We are so happy that you are joining us for the STEM Investigation Camp! Welcome to Day 5. We hope that you enjoyed Day 4 of the camp and are ready to have some cool STEM experiences to help you finally solve the overarching mystery of this camp.
Embedded Files
DAY FIVE BIG IDEA
DAY FIVE BIG IDEA
Looking at the Flight Deck Recorder (FDR) Analysis will give you an idea of what time the plane crashed. How does this help you answer the question of who was flying the plane and why the plane crashed. The voice recording from the Black Box also reveals a frantic conversation between the father and son in the plane.
Day 5: Computer Science
Day 5: Computer Science
Computer Science is the the study of the principles and use of computers.
Jobs in Computer Science: If you would like to know more about careers in Computer Science , here’s a link to information on what it takes to get a career as a Computer Scientist, as well as some of the jobs that they do:
Understanding Weight & Balance in Aviation
Understanding Weight & Balance in Aviation
The Balance point (Centre of Gravity - CG) is very important during flight because of its effect on the stability and performance of the aircraft. It must remain within carefully defined limits at all stages of flight. ... The structural strength of the aircraft also limits the maximum weight the aircraft can safely carry.
Weight and balance have a direct effect on the stability and performance of the aircraft. If a plane is too heavy, it may never get off the ground. If it's out of balance, it may be uncontrollable when it does take flight.
Here’s a video to further explain these two important considerations in flight:
STEM Challenge: Foam Glider
STEM Challenge: Foam Glider
For this activity, you'll need a foam airplane glider like the one pictured.
Instructions:
Instructions:
Open the Foam Glider Kit and build and fly the foam glider kit.
Check to see how well the glider flies without any load on it.
Try adding a load by taping pennies to the wings, putting paper clips on the wings or sticking toothpicks through the wings.
Think about:
Think about:
What difference does the load make to the flight of the glider?
Now move all of the weight you chose to one of the wings. How well does the glider fly when it is not balanced
How important is it that the weight on the glider be balanced for it to fly properly?
STEM@HOME Challenge: Paper Airplane
STEM@HOME Challenge: Paper Airplane
Test the balance & weight:
Test the balance & weight:
Materials Needed:
Materials Needed:
Paper
Tape
Paper Clips
Toothpicks
Pennies
Build a Paper Airplane:
Build a Paper Airplane:
In this cool experiment you will make a plane using only paper that will allow you to think through what makes planes fly.
Instructions for Weight Challenge:
Instructions for Weight Challenge:
After building the paper airplane, check to see how well the paper airplane you built flies without any load on it. Now add different loads to the plane to see what it does to the flight of your plane:
Add a load by taping pennies to the wings
Putting paper clips on the wings
Sticking toothpicks through the wings
What difference does the load make to the flight of the paper airplane?
Instructions for Balance Challenge:
Instructions for Balance Challenge:
Using the paper airplane you built, move all of the weight you chose to one of the wings.
How well does the plane fly when it is not balanced? How important is it that the weight on the plane be balanced for it to fly properly?
Which type of plane was more sensitive to changes in weight and balance?
What makes you come to that conclusion?
How do you think weight and balance would affect the flight of a small airplane?
Do you think that weight and balance might have been factors in the airplane crash you are investigating? Why?
STEM Challenge: Flight Data Recorder
STEM Challenge: Flight Data Recorder
Some raw data has been extracted from the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) on board the plane. It is incomplete and encoded. Your ultimate objective is to take the data you are given and determine a good estimate or prediction as to the precise time of impact.
TRSA FDR Challenge.pdfUnderstanding the Flight Data Recorder Challenge with Dr. John Hale
Understanding the Flight Data Recorder Challenge with Dr. John Hale
John Hale is a founding member of the TU Institute of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (IBCB), and a faculty research scholar in the Institute for Information Security (iSec). His research has been funded by the US Air Force, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the National Security Agency (NSA), and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). These projects include research in the fields of information assurance and bioinformatics. He has testified before Congress on three separate occasions as an information security expert, and in 2004 was awarded a patent on technology he co-developed to thwart digital piracy on file sharing networks. In 2000, Hale earned a prestigious NSF CAREER award for his educational and research contributions to the field of information assurance.
Post-Camp Survey
Post-Camp Survey
Please take a few moments to complete our short survey and get a FREE STEM Nerd t-shirt.* Any students, whether camper or club member, are eligible.
Please take a few moments to complete our short survey and get a FREE STEM Nerd t-shirt.* Any students, whether camper or club member, are eligible.
*Subject to availability
Epilogue
Epilogue
Click the button below to see the results from this week's activities and how they all come together to help solve this mystery.
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