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DIY Spring Launcher "with a Twist"—High School
Who doesn't love launching projectiles? It's likely hardwired into
our brains. Few topics in physics are quite as engaging, or quite as
difficult to master. This twist on the classic spring launcher activ-
ity uses 3D printing technology to turn the lesson on its head.
Instead of discovering the optimal launch angle for a projectile,
or hanging masses from a spring to determine its spring constant,
students must work backward from empirical range data to deter-
mine first the launch velocity, then the spring potential energy,
and finally the spring's spring constant. In the end, students must
synthesize the relative importance of factors that allow a spring
to store energy.
Recommended Grade Level(s):
Appropriate for: Physics students, grades 9 – 12
Time Requirements:
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Activity Time: 60 – 90 minutes
Teaching Topics & Concepts:
• Transformation of Energy, Hooke's Law, Projectile Motion
• Science & Engineering Practices
Standards:
NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas:
• PS3.A: Definitions of Energy: At the macroscopic scale, energy manifests itself in multiple ways, such as in motion,
sound, light, and thermal energy.
• PS3.D: Energy in Chemical Processes: Although energy cannot be destroyed, it can be converted to less useful forms —
for example, to thermal energy in the surrounding environment.
Performance Expectations
• HS-PS3-3: Design, build, and refine a device that works within given constraints to convert one form of energy into
another form of energy.
Materials:
• PIKA3D Pro 3D printing pens (Ward's part # 470354-036), one per group of up to 3 students
• PIKA3D Pro filament pack (Ward's part # 470354-028)
• Extra Dowels, to match the length and diameter of the spring launcher (Ward's part # 470353-004)
• Simple Spring Launcher(s) — a 2 x 4 block drilled at 45° for a dowel works well.
Safety
• 3D printing pens can get hot. Caution students against touching the nozzle.
• Safety glasses should be worn when projectiles are launched.
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