Let's Get It There Fast
Which transportation mode to use?Copyright PresenterMedia http://www.presentermedia.com/index.php?target=closeup&maincat=clipart&id=9684
The pervasiveness of aircraft in our world has decreased the amount of time it takes to transport people and cargo. Guided by a worksheet and either using paper maps or online Google Maps, student teams compute and compare the time it takes to travel between two sets of cities (two near each other, two far from each other) via several different modes of transportation including trucks, trains and airplanes. Then they do some critical thinking to come to some conclusions about why airplanes are not always the transport option of choice.
Engineers balance many different factors when designing airplanes. Airplanes are great for transporting cargo because they are much faster than trucks and trains. Often though, engineers do not build transport aircraft to go as fast as is possible because the cost to produce and operate these vehicles is expensive. Therefore, engineers find a compromise between cost and speed by designing aircraft that moves cargo to a desired destination quickly, but also does not waste money and resources going excessively fast.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Compare and contrast different modes of transportation.
- Explain how technology can affect individuals and communities.
- Use equations to determine the time required to travel different distances.
- Interpret and evaluate data on a chart in order to formulate conclusions.