Projectile Magic
Projectile motion of the remembrall, a device from the Harry Potter wizardry world.Copyright 2011 Rachel Howser, GK-12 Program, University of Houston
Students watch video clips from October Sky and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone to learn about projectile motion. They explore the relationships between displacement, velocity and acceleration and calculate simple projectile motion. The objective of this activity is to articulate concepts related to force and motion through direct immersive interaction based on the theme, The Science Behind Harry Potter. Students' interest is piqued by the use of popular culture in the classroom.
Engineers from many different disciplines use the concepts of force and motion. Mechanical engineers design all sorts of engines that transport goods and people, machines and tools such as vacuum cleaners and factory assembly equipment that make our ways of life possible, as well as many other types of devices. Structural engineers design houses, bridges and skyscrapers that can withstand everyday forces as well as extraordinary forces, such as earthquakes, monsoons and hurricanes to keep us safe. Aerospace engineers design aircraft, rockets and spacecraft, which includes predicting projectile motion.
After this lesson, students should be able to:
- Describe displacement, velocity and acceleration.
- Describe gravity.
- Describe projectile motion and relate it to real-life engineering problems.