The use of demonstrations has long been recognized as a highly effective tool in the teaching of physics. While many in-class and video demonstrations are available, they are performed under the influence of gravity. Currently, teachers do not have access to videos from which accurate quantitative measurements of physics in microgravity can be made. Our goal is to produce a high quality video of basic mechanics demonstrations that can be used as such a learning tool. The Wellesley College physics department has pioneered the use of video cameras to make quantitative measurements of physics through a method known as Active Video. With Active Video (or AVID), "learners use the world around them as a laboratory and use video equipment as almost universal recording and measuring devices."1 Active Video has been used extensively in Wellesley's introductory physics course, but videos enabling students to make quantitative measurements have not been previously made in a zero-g environment. The results of these microgravity demonstrations can serve a dual purpose: not only can they be a resource for high school and introductory college level physics courses, but they can also be used to motivate young girls to pursue the sciences. Recent studies have indicated that young girls are subtly discouraged in subjects historically dominated by males, such as math and science, during the primary and intermediate school years.2 High achieving girls are rarely praised and even sometimes criticized for their achievements.3 As students at all women's college, we hope that our work on this project can stimulate their interests in these fields. Such simple examples as playing catch or bubbles floating to the surface of a liquid can illustrate how gravitational effects influence our intuition. This project will act as an instrument to increase students understanding of the effects of microgravity on everyday physics phenomena.
Objective 1: To produce a high quality video that can be used in high school and
Objective 2: To produce a video that will stimulate interest in science for young girls. The three demonstrations we have planned will be closely related to everyday phenomena, and will therefore be exciting to grade school children, without the need for complicated analysis. Sparking the minds of young girls is of special interest to us, as students of an all women's college. We hope that as we perform the demonstrations and produce this video, we will be acting as role models to grade school girls, showing them the possibilities that science can yield.
Everyone knows what it feels like to play catch with a ball. You throw the ball and the ball moves away from you. When you catch the ball, the ball stops. From Newton's Third Law of motion we know that whenever the thrower exerts a force on the ball to accelerate it, the ball in turn exerts an "equal but opposite" force on the thrower. Under normal terrestrial conditions, the force of the ball on the thrower does not cause the thrower to acquire an appreciable motion. This is due to the frictional force exerted by the ground on the thrower. However this frictional force depends, indirectly, on the presence of gravity; it is proportional in magnitude to the normal force exerted by the ground on the thrower. That is Ffriction= m s N, where N is the normal force, proportional to gravity, and m s is the static coefficient of friction, as shown in Figure 1.
On the KC-135, in the absence of gravity, no normal force is produced, therefore no frictional force is present to hold you to the ground. Due to the principle of conservation of momentum, when you throw the ball you will acquire a momentum equal in magnitude but in the direction opposite to that of the ball's momentum. The same principle operates when you catch the ball. No friction is present, so you and the ball will continue to move (though at a slower velocity) in the initial direction of the ball. Using the known masses of the ball and the person, we will be able to calculate the relative accelerations and velocities of the ball and the person since force is conserved. For example, since the total initial momentum (zero) will equal the total final momentum, the final momentum of the person will be exactly equal and opposite that of the ball.
Using a portion of the width of the plane, we will demonstrate this principle. One of the team members will hold a medicine ball by grasping a tether connected to the ball. During the microgravity period, they will throw the medicine ball away from them, allowing the tether to fully extend. They will throw the ball one time per parabola, which will allow enough time to maintain control over the ball. Using the tether, the ball will be manually retractable. Once the tether has fully extended, the team member will retract the ball while still in microgravity, so as to minimize movement during the 1.8-g portion of the flight. The tether will be held by means of a loose loop at its end, which can be easily released should the ball be thrown off-target at the same time that the plane enters the 1.8-g. On the flight that includes the journalist, we hope to involve him in a game of catch with one of the team members, and observe the change in momentum of both the ball and the catchers. The ball can be caught "straight on", demonstrating conservation of linear momentum. On some throws the ball can be thrown or caught "off-center" from the body. In this case, the ball has a non-zero angular momentum with respect to the center of the person. Since the total angular momentum of the ball-person system is conserved during the "collision" between the ball and the person, the person will acquire an angular momentum (i.e., they will start to spin) during off axis throws and catches.
One thing that will make this experiment unique is that we will produce the video recording so that accurate quantitative data of the motion can be extracted by playing back the recording one frame at a time. The camera will be positioned to record the resulting motion of either the team member or the journalist receiving the ball and of the ball itself.
Again, our intuition is skewed when we think of the behavior of bubbles in a liquid under the influence of microgravity. We expect from our experience on earth that bubbles will always float rapidly towards the surface of the water due to the upward "buoyancy force". But of course, the buoyancy force has its origins in the differences in weight between the bubble and an equal volume of liquid. In microgravity the buoyancy force practically disappears, so that bubbles launched with zero initial velocity should remain suspended motionless in the liquid.
In gravity, large bubbles are dome-shaped due in part to the differences in water pressure as a function of depth. In microgravity, pressure is no longer a function of height, and the bubbles will tend to be spherical. The KC's ability to perform Moon and Mars gravity level parabolas could result in a very interesting range of data on the behavior of these bubbles. These intermediate steps between 0 and 1-g could be included and compared to the data from 0 to 1-g should the plane have time for these types of parabolas.
The apparatus for this demonstration will be contained in a large Lexan box, mounted on a metal stand, which can be secured to the floor of the plane. This box can be closed by means of a hinged lid and Velcro strips. In the center of the large Lexan box, we will put a second, smaller Lexan box filled with water. Tubing will connect the bottom of the bubble-box to the gas supply through a small hole in the bottom of the large Lexan box. The behavior of the bubbles will be recorded by the video. The spherical bubbles, as we expect to observe them in microgravity are shown in the diagram of the bubble-box in Figure 2.
A simple home-built accelerometer, consisting of a damped mass / spring system will be mounted in a liquid-filled glass cylinder in a vertical orientation next to the bubble chamber in the field of view of a video camera. The accelerometer works on the principle that the extension of the spring will be proportional to the component of the KC's acceleration along the axis of the spring. (The fact that the operation of the accelerometer is literally "transparent" to viewer's is of great pedagogical value.). The video camera will record quantitative data for the bubble behavior as a function of the KC's acceleration.
3.3 Flames
When you think of a burning candle, you normally think of it as having a teardrop-shaped flame, thanks to intuition. The teardrop shape is caused by rising heat; as the candle burns, the heat of the burning wax and wick rises, due to the fact that hot air is less dense than cooler air. But in microgravity, the weight per unit volume of hot air is no different than that of cooler air, and will not rise. Instead, it will radiate in all directions, causing the flame to be spherical in shape. The difference we expect to observe between a flame in gravity and a flame in microgravity is shown in Figure 3.
This demonstration will occur in the large Lexan box. When the bubble-box is removed, a candle will be fixed on the floor of the large Lexan box. There will be two circular ports on opposite sides of the box, with sliding Lexan covers, to allow access to the candle. In the 0-g environment, we will use a long butane lighter that can extend into the port while being held from outside the box to light the candle. This candle will be a high quality 80% paraffin, 20% stearic acid candle, so as to minimize dripping wax from interfering with the videography. Any wax that does drip from the candle can be cleaned once the flame is smothered with a cloth. For the 20 seconds of microgravity, the shape and behavior of the flame will be recorded on video. The video will show the difference between a flame in microgravity, and a flame in normal gravity.
Once these three experiments have been completed, if time permits, we will perform one or two extra demonstrations. Some possibilities include observing the behavior of carbonation in soda, Alka-selters in water, the principle of angular momentum (as seen in spinning team members) or the behavior of basic children's toys. Any optional demonstration that we decide to include in the experiment will be cleared with the JSC Reduced Gravity Office prior to arrival in Houston.
The Lexan box will be 60cm x 75cm x 65cm. The four sides and the lid will all be made of Lexan 1cm thick. The sides will be joined with solvent cement for joining acrylic. The lid will be attached to one of the sides by two hinges. It will be closed by means of two Velcro strips 15cm x 10cm on the side opposite the hinges. Two circular ports of diameter 10cm will be cut on two adjoining sides of the box, and will be covered with sliding Lexan windows. The bottom of the box will also be made of Lexan and will be joined with the sides with the same solvent cement. In the center of the bottom, there will be a square metal candleholder of dimensions 40cm x 40cm attached to the bottom with four horizontal toggle clamps, one on each side of the holder. In one corner of the box, a small Lexan tower, 5cm x 5cm x 55cm, will be joined with the large Lexan box (using the solvent cement). This tower will be filled with a non-toxic, clear, viscous mineral oil. Suspended in the oil from the top of the tower will be a small metal mass attached to a spring. On the sides of the tower, there will be markings every centimeter. This tower will be in the visual field of the camera, and will serve as an accelerometer for use during the analysis. Figure 4 shows a diagram of the box.
When the candleholder is removed, a hole of diameter 8cm will be exposed in the bottom of the large Lexan box. The bubble-box will be made of Lexan with sides 35cm x 35cm x 35cm. The base of the box will be extended to 40cm x 40cm so that it can be secured to the bottom by the four clamps. Another hole will be drilled in the bottom of the bubble-box. This hole will be a 1/4 MPT thread with a 1/4 inch close nipple screwed into it. The close nipple will be attached to a 1/4 inch ball valve. On the other end of the ball valve will be a 1/4 inch MPT male thread with a 1/4 inch burr for 1/4 inch tubing from the pressure vessel. Once the rubber tubing is attached to the burr with a clamp, the valve can be opened to allow gas to flow into the water, producing bubbles. The lid of the bubble box, also made of Lexan, will fit into the top of the box. The lid will have a handle on the top, and will be closed by means of a set of swinging clamps.
The stand will be made of a perforated angle iron frame. There will be four legs of height 1 meter supporting the large Lexan box. The steel frame will be attached to the base of the box and the base plates with standard screws. On the side opposite one of the hand holes in the large Lexan box, we will mount our data acquisition camera to the frame. The base of the camera mount will be supported by two metal arms secured to the steel frame. There will be a Lexan shelf of thickness 1cm circling the inside of the steel frame, attached to the frame with screws. At one point, there will be a hole in the shelf, the diameter of the valve on the bubble-box, so that the bubble-box can be stored while not in use. Horizontal toggle clamps will keep the bubble-box in place while on the shelf. The stand will be bolted to aluminum rectangular base plates with 2 3/4 in holes in each, maintaining the 20-inch bolt pattern for mounting in the plane. The gas supply will be strapped to one of the steel legs with two large hose clamps.
The storage container will be mounted to the aluminum base plates using standard screws. It will be constructed out of sturdy Rubbermaid™ rubber. The lid will be fitted and reinforced with Velcro. This box will be utilized to store equipment not in use as well as replacement parts.
The medicine ball is made of leather, and weighs 3 kg. It will be attached to a nylon tether. This tether will be standard mountain climbing rope to ensure its strength and durability. The ball will be enclosed in a rope harness, and the harness, in turn, will be connected to the tether. The tether itself will be 2 meters long. The contact points of the harness and tether will be soldered together. The camera filming this demonstration will be mounted on a standard video camera tripod. The tripod will be attached to aluminum base plates with 2 3/4 in holes in it, again maintaining the 20-inch bolt pattern for mounting in the plane.
5.1 Pressure Vessel Certification
The only pressure valve that will be included in our setup will control the gas supply to the bubble demonstration. It will be certified by a pressure system engineer and will be designed to 4 times the MAWP in accordance with the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code.
While constructing the materials for our experiments, we will perform a variety of tests to ensure that they will be able to withstand the extreme stresses to which they may be subjected during the flight. The strength of the solvent cement used to build the two Lexan boxes will be tested both prior to construction of the boxes, and after they are built.
Every point of junction in our equipment will be tested for its strength by testing the maximum amount of stress it can withstand. We will also perform vibration tests on the equipment. The supports for the video camera will be carefully analyzed to ensure their ability to hold the weight of the camera during the hyper-gravity portion of the parabolas (at a maximum of a possible 2.5-g force at maneuver entry and exit). We will also ensure that they are strong enough to withstand any contact they may have with a passenger or other test materials during the zero-g and transition portions of the parabola. Drop tests will be performed on all movable equipment (i.e. candleholder, bubble-box) to ensure their structural integrity during the hyper-g portions of the flight.
The entire weight of our equipment will not exceed 200lbs per square foot, therefore eliminating the need for any shoring. Also, the equipment as described does not exceed the specified dimensional limits of 24" wide by 64" long by 60" high. All tests performed will ensure compliance with the structural guidelines set forth in the JSC Reduced Gravity Program User's Guide, doc. no. JSC 22803.
The only electrical equipment that we will be utilizing during flight will be two battery operated video cameras. We will not need to power any equipment with the KC's on-board electrical system.
Hazard 1: Fire
Description: Flame from candle ignites a fire
Cause: Candle is jarred from candleholder and falls to floor of box.
Verification: Before starting the candle demonstration, we will test the strength of the candleholder to verify that it can adequately support the candle. We will also verify the absence of flammable materials in the box.
Description: Gas from our pressure vessel leaks into the plane's atmosphere.
Cause: Leak in pressure valve, or hole in tubing from valve to Lexan box
Hazard 3: Sharp Edges
contact with sharp edge.
Cause: Corners of Lexan box and metal stand are left uncovered.
Controls: The box will be constructed to minimize sharp edges, with all edges sanded, and any remaining hazardous edges will be covered with pipe insulation foam, along with all four struts of our stand.
Verification: Prior to flight, the box will be re-examined to ensure the non-existence of exposed sharp edges and that insulation is secured.
Description: Bubble-box breaks and water leaks out.
Cause: Structural weakness in bubble-box causes it to crack or break on impact.
Verification: We will test the seals of the box and the valve prior to flight to verify their effectiveness to contain water. We will test the structural integrity of the bubble-box during construction.
Description: Medicine ball comes into contact with passenger.
Cause: Team member or journalist fails to catch ball and tether breaks.
Verification: During construction phase, we will test the rope to ensure its ability to withstand large tensions.
Before Parabolas
Familiarization with plane: 5 parabolas
Flame Demonstration: 10 parabolas
Bubble Demonstration: 10 parabolas
Momentum Demonstration: 10 parabolas
Optional Demonstration: 5 parabolas
Total: 40 parabolas
The parabolic requirements for each of the demonstrations takes into account time needed to set up, film, and disassemble each demonstration. The optional demonstration will be performed if time permits.
From the video of the demonstrations, we will be able to quantitatively describe the experiments. Using frame by frame playback of the video, we will analyze the behavior of the flame, the bubbles and the medicine ball in two manners.
The first method will be to manually record the changes onto transparencies taped to a monitor. By knowing the D t between each frame, we will be able to measure and mathematically describe each demonstration by using the laws of classical physics.
The second method will be to superimpose a grid onto the video itself. We will do this by using the known dimensions of the candle, the bubble-box and the medicine ball. Similar methods will then be used to mathematically describe the demonstrations. We can also graphically show this process on the video.
Because each demonstration will be repeated for approximately 10 parabolas, both methods will be used to describe the individual experiments. During the candle and bubble demonstration, our accelerometer will be in the visual field. By using the markings on the side of the accelerometer tower to record the mass's position relative to its position in one-g, we will be able to calculate the force that the mass is feeling. From the force, we will then be able to calculate the number of g's it is being subjected to. This calculation can be done in the frame by frame analysis.
In-flight, we will require:
Our data acquisition system will be comprised of two separate video cameras and one standard tripod. Both cameras will be Hi8 video systems, with manually adjustable high-speed shutters and wide angle lenses. The adjustable shutter speed will allow us to adjust the sharpness of the images, which is crucial to the demonstrations, as a frame by frame analysis requires clear, sharp images. The analysis of our demonstrations will be performed using Hi8 VCRs, which have the capacity for frame by frame playback.
Should there not be enough oxygen or pressure provided to the flame during the candle demonstration, the flame will not be able to survive, therefore not posing a hazard.
If there is not enough pressure provided from our gas supply, bubbles will not form in the water during the bubble demonstration. If the pressure is too great, too many bubbles will form. This can be controlled by controlling the pressure valve, and therefore the gas supply, to the bubble-box. We are aware that the bubbles will never be stationary in the water, due to the initial velocity at which they are "launched" into the water. However, the difference in their behavior and shape in the micro- and 1.8-gravity periods will be large enough that a quality post-flight analysis will be possible.
Since our accelerometer is a mass on a spring, it may be subject to small oscillations that could possibly affect our results. To minimize these oscillations, we will fill the accelerometer tower with clear, viscous oil. This will dampen any significant movements of the mass-spring system.
The possibility of brief departures from microgravity conditions may affect the behavior of our demonstration, but will be able to be accounted for during the analysis of the video.
| Lexan Box
(with accelerometer) |
Lexan
(mass-spring system, mineral oil) |
| Candleholder | Aluminum |
| Candles | 80% paraffin, 20% strearic acid |
| Igniter | Hand-held butane |
| Gloves | Flame retardant treated rubber |
| Candle snuffer | Aluminum |
| Fire Extinguisher | Standard |
| Bubble-Box and lid | Lexan |
| Pressurized Gas Supply | Nitrogen Gas |
| Medicine Ball | Leather |
| Medicine Ball Tether | Nylon |
| Tubing | Rubber |
| Storage Container | Rubbermaid ™ |
| Video Camera | Hi8 |
| Extra Camera Battery Packs | Hi8 |
| Materials for optional demo | TBD |
| 2 Fliers, 1 Journalist |
We will be providing our own Hi8 video camera to film the three planned demonstrations. The camera will be mounted on a stand to provide the highest quality footage of the demonstrations. We would like to request that both video and still shots of the two team members performing demonstrations be taken by a NASA photographer.
Because of the nature of our demonstrations, public outreach will play an important role in our project. The video we produce will first be distributed to elementary classrooms. We will supplement this with visits to local elementary schools, describing our experiences in NASA's Reduced Gravity Program. During these visits, we will replicate the demonstrations in normal gravity, to illustrate the effects of gravity or absence thereof. These visits are intended to spark interest of young children in science, especially of young girls. We hope that as a team of all women participating in this program, we can serve as role models to young girls.
The video will also be distributed for use in high school and college level introductory physics courses. We will visit area high schools as a team, presenting similar demonstrations, but we will also extend our presentations to include the analytical process of our results. We will break the students up into small groups working in front of several monitors to perform their own graphical analysis using transparencies. These presentations can be used to further the understanding of physics in real life, and inform college-bound students of undergraduate research opportunities at NASA.
Individually, we will be presenting our video at our local high schools and elementary schools in Sacramento, CA, Buffalo, NY, Madison, WI and Dallas, TX. We will also be creating a web-site about our experience in the program.
Tom Cole, a reporter for Media One, C-SPAN's Boston Office, has agreed be our journalist partner. He is aware of the requirements that he as a journalist must fulfill.
Mr. Cole will be following our team in a series of stories, covering us pre-, during and post-flight. We hope to incorporate some of the footage he takes of us into our own video, to serve as part of the inspirational aspect of our project. Some of the footage that will be included will be an interview that we have arranged with Pam Melroy, a NASA astronaut, and Faith Vilas, an astrophysicist at NASA. Both Pam and Faith are Wellesley alumnae who are very excited about our project. They are both eager to be involved with us and be part of a project geared to show young girls what they can accomplish in the sciences.
We will also be presenting our video at Wellesley's Ruhlman Conference in late April. The Ruhlman Conference is an event that provides a forum for students and faculty to present projects and research they have worked on during the year to the rest of the college community. At this conference, we will present our video and relate our experience of the program to the community, inspiring others to become involved in the next competition.
Because of the nature of our video, we have the opportunity to reach a very wide range of ages. While it is designed to provide a useful tool in high school and college physics courses for quantitative analysis, it can serve as a source of inspiration for all ages. The demonstrations we will be presenting will be basic enough to allow a thorough analysis using the laws of classical physics, yet at the same time, will appeal to those without prior knowledge of physics. Elementary schoolchildren watching the video will benefit from the exposure to science in a fun and exciting manner to which teachers do not normally have access.
With the experience and expertise of Wellesley's physics department in video production, we will be able to produce a high quality video and distribute it not only in the Boston area, but also in other cities around the US. Particularly in the hometowns of each of our team members. We will take this video to schools near our homes and present it to classes once our academic year is completed in May. These personal visits add a valuable edge to the video, allowing us to relate our personal experience in the program and share our enthusiasm for science. Through both the visits and the video, we hope to show students, especially girls, that the sky is not the limit, nor are the stars.
1Ducas, Theodore W. "Active Video: The Promise of AVID Learning." Journal of
College Science Teaching. December 1993.
2Levine, Madeline. Viewing Violence: How Media Violence Affects Your Child's and
Adolescent's Development. New York: Doubleday, 1996, 117.
3Ibid., 138.
I. Contact Information
II. Team Member Biographies
III. Proof of Age
IV. Safety Certification and Insurance Consent
V. Financial Support
VI. Intent of Physical Exam
VII. Approvals and Academic Credit
Appendix I Contact Information
Contact Information
Wellesley College Physics Department
106 Central St.
Wellesley, MA 02481
Contact person: Ann Sanders
Telephone: (781) 283-4049
Email: asanders@wellesley.edu
Supervising faculty member: Robert Berg
Telephone: (781) 283-3110
Email: rberg@wellesley.edu
Appendix II Team Member Biographies
Ann Sanders
I am a sophomore at Wellesley, majoring in physics. I am also a premed student. After graduating from Wellesley College, I hope to attend medical school. I would like to enroll in an M.D./PhD program, earning my PhD in aeronautical/astronautical engineering. After graduating from medical school, I plan to become involved in research dealing with the physiological effects of microgravity, and ultimately, I would like to become an astronaut.
I found out about this program this summer, while working as an intern at Johnson Space Center. For two and a half months, I interned in the Neuroscience Lab, a division of the Life Sciences Research Laboratory, under Dr. Todd Schlegel. During this time, I used power spectral density analysis to assess autonomic control of the cardiovascular system. I also assisted neuroscience principle investigators with equipment setup, data collection and analysis. In July, I had the opportunity to fly on the KC-135, an amazing experience that I will never forget!
While not in class, I take flying lessons and am working towards my student pilot license. I also am enrolled in a SCUBA course to become SCUBA certified. At Wellesley, I sit on my dorm's student government, as well as serve as the chairperson of the school's social council. I am a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Wellesley's Hippocratic Society and the Society of Physics Students. During previous summers, I have twice attended NASA's U.S. Space Academy in Huntsville, AL. My physics courses at Wellesley have included mechanics, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics and quantum mechanics. Other courses I have taken include cellular and organismal biology, multi-variable calculus, medical ethics, psychology, French and writing.
Tyler Wellensiek
I am a sophomore from Madison, Wisconsin majoring in physics, and minoring in economics and math. I have not decided on a definite career, but I plan to go on to graduate school in industrial engineering, business, or law. At Wellesley College I have taken physics courses in mechanics, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics and quantum mechanics. I have also studied vector calculus and linear algebra. I have balanced my heavy scientific course load with classes in the humanities such as economics, art history, and moral philosophy.
Outside of the classroom, I devote most of my spare time to music, singing in the Wellesley College Choir, of which I am the secretary, and taking private voice lessons. I also love playing tennis, biking, and writing. Next fall I intend to spend a semester abroad in Italy or Sweden studying the humanities, before completing my physics major at Wellesley.
Jenny Ross
I am a junior at Wellesley College. I am studying physics and math because I want to go on to study materials science in graduate school (the math major is purely for fun). I love working in the laboratory in general, but my main goal would be to develop new, efficient, and ecologically sound forms of energy. I am new to Wellesley this year transferring from Oberlin College, and am really enjoying the classes, the students, and the professors. This summer I hope to attain an internship in that will allow me to gain some insight and skills in materials science, chemistry, physics, or mathematics.
I am currently taking modern physics, complex analysis, abstract algebra, and a "Strong Women in Film" class. At Oberlin, I took introductory physics, organic chemistry, real analysis, and a course on chaos and fractals. I have much mathematical experience from college level courses during high school, including multivariable calculus and linear algebra and differential equations. I plan to graduate early, and am currently a junior at Wellesley although I am only 19.
Outside of classes, I love being involved in music. I love listening to music; I love playing music; I love watching music being made. I am a DJ at the college radio station, and am on the Student Board of Governors, which plans special events and concerts on campus. If you ever hear loud punk music pumping out of a lab room in the science center, it is probably me doing physics.
Gretchen Campbell
I am currently a sophomore at Wellesley College, and am originally from East Aurora, N.Y. a suburb of Buffalo. At Wellesley, I hope to pursue a double major in physics and computer science. I am still undecided about my post-college plans, but they will most likely include graduate school in either physics or computer science. At Wellesley I am currently taking modern physics, vector calculus, data structures, a physics course entitled "Thinking Physics" which focuses on increasing students problem solving and analytical skills, and a course on moral philosophy. I have previously taken courses on mechanics, electricity and magnetism, computer programming and problem solving, as well as courses in the economics, Spanish, and English departments. Outside of class I am a member of Wellesley's Society of Physics Students, and am currently a tutor for computer programming and problem solving, an introductory level course in the Computer Science Department. I am also a Public Cluster Consultant for the college's Information Services.
Robbie Berg is Associate Professor of Physics and Chair of the Physics Department at Wellesley College. His current research interests are centered on developing new computational tools for use in science education. In 1996 he was a Visiting Professor in the Epistemology and Learning group at the MIT Media Lab and he continues to collaborate closely with the group, working on the creation of a new generation of "programmable bricks" called Crickets. These programmable bricks have served as the inspiration for LEGO Mindstorms, a commercial version product currently being sold by the LEGO company. With Mitchel Resnick (MIT) and Mike Eisenberg (Colorado), Robbie leads an NSF-funded project called Beyond Black Boxes, in which children are using Crickets to design their own instruments for scientific investigations. With Franklyn Turbak of the Wellesley's computer science department, he has developed a course called Robotic Design Studio, where students use programmable bricks to design, build, and exhibit their robotic creations.
Robbie also has a long standing interest in optical spectroscopy in semiconductors and has worked to develop Wellesley's optical spectroscopy laboratory. He is currently working with undergraduates on a laser cooling experiment that will be incorporated into Wellesley's advanced laboratory course.
Robbie also serves as a mentor at the Computer Clubhouse, an after-school learning center where youth from under-served communities work together on computer-related projects. The goal is for youth to become fluent with new computational media, becoming creators (not just consumers) of computer-based projects.
Robbie received his BA in physics (with honors) at Princeton (1978) and MS and PhD degrees in physics from the University of California, Berkeley (1981, 1985). He has been a member of the Wellesley faculty since 1985, receiving tenure in 1990.
Theodore Ducas is a Professor in the Physics Department at Wellesley College. He did his undergraduate work at Yale and received his PhD from MIT where he stayed on as a postdoctoral researcher and Instructor before starting at Wellesley. He was a visiting scientist at the Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris in 1981 and has a continuing appointment as a visiting scientist at MIT.
His research in physics has been largely in the area of laser spectroscopy of atoms and molecules. He has also worked in the area of biomedical applications of lasers on studies aimed at characterizing diseased tissue. He has received National Science Foundation grants and support from private foundations for his work. In addition to his publications in research journals, he has presented talks at national and international conferences as well as symposia at colleges, universities, and industrial and national research laboratories. He has served as a member and as chair of the executive board of the New England Section of the American Physical Society.
Professor Ducas has been involved with science education at the national and international level. He has served on the advisory boards of three television series broadcast on public television: "3-2-1 Contact", "The Voyage of the Mimi" and "CRO". He has also contributed to these series as a designer of shows and science content consultant. Since its premier in 1979, "3-2-1 Contact" has produced over 200 half hour shows and several specials, published a magazine and has been distributed to over 40 foreign countries. He has also consulted with "Sesame Street" and worked on a proposed "Ghostwriter" radio show. One current project is an NSF collaboration aimed at integrating science, mathematics and technology learning for elementary school students.
At Wellesley, he has designed Project AVID (Active Video) to enable students to take science beyond the confines of the laboratory and use the world around them as the source of interesting and measurable phenomena. In using video equipment as the tools for making these measurements, the students are also learning about the design of this most pervasive technology. These techniques have now been used by middle school and high school students as well as college students in contexts ranging from ice skating rinks to porpoise shows to sky diving jumps.
Appendix IV Safety Certification and Insurance Consent
We have attached a letter certifying the safety of our project, written by our faculty advisor, Professor Robbie Berg. We are also aware that our personal insurance policies may not cover flight aboard the KC-135 and take responsibility for our actions. <
Projected Travel Budget:
Airfare: $500/person, 5 people = $1750
Hotel (Best Western): $65/night, 2 rooms, 14 nights = $1,750
Preflight physicals: $250/person, 3 people = $750
Food: $30/person/day, 5 people, 14 days = $2100
Van rental: $300/week, 2 weeks = $600
Total: $6,950
Fund Sources:
Hughes III Travel Grant: $400/student = $1,600
Mass. Space Grant Consortium: $500
Sigma Xi: $300/student = $1,200
Faculty Travel Money: $500
Wellesley Physics Department: $3,200
Total: $7,000
Any materials purchased for this project will be the property of the Wellesley College Physics Department. The Department has agreed to cover any of these costs. The equipment will be built in Wellesley's machine shop, which does not charge for labor for projects of this nature. We have attached letters from the heads of the Hughes III Travel Grant, Wellesley's Mass. Space Grant Consortium, the local Sigma Xi chapter and Wellesley's Physics Department, ensuring funding should we be accepted.
Appendix VI Intent of Physical Exams
All four team members are aware that they must take and pass a modified FAA Class III medical exam prior to flight on-board the KC-135. We are willing to undergo this examination as well as complete NASA's physiologic training upon arrival in Houston.
Appendix VII Approvals and Academic Credit
Wellesley College has allowed us to design an independent study course for credit for this project. The course will include the design, construction, and testing of materials for the project as well as preflight preparation, the time spent in Houston, and post-flight analysis. We will be instructed by our faculty advisor, Professor Robert Berg, the head of Wellesley's Physics Department, and Professor Ted Ducas. We will have three scheduled meetings per week.
The construction phase will begin during our Wintersession. This is a period of three weeks in January designed to allow students to return to Wellesley and take a short course before starting regular classes. We will be returning to Wellesley at the beginning of Wintersession and will work on the project throughout this period. During the spring semester, the project will be a semester-long independent study.
After the flight, the course will consist of the extensive post-flight analysis of the video demonstrations as well as preparing the video for large-scale production and distribution to elementary schools, high schools and colleges. We will use this time to begin our outreach, visiting local schools and talking to students about our project and the program itself. We have attached a letter of support, from the Dean of the College, Dean Nancy Kolodny.