Drop the Ball: Learning About Material Physics, Motion, and Quadratics Through Sport Design
Example of student game.Copyright Tanima Mukherjee
Student groups take on the role of sports engineers as they invent a brand-new sport that features a ball and a bounce. First, they use the engineering design process to design the game, including custom rules, scoring methods, and equipment. Then, based on their game plan, they select a play surface and ball type from available classroom materials. Next, students conduct a "bounce test" to experiment with different combinations of balls and surfaces. Through this process, they explore the physical properties of materials and how they affect motion. To deepen their understanding, students apply mathematics to model and analyze motion, using quadratic equations to represent bounce behavior and interpret their results.
Sports engineers are constantly reimagining sports and equipment to push the limits of athletic performance. For example, they design golf clubs that maximize distance, analyze friction in bobsleds to build the fastest possible sleds, and redesign tennis racquets by considering factors such as surface tension and angular momentum to make the game faster and more accessible.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Use regression methods available through technology to write and graph a quadratic function.
- Analyze the key attributes of a quadratic function (vertex, x-intercepts, axis of symmetry) in a real-world context.
- Understand and follow the steps of the engineering design process.
- Understand how materials interact with one another, depending on the texture, and how they affect freefall motion.