocket pattern Scissors Cellophane tape (scotch tape) Colors (markers, crayons, or colored pencils) Effervescing antacid tablets2 Water 1) The film canister must have a lid that snaps to the inside of the rim of the canister. If you need a Fugi film canister, try asking photo shops for empty canisters. If they have any, they will usually give them to you for free. 35 2) Only the fizzing antacid tablets, like Alka-Seltzer work. The chewable calcium antacid tablets don’t release the gas needed to propel the rocket. Second, learn the parts of a rocket The pointed tip of the rocket is the nose cone. The streamlined shape of the nose cone helps reduce drag. Drag is air resistance, which slows down the rocket. The nose cone attaches to the cylindrical tube called the body tube. The engine is inside the body tube. The fins attach to the outside of the body tube and help stabilize the rocket. The engine in your pop rocket is the film canister and the fuel is antacid and water. nose cone body tube fin Third, understand how a rocket flies The rockets that launched astronauts to the moon work the same as the pop rocket you will build. An un-tied balloon can be a very simple rocket. When you untie the end of the balloon and let it go, the balloon will fly until all of its fuel (the air inside) is used up. The air inside pushes out on the sides of the balloon in all directions, but can only escape through the open end. Air moves to the left push The balloon moves to the right 36 The law of action and reaction describes the movement of the balloon and other rockets. For the balloon, the action is the air escaping and the reaction is the balloon moving to the right. For pop rockets and real rockets, the action is the gas being pushed out of the engine and the reaction is the rocket launching into the air. When the fuel (antacid and water) in your rocket reacts, a lot of gas is produced. The gas presses out on the canister on all sides until it pushes the lid off of the canister and the rocket into the air. The rocket continues to be pushed upwards until the all the fuel is used up or falls out. Fourth, assemble the pop rocket Now that you know the parts of a rocket and how it flies, you are ready to build your own: 1) Cut out and color all the pieces of the rocket pattern. 2) Wrap the rectangular piece for the rocket body around the film canister. Tape the paper to itself, not to the film canister. Make sure that the lid of the film canister is showing. 3) Form the circular nose cone piece into a cone and tape it together. Bring the two ends together and overlap them. 4) Tape the nose cone to the top of the rocket. 5) Choose how many fins you want and tape them to the rocket body. Form the nose cone. Wrap the rocket body around the film canister. Fifth, launch the pop rocket Your rocket should look similar to this or sunglasses Be safe, have an adult help you launch your pop rocket. Wear safety gogglesdesign. when launching the pop rockets to protect your eyes. The pop rockets can fly up to 15 feet high and are a little messy, so launch them outside on a flat, hard surface like a sidewalk. You will need two people to launch a pop rocket. 1) Put the film canister engine inside the rocket body with the lid end sticking out. 2) Test to make sure that you can quickly put the lid on tight. An adult might have to help you with this step. 3) Crush one antacid tablet into a fine powder. 4) Turn your rocket upside down, take off the lid, and pour the antacid into the film canister. 37 5) Have your partner fill the film canister 1/4th of the way with water. 6) Quickly, snap on the lid. Make sure it fits on securely. 7) Stand your rocket up on the ground and step back. Begin the countdown sequence. 10, 9, 8, . . . The rocket will take between 10 seconds and 1 minute to launch. 8) Watch and see how high your rocket flies and how long it stays in the air. Sixth, Further experimentation ideas If you want to be a real rocket scientist, experiment with your rocket design to see how many different rockets you can build. Here are a few ideas to get you started.      Try a different number of fins or different shaped fins Vary the amounts of water and antacid Change the water temperature Try using a whole antacid tablet instead of a crushed one Use a different container for your rocket body. Try one of the miniature m&m containers. Use your imagination Seventh, more resources     http://www.aae.uiuc.edu/floatn - the Float’n Illini website. http://www.spaceplace.nasa.gov - make and do spacey things http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/EPO/fun_w_sci.html - more project ideas http://www.howstuffworks.com/rocket.htm - learn more about rockets. 38