To kickoff the second semester's curriculum, the physics class completed a buggy lab. By doing hands-on tasks, students modeled constant motion with graphs and motion maps. They set the buggy at multiple speeds and analyzed how that affected motion.
The students were asked to use meter sticks and poker chips to mark the position of the buggy at specific time stamps. They had to sketch a set of poker chips in comparison to the set on their papers. Then, they drew a graph based on the position in centimeters and clock reading in seconds.
Click here to see two videos of the buggys in action:
They were given multiple scenarios such as "moving forward, one battery, starting two meters behind origin" and "moving backward, two batteries, starting one meter in from of origin." By sketching the set of poker chips and drawing the graph for each scenario, the students got to see how they all compared and contrasted with each other.
This one-day lab helped the physics students visually understand how different speeds, positions, and directions affect the motion of the buggy. This lab helped set the fundamental ideas of motion for the rest of the unit.