Four Corners Upward Bound Program
Calculator Based Laboratory
Keri Garver
 

Walk This Way: Exploring Functions with Body Motions


 




Experiment Setup:
 

Experiment Procedure:
 


Analysis:

1.  Take turns being the walker for each of the following graphs. Draw a rough sketch of your graph, and discuss with your group what the walker had to do to obtain the graph. Write a careful and complete explanation of what the walker did. Use the TRACE key to find the end points of each line (a through e) and use these points to express distance as a function of time. (hint: y = mx + b) where m = slope and b = y-intercept.

        a) Line with an upward (positive) slope.

        d) Line with a downward (negative) slope.         h) An U- shaped curve opening down.
 
 
 

2.  With your group, think about the graphs you have made and answer the following questions:

        a) What does the graph look like when a person is not moving?

     
        b) How can you tell from a graph whether a person is walking or running?
     
        c) How can you tell which direction a person is moving from a graph?
     
        d) How can you tell where a person started from by looking at a graph?
 
 
 
 
 

Interpretation:

The following graphs were obtained using the CBL- motion detector system. For each graph, describe the starting and ending point and how fast you would have to walk in between the two points.
 

(a)

(b)
(c)

 

Try to obtain as best you can each of the following graphs using the CBL system. For each graph, describe carefully what the walker had to do to obtain the graph. Include as much information as possible, such as where the walker started, stopped, and how fast he/she walked. If you cannot obtain the graph, explain why it is impossible.
 

(i)


 
 
 

(ii)


 
 
 

(iii)

 
 
 
 

(iv)


 
 

(v)


 
 
 

(vi)

 
 
 
 

(vii)

 
 
 

(viii)


 
 
 

(x)

 
 
 

(xi)


 
 
 
 

Each individual in your group should complete this separately.
 

Assessment:

Sketch a rough graph to describe each of the following situations. Remember to label your axes with the appropriate units.
 

    a) Run as fast as you can for 10 seconds, stop for 10 seconds, and then walk for the rest of the time.

     
     
    b) Walk for 10 seconds, run as fast as you can for 20 seconds, and then walk again for 10 seconds.
     
    c) Cindy set off for school one morning. When she was half way there, she remembered she had left a book at home.  She went back to get it. Then she realized that she was going to be late so she hurried all the way to school.
     
    d) Walk for 20 seconds, turn and walk back towards your starting point for 10 seconds, then turn around and walk away from the starting point for 5 seconds.
     
     
    e) John went downhill on his skateboard, speeding up as he went. At the bottom of the hill, he ran into the curb and came to a sudden stop.
 
 
 
 

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