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Wargo, Michael J., Ed. TITLE Microgravity: a Teacher's Guide with Activities DOCUMENT RESUME ED 360 178 SE 053 557 AUTHOR Vogt, Gregory L., Ed.; Wargo, Michael J., Ed. TITLE Microgravity: A Teacher's Guide with Activities. Secondary Level. INSTITUTION National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, D.C. REPORT NO EP-280 PUB DATE Jul 92 NOTE 64p.; Photographs will not reproduce clearly. AVAILABLE FROMEducation Division, NASA Headquarters, Code FET, Washington, DC 20277-2028. PUB TYPE Guides Classroom Use Teaching Guides (For Teacher) (052) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC03 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Experiential Learning; *Gravity (Physics); Science Activities; *Science Instruction; Scientific Concepts; Secondary Education; Secondary School Science; Space Sciences; *Space Utilization IDENTIFIERS *Microgravity ABSTRACT A microgravity environment is one that will impart to an object a net acceleration that is small compared with that produced by Earth at its surface. In practice, such acceleration will range from about one percent of Earth's gravitational acceleration to better than one part in a million. this teacher's guide presentsan introduction to microgravity, a microgravity primer discusses the fluid state, combustion science, materials science, biotechnology, and microgravity and space flight, and 12 microgravity activities (free fall demonstration; falling water, gravity andacceleration, inertial balance--2 parts, gravity driven fluid flow, candleflames, candle drop, contact angle, fiber pulling, crystal growth and microscopic observation of crystal growth). Each activity contains: the objective, background, procedure and materials needed. Some activities also includes suggested questions and further research. These activities used metric units of measure. Aone-page glossary defines words used in microgravity research and 22 microgravity references are provided. The guide is amply illustrated with black and white photographs, diagrams, and drawings. (PR) *********************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best thatcan be made * * from the original document. * *********************************************************************** A U S DEPARTMENT Of EDUCATION (Mice of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) =his document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it Minor changes have been made to Improve reproduction quality Points of view or opinions etstodin this doc u- men! do not necessarily ropremnt official OEM portion or policy I ? ti kfitm"il Ct;41 ijUiC National Aeronautics anc: Space Administration 2 The Cover The National Aeronautics and Space Administration uses a variety of technologies to create microgravity environments for research. Pictured is the Space Shuttle Orbiter positioned with its tail pointed towards Earth to obtain the lowest possible gravity levels. In this orientation, called a gravity gradient attitude, the vehicle's position is maintained primarily by natural forces. This reduces the need for orbiter thruster firings that disturb acceleration-sensitive experiments. q; Microgravity A Teacher's Guide With Activities Secondary Level Microgravity Science and Applications Division Office of Space Science and Applications Education Division Office of Human Resources and Education National Aeronautics and Space Administration This publication may be reproduced. EP-280 July 1992 A `r Acknowledgments The Microgravity Teacher's Guide was developed for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration with the guidance, support, and cooperation of many individuals and groups. NASA Headquarters, Washington DC Office of Space-Science and Applications Microgravity Science and Applications Division Office of Human Resources and Education Education Division Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX Education Working Group Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL Education Branch Editors Production Gregory L. Vogt, Ed.D. Managing Editor Crew Educational Affairs Liaison Cheryl A. Manning Johnson Space Center Technology and Evaluation Branch Education Division NASA Headquarters Michael J. Wargo, Sc.D. Visiting Senior Scientist Cover Design Microgravity Science and Applications Another Color, Inc. Division NASA Headquarters on leave from: Materials Processing Center Department of Materials Science and Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology ii Activity Contributors Free Fall Demonstrator Crysta! Growth Falling Water Cup Roger L. Kroes, Ph.D. Inertial Balance, Part 1 Researcher Inertial Balance, Part 2 Microgravity Science Division Candle Drop NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Gregory L. Vogt, Ed.D. Crew Educational Affairs Liaison Donald A. Reiss, Ph.D. Researcher Johnson Space Center Microgravity Science Division NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Gravity-Driven Fluid Flow Microscopic Observation of Crystal Charles E. Bugg, Ph.D. Growth Director David Mathiesen, Ph.D. Center for Macromolecular Crystallography Senior Research Associate University of Alabama at Birmingham Case Western Reserve University Craig D. Smith, Ph.D. Fiber Pulling Manager Robert J. Naumann, Ph.D. X-Ray Crystallography Laboratory Professor Center for Macromolecular Crystallography Office of the Dean, College of Science University of Alabama at Birmingham The University of Alabama in Huntsville and Contact Angle Program Manager Paul Concus Ph.D. Consort Rocket Flights Senior Scientist Consortium for Materials Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory Development in Space Adjunct Professor of Mathematics The University of Alabama in Huntsville University of California, Berkeley Candle Flames Robert Finn, Ph.D. Howard D. Ross, Ph.D. Professor of Mathematics Chief Stanford University Microgravity Combustion Branch NASA Lewis Research Center Gravity and Acceleration Richard De Lombard, M.S.E.E. Project Manager Space Acceleration Measurement System NASA Lewis Research Center iii Table of Contents Acknowledgments i i INTRODUCTION 1 What Is Microgravity? 1 Gravity 2 Creating Microgravity 3 MICROGRAVITY PRIMER 8 The Fluid State 8 Combustion Science 11 Materials Science 12 Biotechnology 16 Microgravity and Space Flight 17 ACTIVITIES 22 Free Fall Demonstrator 23 Falling Water 25 Gravity and Acceleration 27 Inertial Balance, Part 1 29 Inertial Balance, Part 2 31 Gravity-Driven Fluid Flow 33 Candle Flames 35 Candle Drop 38 Contact Angle 40 Fiber Pulling 42 Crystal Growth 44 Microscopic Observation of Crystal Growth 47 GLOSSARY 50 MICROGRAVITY REFERENCES 51 NASA EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES 52 1 The term microgravity (kg) can be inter- preted in a number of ways dependingupon context. The prefix micro- (ii) is derived from the original Greek mikros, meaning "small." By this definition, a microgravity environment is one that will impart toan Introduction object a net acceleration small compared with that produced by Earth at its surface. There are many reasons forspace flight. In practice, such accelerations willrange Space flight carries scientific instruments, from about one percent of Earth's gravita- and sometimes humans, high above the tional acceleration (aboard aircraft inpara- ground, permitting us tosee Earth as a bolic flight) to better than one part ina planet and to study the complex interac- million (for example, aboard Earth-orbiting tions of atmosphere,oceans, land, energy, free flyers). and living things. Space flight loftsscientific instruments above the filtering effectsof the Another common usage of micro- is found in atmosphere, making the entire electromag- quantitative systems of measurement, such netic spectrum available and allowingus to as the metric system, where micro- means see more clearly the distant planets, stars, one part in a million. By this second defini- and galaxies. Space flight permitsus to tion, the acceleration imparted toan object travel directly to other worlds tosee them in microgravity will be one-millionth (10-6) of close up and sample their compositions. that measured at Earth's surface. Finally, space flight allows scientiststo investigate living processes and the funda- The use of the term microgravity in this mental states of mattersolids, liquids,and guide will correspond to the first definition: gasesand the forces that affect them ina small gravity levels or low gravity. Aswe microgravity environment. The studyof the describe how low-acceleration environments states of matter and their interactions in can be produced, you will find that the microgravity is an exciting opportunityto fidelity (quality) of the microgravity environ- expand the frontiers of science. Investiga- ment will depend on the mechanism usedto tions include materials science,combus- create it.For illustrative purposes only,we tion, fluids, and biotechnology.Microgravity will provide a few simple quantitativeex- is the subject of this teacher'sguide. amples using the second definition. The examples attempt to provide insight into What Is Microgravity? what might be expected if the local accelera- tion environment would be reduced by six orders of magnitude from 1g to 10-6g. The presence of Earth createsa gravita- tional field that acts to attractobjects with a If you stepped off a roof thatwas five meters force inversely proportionalto the square of high, it would take you justone second to the distance between thecenter of the reach the ground. In a microgravity environ- object and the center of Earth.When ment equal to one percent of Earth's gravita- measured on the surface of Earth,the tional pull, the same drop would take 10 acceleration of an object actedupon only seconds.
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