PP+ Newton's 2nd Law vs Bungee Egg Challenge

The Newton’s Second Law lab uses a laboratory cart to investigate the relationships between the force applied to an object and the mass and acceleration of the object. It is part of Polyhedron Physics Plus, a set of 24 iPad apps for use in the classroom. For those who’d prefer to develop their own experiments, the PP Cart and Pulley app features a similar apparatus without lab procedures and other supporting materials. In addition to a 3D simulation that produces realistic data, each lab includes introductory videos, background theory, experimental procedure, analysis and reporting tools, pre-lab quiz, post-lab questions, and teacher support materials. The experimental data produced by the simulations are realistic, including random and systematic errors. These features allow students to use standard data analysis and error analysis techniques to report on their own unique data, just as if the experiment had been performed using hands-on equipment. These labs can serve as replacements for hands-on labs, especially when equipment is not available, or as supplements to hands-on labs. They are also a suitable option for students in distance learning and home school situations. Formative and summative evaluations showed no significant difference in learning between students using the virtual labs and those using hands-on labs. Preliminary results suggest increased learning by students using the virtual labs as supplements to hands-on. Polyhedron Physics was developed by Polyhedron Learning Media, Inc. with partial funding provided under contract numbers ED-07-CO-0040 and ED-IES-11-C-0029 from the Institute of Education Sciences in the U.S. Department of Education through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.

How do you determine if an egg will survive a drop from a given height suspended inside a container? Do you know what forces develop, how much the egg can handle, where the best place to position the egg is inside a container, how much the chords will stretch, or how fast energy is dissipated? With this app you can show students how physics and engineering principles can be used to answer these questions. You can simplify a very exciting but advanced problem down into understandable concepts.  This app provides students in grades 9 thru college with an authentic experience in the use of technology and engineering. Students can assemble and assimilate science and technology to do realistic designs for their egg drop containers using an elegant but easy to run computer simulation within the app. The well-tested lessons and lab plans included to use with the software show students how to conduct tests to determine the stretching and internal friction characteristics present in likely chord suspension materials. Doing off-line tests give students an appreciation of how important it is to take careful scientific measurements and how these measurements can be used. It is up to the students to decide which chord materials to use to suspend their egg inside a container, and where to position the egg; and then to input those properties and measurements into the computer. With the information they provide, the software will simulate what happens to the egg inside the dropped container when it impacts the ground. By being able to make predictions, students can work to modify and optimize their designs so that their egg will be a surviver when they build their design and test it for real. Everyone will be quite impressed!