SAMPLE: History

Title: Grab Your Tights and Man Those Cannons!

Topic: Physics in War and Peace

Background: Unfortunately, much of history revolves around armed conflict, a sad commentary on human suspicion, greed and the leadership. Science has always had a key role in the development and use of weapons, a fact that becomes more obvious with each new conflict. At the same time, science provides a powerful way of improving and enjoying our lives. To investigate the dual influences of science, this project will focus on a military incident and on a branch of sport.

Procedure: Answer the following questions.

Questions:

1. a) Who wrote The Charge of the Light Brigade?

b) Go to: http://www.oldtoysoldierhome.com/imperial.htm, scroll down the list and please print the images of toy soldier models 91 and 92.

2. a) This event took place during what battle?

b) During what war?

c) What was the outcome of the charge?

3. Cannons are intended as long range killing weapons, propelling the shells up and away, to arc down into enemy positions. Assume a cannon launches shells at 90 m/s.

a) A barrel elevation of 45⁰ produces the longest range. What is it for this cannon?

b) To hurl shells up and over hills, for example, higher barrel elevations are required. Find the maximum altitude of a shell launched at 50⁰.

c) To be "under the guns" is to be so close to a cannon that, even at its lowest barrel elevation, the shells whizz overhead and land behind you. If the lowest elevation of the cannon is 10⁰, what is its under-the-guns distance?

4. Rhythmic gymnastics is often under the shadow of what other branch of gymnastics?

5. a) Go to: http://www.rsg.net/cgi-bin/show?information scroll down to Rules, and name the pieces of apparatus used in a rhythmic gymnastics performance.

b) Please print the following images: http://www.rsg.net/cgi-bin/show?pic=Caride-Costas,Alba_2

http://www.rsg.net/cgi-bin/show?pic=Drutchinina,Tatiana_2

http://www.rsg.net/cgi-bin/show?pic=Kabaeva,Alina_2

6. A gymnast tosses up a ball at 7.2 m/s, 70⁰. Will it pass over a 4 m high roof beam 2.6 m ahead of her?

7. If a rhythmic gymnast tosses up a ball at 8.9 m/s, to what altitude will it climb?

8. A gymnast who tosses up a baton at 9.2 m/s can then perform how for many seconds without it?

9. If a rope is tossed at 6.6 m/s, 60⁰, the gymnast will have to move downrange how far to catch it?