Monday, February 14, 2011

WATER TANK

1. Show the first 60 seconds of the filling a water container video.

http://www.mrmeyer.com/wcydwt/watertank/hosetimer.mov

2. Ask class:
Take bets: How long will it take to fill? (record in Google document)

3. Pictures: Give out Screen shots at any time before 1 minute. Any additional minute after lowers the group's score.

4. Using Google Documents (50minutes): In Google documents or excel, and the board, groups will present how they solved the question. Share your document with Jennifer.foster@progressiveacademy.ca

5. Score = (absolute error)*(clock reading of final screen shot – 1 minute). Lowest score wins.

6. Discussion:

Was there something special about the technique? Did the number of data points help in accuracy? Did some groups take lots of data points? Others just 2? Did anyone try it with the single screen shot? What did you assume when you decided to use just 2 or three measurements? Is that always safe to assume? (This goes back to the Daily Show snow video, which is brilliant BTW.) How many data points would you need to be more confident in your assumptions?

If we assumed the fill rate (height vs. time) is constant, then everyone should get the same answer, right? But who had more uncertainty in their measurements? Are there particular techniques which would minimize the uncertainty in measurement?

Leave it to Dan to try to get his readers to turn the most boring video ever into something more exciting! (What’s next, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LR-Eozbzf0U ?)

No comments:

Post a Comment