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Contributed by: Oregon State Department of Education
Materials
- string
- tape
- meter stick
- weights, washers or pennies on paper clips
- clock with a second hand
- protractor
Directions
After familiarizing your students with pendulums, you will ask
your students to develop a procedure to answer a question using
scientific inquiry. The question is: "In my classroom investigation,
How does changing the mass of the pendulum affect the length of
the cycle?"
1. Using the materials given to you in class, your task is to
use scientific inquiry to investigate how the mass of the washers
affects the pendulum.
- You need to conduct your scientific investigation with materials
available in the classroom. As you design your investigation,
think about:
- Which factors will you vary in your study? Which will you keep
the same?
- How can you be sure that the swing is even and constant?
- How will you measure the time of each cycle?
- List, in order, the steps you will use. You may include a diagram
to help illustrate your plans for the investigation. Include any
safety procedures you would follow. Make your procedure detailed
enough, so someone else could follow it easily.
- Construct a data table or chart to record your observations
and results.
- Perform the investigation by following the steps outlined in
your procedure. Be sure to note any changes to your listed procedures
and tell why.
- Record your observations and measurements. Write statements
or paragraphs and/or use tables where appropriate. Now transform
your data into a graph.
- Write an interpretation and analysis of your results. Note any
limitations to your investigation. What additional experiments
or questions were suggested as you did your investigation?
- Based on what you learned in our investigation, write your own
question that you will answer with further scientific inquiry
using classroom materials similar to those used for this investigation.
Follow steps 2 and 3 above.
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