The Building of Ideas LEARNING OBJECTIVES Students Will Be Able To

ACTIVITY 1 The Building of Ideas LEARNING OBJECTIVES Students will be able to:

ß identify key scientists who Activity Summary contributed to the concepts Students create a time line of scientists involved with E = mc2. in and conﬁ rmation of E = mc2. ß describe experiments that led to Materials for each team an understanding of energy, mass, the speed of light squared, and the • copy of “The Building of Ideas” student handout equivalence of mass and energy. • four 4 x 6 ﬁ le cards ß relate challenges scientists • small binder clip have faced as they pursued • tape their research.

ß place in sequential order disco- Background veries of the past two centuries. For centuries prior to Albert Einstein’s development of E = mc2, men and women the world over dedicated their lives to understanding the concepts that underlie each part of the equation. Their investigations STANDARDS into the nature of energy, mass, light, and velocity provided Einstein CONNECTION with the foundation he needed to draw his astonishing conclusions about the equivalence of mass and energy. Scientists have confi rmed “The Building of Ideas” activity Einstein’s equation countless times since its creation and continue aligns with the following National researching its implications today. Science Education Standards (see books.nap.edu/html/nses). In this activity, students will learn more about the lives and work of some of the men and women involved with E = mc2. GRADES 5–8 Science Standard History and Nature of Science Procedure ß Science as a human endeavor ß Nature of science 1 Organize students into six teams to take notes on one of the ß History of science following categories: energy, mass, light, velocity (speed of light squared), the development of the equation, and the confi rmation GRADES 9–12 of the equation. Within their category, students should take notes Science Standard History and Nature of Science on the following: name of scientist(s), nationality, concept, experi- ß Science as a human endeavor ment, time period, and challenges faced. ß Nature of scientifi c knowledge 2 Distribute the materials and watch the two-hour program with stu- ß Historical perspectives dents. After students watch, have them record their assigned category and a summary of the information noted above on the fi le cards. Place a 3-meter string across a classroom wall. Create a time line 3 FIND OUT MORE ranging from 1700 to 1950. Have a representative from each team clip the team’s time-line cards to the appropriate place on the string. For more on the scientists, see the 4 Discuss the people in the program who contributed to the equation. “Who Did What When? A Time Line Encourage students to see how the equation was an outcome of the of E = mc2” at the end of this guide and 2 work of many scientists. Have students elaborate how each scientist “Ancestors of E = mc ” online at www. pbs.org/nova/einstein/ancestors.html approached his or her concept. What did the scientists do or see that allowed them to make their breakthroughs in thinking? 5 As an extension, have each student adopt the identity of a scientist, research his or her work, and create a class presentation to illustrate the scientifi c breakthrough or contribution the scientist made.

4 ACTIVITY ANSWER LINKS AND BOOKS

Energy Velocity (Speed of Light Squared) Links Scientist: Michael Faraday Scientists: Gottfried von Leibniz NOVA—Einstein’s Big Idea Nationality: English and Emilie du Châtelet www.pbs.org/nova/einstein Concept: Invisible lines of force fl ow Nationality: German (Leibniz) and Hear top physicists explain E = mc2, around electricity and magnets; electricity French (du Châtelet) discover the legacy of the equation, and magnetism are linked. Concept: The energy of an object is see how much energy matter contains, Experiment: Faraday placed a magnet a function of the square of its speed. learn how today’s physicists are working beside a copper wire suspended in Experiment: Du Châtelet analyzed with the equation, read quotes from mercury and passed an electric current experiments in which brass balls were Einstein, and more on this companion through the wire. The wire spun in a circle dropped into clay; measuring their Web site. around the magnet, thus demonstrating impacts demonstrated that an object’s American Institute of Physics the interaction of lines of electric and energy is a function of its velocity Historical Information magnetic force. squared. She clarifi ed Leibniz’s original www.aip.org/history/exhibits.html Time Period: Early 1800s ideas about velocity. Detailed online exhibits of Einstein Challenges Faced: Accused of plagiarism Time Period: Early to mid-1700s and other famous physicists, plus by Sir Humphry Davy; refuted claim and Challenges Faced: Scientists discounted a history of the discovery of fi ssion. was later elected to the Royal Society. Leibniz’ ideas; du Châtelet died during childbirth when she was 43. Contributions of Twentieth-Century Women to Physics Mass cwp.library.ucla.edu 2 Scientists: Antoine-Laurent and Marie Development of E = mc Profi les pioneering women in physics. Anne Lavoisier Scientist: Albert Einstein Nationality: French Nationality: German, Swiss, Books Concept: Matter is always conserved and American Lise Meitner: A Life in Physics in a chemical reaction regardless of Concept: Mass and energy are the same by Ruth Lewin Sime. how it is transformed. and can be converted one to the other University of California Press, 1997. Experiment: Lavoisier transformed using the speed of light squared. Investigates Meitner’s life and work, a number of different substances. Experiment: Einstein’s ideas were including her vital role in the discovery He carefully measured all the products theoretical. of nuclear fi ssion. of the reactions to show that matter is Time Period: Early 1900s The Man Who Changed Everything: conserved. Challenges Faced: At fi rst no one The Life of James Clerk Maxwell Time Period: Late 1700s responded to Einstein’s ideas; he by Basil Mahon. Challenges Faced: The French Revolution; patiently answered letters for four years. John Wiley & Son, 2003. Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier was captured His genius began to be recognized when Relates the story of the Scotsman whose and executed by guillotine. his work gained the endorsement brilliant mathematics helped to defi ne of German physicist Max Planck. the nature of light.

Light Michael Faraday and the Discovery 2 Scientists: Michael Faraday and James Confirmation of E = mc of Electromagnetism Clerk Maxwell Scientists: Otto Hahn, Fritz Strassmann, by Susan Zannos. Nationality: English (Faraday) and Lise Meitner, and Otto Robert Frisch Mitchell Lane Publishers, 2004. Scottish (Maxwell) Nationality: German (Hahn, Strassmann) Profi les Faraday and explains, in simple Concept: Electromagnetism can be and Austrian (Meitner, Frisch) terms, his concept of electromagnetism. described mathematically; Maxwell’s Concept: The confi rmation of E = mc2. equations supported Faraday’s Experiment: Hahn and Strassmann Science: 100 Scientists Who long-held claims that light was just bombarded uranium with neutrons Changed the World one form of electromagnetism. and discovered barium in the resulting by Jon Balchin. Experiment: Maxwell’s ideas were products; Meitner and Frisch realized Enchanted Lion Books, 2003. theoretical. the results indicated that Hahn and Provides two-page profi les of 100 Time Period: Mid-1800s Strassmann had split the uranium scientists from around the world from Challenges Faced: Scientists did not nucleus. ancient times to the present-day, agree with Faraday’s belief that light Time Period: Mid-1900s including Lavoisier, Faraday, Maxwell, was an electromagnetic wave. Challenges Faced: Because she was and Einstein. Jewish, Meitner was forced to fl ee Germany and compelled to collaborate by mail with Hahn and Strassmann; Hahn never acknowledged Meitner’s work. 5 Einstein’s Big Idea Student Handout The Building of Ideas

Albert Einstein was able to make his leap of understanding about mass and energy because of the many scientists before him who had worked hard, seen problems in a new light, and fought to make their ideas heard. Today’s scientists continue to build on Einstein’s work and the work of others to reveal new understanding about the world. In this activity, you will learn about some of the people who contributed to the concepts in and conﬁ rmation of E = mc2.

Procedure 1 Your team will be assigned to take notes on one of the following Albert Einstein categories: energy, mass, light, velocity (speed of light squared), the development of the equation, and the conﬁ rmation of the equation. 2 Once you have received your assignment, you will watch the program and take notes on the areas listed below. Work out among your team members who will be responsible for each of the following areas: • Name of Scientist(s) • Nationality • Concept • Experiment • Time Period • Challenges Faced 3 After watching the program, summarize and record your notes onto time-line cards. When you have ﬁ nished, tape your team’s cards together. 4 When your cards are complete, clip them to the appropriate place on the time-line string.