Construct It!
Students use simple household materials, such as PVC piping and compact mirrors, to construct models of laser-based security systems. The protected object (a "mummified troll" or another treasure of your choosing) is placed "on display" in the center of the modeled room and protected by a laser system that utilizes a laser beam reflected off mirrors to trigger a light trip sensor with alarm.
Student teams create laser-based security system models to protect the school's treasured troll.Copyright 2008 Terry Carter, Vanderbilt University
While the students are building their own alarm system it is important for them to consider how mechanical and civil engineers would go about building this system in reality. Lasers are used in manufacturing warehouses where industrial products are created by mechanical engineers. They can be used for accurate and efficient cutting and welding purposes. The PVC pipe the students use could be substituted with a metal that would have been cut with a laser! Students are prompted to think like engineers in the post-activity assessment questions 5 and 6, considering the real-world means of preparing materials and safety hazards when using lasers.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Apply laser properties to construct a security system.
- Understand and describe how the system works.
- Understand how a beam of light can control other devices.
This activity also meets the following Tennessee Foundations of Technology educational technology content standards: 2.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 5.2, 5.3, 7.1, 7.2 and 7.3
This activity also meets the following International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards: 1.1, 1.2, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 6.1, 6.2; see http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=NETS