Sensors, Circuits, and Satellites revisedApril2016

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Sensors,Circuits,andSatellitesLesson2:EnergyMeter

Sensors,Circuit,andSatellitesisacollectionofclassroomlessonscreatedbyNASA’sAuramissioneducationandoutreachthatexploretheelectromagneticspectrumandNASAremotesensinginstrumentsusingstudentassembledcircuits.Theselessonsintegrateinquirywithactive-learningexperiencestoengagestudentsinthepropertiesofelectromagneticenergyandremotesensing.TheinvestigationsaresequencedtohelpthelearnerconstructtheirknowledgeabouttheelectromagneticspectrumwhileofferingrealworldexamplesfromNASA.Credits:Dr.DeborahRoberts-Harris,Dept.ofTeacherEducationattheUniversityofNewMexicoGingerButcher,SeniorNASAEducationSpecialist,ScienceSystemsandApplications,Inc.DevelopedincollaborationwithlittleBitsElectonics™viaanInternalResearchandDevelopment(IRADFY13-297)awardfromNASAGoddardSpaceFlightCenterandcontinuedcollaborationunderNASASpaceActAgreementSAA5-2013-3-N15210

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Lesson2:EnergyMeterSummary:Thislessonintroducesstudentstolightasaformofenergy,differentthansound.Theinvestigationwillleadtodiscoveringexistenceofenergy(light)wecan’tseeasanintroductiontothebroaderelectromagneticspectrum.StudentObjective:Studentswillcompareandcontrastlightisenergyandsoundwaves..KeyTerms:electromagneticenergy,electromagneticwavesApproximateTime:30-60minutesMaterials:• littleBits™components:power,lightsensor,numberbit,wire

o ALTERNATEMATERIALS–LightMeterorLuxMeter(coverupanylabelsortextondevicethatindicatesthemeterismeasuring‘light’)

• varioussourcesofenergythatcanbesensed:1)lightenergywecansee,suchasaflashlight,desklamp,glowstick;2)lightenergywecan’tsee,suchasTVremotecontrol;and3)non-lightsourcesthatareheatand/orsound,suchasaradio,hairdryer,orheatfromtheirhands.

Disciplinarycoreideas• MS-PS4-1WavesandTheirApplicationsinTechnologiesforInformation

Transfer:Usemathematicalrepresentationstodescribeasimplemodelforwavesthatincludeshowtheamplitudeofawaveisrelatedtotheenergyinawave.

• MS-PS4-2WavesandTheirApplicationsinTechnologiesforInformationTransfer:Developanduseamodeltodescribethatwavesarereflected,absorbed,ortransmittedthroughvariousmaterials.

Crosscuttingconcept:• StructureandFunction:Structurescanbedesignedtoserveparticularfunctions

bytakingintoaccountpropertiesofdifferentmaterials,andhowmaterialscanbeshapedandused.

• Patterns��Graphsandchartscanbeusedtoidentifypatternsindata.(MS-PS4-1)

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Set-up:

• Dividestudentsintosmallgroupsandprovidetheenergysources(seematerialssection)oneachgrouptableforstudentstotest.Teacherneedstoprovidebothexamplesandnon-examplesofenergysourcesthatuselight.

• Assemble“EnergyMeter”circuitusingthelittleBits™components:power+lightsensor+numberbit.Donottellstudentsthenameofthecircuityet.(TIP:Useasmallpieceofmaskingtapetocoverupthewords“lightsensor”onthebit.Makesurethebitissetto“light”andnot“dark.”)

Engage:Askstudents“Whatdoesthiscircuitdo?”(hold-upthecircuitsothatstudentscanseethenumberchangingontheNumberBit)“Howcanwefindoutwhatthiscircuitdoes?”Chartstudentideaswithoutconfirmingordenyinganyidea.Possiblequestions:Canyoumakethenumberchangeonthedisplay?Howareyoudoingthat?Whyisthenumberchanging?

Explore:Invitestudentstoworkingroups.Theyshouldstartbyputtingtogethercircuit:power+lightsensor+numberbitassembly.Askstudentstousethecircuitstoexploreenergysourcesattheirtableandrecorddatareadingondatasheetprovided.Youmayalsowanttoinvitestudentstowalkaroundtheclassroomtotesttheirenergymeteronotherthings.Givestudentstenminutesorsotoexplorematerialsattheirtablesandintheclassroom.Circulatethroughtheroomaskingstudentstoexplainwhattheythinkishappening.Whatisthehighestnumberyoucanget?Whatisthelowestnumber?

Teachernote:Asstudentsarewalkingaround,theymayalwayshavesomekindofareadingfromtheircircuitbecausethelightsintheclassroomareon.Youmaywishtodimthelightsintheclassroomaspartofthisinvestigation.

Explain:Havethestudentscomebacktogetherasawholegroupandsharetheirresults.Whatdotheythinktheircircuitissensing?Whatisthesourceoftheinformationitissensing?Studentsshouldparticipatewiththeirdatasheetsfilledoutandinfrontofthemandshouldusethedataasevidenceofclaimstheyaremakingfromthepatternsintheirrecordeddata.Theteachercanalsochartthedataandtheclaimsandevidencetohelpthediscussion.Itisalsoimportantatthistimetostartpointingoutthedifferenceinthereadings.Theymayconcludethattheenergymeterismeasuringlight.ButwhatabouttheremotecontrolortheIRled?Whatevidencedostudentshavetosupporttheirideasandexplanations?

Usetheinfraredlightsourcesasaseguetointroducinglightwecan’tsee.Thevisibleportionofthespectrumisjustasmallpartofalargerelectromagneticspectrum.

IntroduceEMenergyspectrum–lightwecan’tsee.Weknowthatlightisenergythatenergytravelsinwaves.Youcannotseethesewaveslikeyoucanseeoceanwaves,butyoucanseetheirenergyasvisiblelight.Theinfraredremotecontrolislightenergyalso,butitisnotlightwecanseewithoureyes.Itiscalledinfraredlight.

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Explore:Weinteractwiththeelectromagneticenergyeveryday.MatchthefollowingeverydayitemstothischartoftheElectromagneticSpectrum(EMS).(PrintandusetheEMSCards,EMSAnswerKeyalsoavailable).

Explain:Whatdoyounoticethatisdifferentaboutlongerandshorterwavelengthsoflight?Whatdoyounoticeabouttheenergyoflongerversusshorterwavelength?Howdoweusethesewavesdifferently?Usedatafromyourdatatable,andfromtheelectromagneticspectrumchartasevidenceforyourexplanation.

Evaluate:

A)IfyouhavealreadydoneLesson1:WaveGenerator,refreshstudent’sknowledgeofcompressionwavesandvibrationsmovingthroughtheliquidinthespoon.Howdoyouthinklightwavesaredifferent?

B)Ifyoudidnotsharethedemonstrationinlesson1,thenrecallpriorknowledgeaboutcompressionwaves.Wavesintheoceanarecompressionwaves,theyareenergymovingthroughwater.Soundwavesarealsocompressionwavesandtravelthroughthecompressionofairmolecules.Howdoyouthinklightwavesaredifferent?

HavestudentscomparetheEMScardsortcharttoachartofsoundfrequenciesandrecorddifferencesandsimilaritiesbetweensoundandlightwaves.UsetheComparingSoundandLightWavesworksheet,withsameontheleftanddifferentontherighttocomparelightandsoundwaves.

Teachernote:Makesuretohelpstudentmaketheconnectiontothesimilaritiesanddifferencesinthecharacteristicsbetweenlightandsound.Bothlightandsoundareenergy,andbothtravelinwaves.Soundwaveshavedifferentfrequenciesthatresultinsoundsofdifferentpitches.Soundwavesdonottravelfarastheirenergyisdissipatedeasily.Soundwavesarecompressionwavesandcanonlytravelthroughmatter,thusthereisnosoundinspace.Lightisanelectromagneticwave,whichmeansitdoesn'trequiremattertotravellikesoundwavesdo.Lightwavescantravelamuchgreaterdistance,andconsistofvaryingelectricandmagneticfields.Longerwavesorsoundarelowertonesandlongerwavesoflightarelowerenergy(andviceversa).

Extension,possibleresearchactivity/project:

A)Chooseoneofthemanykindsofwaves(exceptforvisiblelight)picturedontheelectromagneticspectrum,andresearchhowitisusedbyNASAscientistsandwhatkindofdiscoverieshavebeenmadeusingthatspecificwavelengthoflight.B)Whathaveyoulearnedaboutlightenergy?Writeaparagraphortwoexplainingwhatyouhavelearnedandusingdatafromyourrecordingdatasheettobackupyourideaswithevidence.Whatnewquestionsdoyouhave?Bepreparedtoshareyourideas.

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Group:________________________

DataRecordingSheetforEnergyMeterEnergySource Descriptionofaction NumberReading

Claim:Wethinkthatourcircuitis_________________________________________________________

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Ourevidenceforthatis______________________________________________________________________

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Howcouldyoutestthis?

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Name:________________________

ComparingSoundandLightWaves

SAME DIFFERENT

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