"What does everyone think about Tom's proposal to allow rolled tubes?"
When I was coaching my Science Olympiad Wright Stuff students, I
demonstrated how to make a rolled tube motor stick and then set them
loose to make their own. They successfully produced stiff motor sticks
right from their first try. The M.S. were very heavy by EZB standards,
of course, and had no special materials like boron, but they were stiff
and worked great with the high torques in S.O. competition. My point is
that first time builders in W.S. were capable of making unbraced rolled
sticks that worked great. If you are looking to do an experiment based
on a variant of the EZB rules and encourage more participation, I'd say
wood bracing, wire bracing, and rolled sticks should all be options.
It's just an experiment at this stage ... why not see what people come
up with when allowed a range of options? Then look carefully at the
benefits (or costs) of each 'discovery' and decide what to do next based
on evidence.
Hmmmmm, I should get back into building myself.
Best Regards,
Marty
--
Marty Alderman
Physics Teacher!
Science Education Consultant/Professional Development Provider
2012-13 Ithaca College Physics Education Teacher In Residence (TIR)
2007-9, 2010-11, 2012 Cornell University PhysTEC TIR
Summer 2011 NAIC Arecibo Observatory REU Coordinator
malderman_at_ithaca.edu, mda35_at_cornell.edu, mda355_at_gmail.com
At some point in their lives, most people ask themselves:
"Does my life have meaning?"
Most teachers answer it emphatically:
"Absolutely! YES!"
Received on Sun Dec 16 2012 - 14:14:02 CET