Toys in Space: Exploring Science with the Astronauts. REPORT NO ISBN-0-8036-4534-9 PUB DATE 94 NOTE 161P.; Foreword by John H
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
DOCUMENT RESUME ED 390 652 SE 057 036 AUTHOR Sumners, Carolyn TITLE Toys in Space: Exploring Science with the Astronauts. REPORT NO ISBN-0-8036-4534-9 PUB DATE 94 NOTE 161p.; Foreword by John H. Casper. Photographs may not reproduce well. AVAILABLE FROMTAB Books Division of McGraw-Hill, Inc., Blue Ridge Summit, PA 17294-0850 ($10.95). PUB TYPE Guides Classroom Use Teaching Guides (For Teacher) (052) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC07 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Astronomy; Elementary Secondary Education; Force; Gravity (Physics); Hands on Science; Physics; Science Activities; Science Experiments; *Scientific Concepts; Space Exploration; *Space Sciences; Technology; *Toys ABSTRACT The purpose of the Toys in Space project was to create new ways for children to discover the joy and excitement of science and technology in the world around us. This book describes how familiar toys behave in the space environment where the downward pull of gravity is absent, and clearly documents those principles of physics that explain why the toys behave as they do. Chapter 1 provides the background for the Toys in Space project. Chapter 2 provides the physics concepts needed to explain toy behaviors on earth and in space. Chapter 3 provides a detailed description of everyday life in orbit and a context for the toy experiments. Chapters 4 through 12 discuss how different toys work on earth and in space and contain instructions for constructing some of the toys. Two appendices list personal histories of the astronauts involved in the program and a list of NASA teacher resource centers. Contains an index and a glossary. (JRH) Reproductions supplied by EDRS ,re the best that can be made * from the original document. * *********************************************************************** *A: I '47.4 - ,1.;$-.1 `, ' 02, %.0 ;L- liZt= : -' '.k. 1. - .-4 --' Z i: ki 'ii-f,,' ;''.1- ,,....,.4.?", .;. \ 40 - ' \ ?rt.'k r4 ,o N.`, ' ...r,:: , it: .+- SY r C` ''''iIr 44' ',..1,r 1!",,, ', 11.4 e;" 4 .1 t i., 4 , ,?....`,. 4';',.,-. ... 06"c t- , EXPLORING SCIENCE 1A/ITH THE ASTRONAUTS U DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Ott e ot &Wow:in& Resume and improvement 10 ED ...,ATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as S. received fromtheperson or organization originating it "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS 0 Minor changes have been made lo BEEN GRANTEDBY improve reproduction quality Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI positron or policy To THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)" 2 BEST COPY AV A Toys in Space Exploring Science with the Astronauts 3 Toys in Space Exploring Science with the Astronauts Dr. Carolyn Sumners Project Dire Ctor for the Toys in Space Program Foreword by John Casper Commander, Endeavour, STS 54 TAB Books Division of McGraw-Hill, Inc. , I , P ' I , S. ©1994 by Carolyn Sumners. Published by TAB Books. TAB Books is a division of McGraw-Hill, Inc. Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved. The publisher takes no responsibility for the use of any of the materials or methods described in this book, nor for the products thereof. pbk 2 3 45 67 89 FGR/FGR 9 9 87 65 4 hc1 2 34 56 78 9 FGR/FGR 9 9 87 65 4 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Sumners, Carolyn. Toys in space : exploring science with the astronauts / by Carolyn Sumners. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 0-8306-4533-0 ISBN 0-8306-4534-9 (pbk.) 1. AstronauticsResearch.2. ToysStudy and teaching (Elementary) 3. WeightlessnessExperirnents. 4. Space shuttles- -Experiments.I. Title. TL860.T69S86 1993 500.5dc20 93-21036 C1P Acquisitions Editor: Kimberly Tabor Editorial team: Laura J. Bader, Editor Susan Wahlman Kagey, Managing Editor Joanne Slike, Executive Editor Production team: Katherine C. Brown, Director 011ie Harmon, Typesetting Bonnie Marie Paulson, Typesetting Lori L. White, Proofreading Wendy L. Small, Layout Nadine McFarland, Quality Control Joann Woy, Indexer Design team: Jaclyn J. Boone, Designer Brian Allison, Associate Designer Art. On-orbit photographs lw the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. All other pho- tographs by Gary Young, The Vela Group. 3300 Kingswood Lane. Houston. Tx 77M2 Enhancements of video images from the STS t4 mission ss ere made from NASA's on-orbit ideotapes Lw Gary)! oung, rile Vela Group. Illust,ations bv Rhonda Fleming AV I (..over design Gary i oung, 1 he Vela Group,1300 Ringswood Lane, Houston, texas7;uq2 4481 5 To the men in my life: My older sons, Rob and Jon, who have always had to share toys with their mother; My young son Scott, who arrived nine days before the liftoff of the Toys in Space I project and helped in the pilot testing for Toys in Space II; and my husband, Gary, who brings his own special brand of sanity to a household overflowing with projects and toys. In memory of astronaut David Griggs, an inte- gral part of the Toys in Space program, who died in 1989. STS 51D was his only mission. "I've seen you playing... excuse me,I mean demonstrating, with balls and jacks and yo-yos and even a slinky toy in the zero gravity of space. And now I know you're doing this to make some educational videotapes for students learning about the laws of physics. That's really the best thing about our space program: the inspiration and challenge it gives our young people." President Ronald Reagan, addressing the astronauts on board Shuttle Flight STS 51D April 1985 Contents Foreword by Jo 1m Casper xi Introduction xiii 1Liftoff!! 1 2 Speaking toy science 6 Toy motion 1: The microgravity float6 Toy motion 2: The gravity drop7 Toy motion 3: The inertia roll8 Toy motion 4: The friction roll9 Toy motion 5: The mass effect9 Toy motion 6: The gravity race10 Toy motion 7: The momentum roll10 Toy motion 8: Controlled collisions 11 Toy motion 9: Action/reaction collisions12 Toy motion 10: Ball toss13 Toy motion 11: Energy exchange13 Toy motion 12: Circling force14 Toy motion 13: Spinning motions15 Toy motion 14: Balance16 Toy motion 15: Flight16 3 The space environment 17 Ascent17 Living quarters19 Exercise20 Lunch in space21 Floating liquids22 Restroom facilities26 Hair and clothing 26 Night in space27 Conclusion 28 4 Space acrobats 29 The grasshopper29 Rat Stuff, the flipping mouse31 The spring jumper33 The climbing astronaut34 Space results: Grasshopper34 Space results: Rat Stuff35 Space results: Spring jumper36 Space results: Climbing astronaut37 Conclusion37 5 Space movers 38 The swimming fish38 The swimming frog38 The submarine39 The double propeller39 The flapping bird40 The balloon helicopter40 Space results: Swimming fish 41 Space results: Swimming frog42 Space results: Submarine42 Space results: Double propeller43 Space results: Flapping bird43 Space results: Balloon helicopter 44 6 Space flyers 45 The Bernoulli blower45 The ring-wing glider46 The spiral plane47 The maple seed48 The whirlybird49 The boomerang50 Space results: Bernoulli blower51 Space results: Ring-wing glider51 Space results: Spiral plane51 Space results: Whirlybird and maple seed52 Space results: Boomerang 53 7 Space wheels 54 The friction- engine car54 The come-back can 55 Space Results 57 Space results: Friction-engine car57 Space results: Come-back can59 8 Space magnets 60 The magnetic wheel60 Magnetic rings on a rod61 The magnetic marbles64 Space.results: Magnetic wheel67 Space results: Magnetic rings on a rod68 Space results: Magnetic marbles70 9 Space vibrations 74 The Jacob's ladder74 The paddleball 76 The coiled spring78 Space results: Jacob's ladder81 Space results: Paddleball82 Space results: Coiled spring83 10 Spinning space toys 86 The tops86 The spinning book87 The rattleback or spoon88 The gyroscope and gravitron88 The yo-yo91 Space results: Two tops92 Space results: Rattleback and spinning book93 Space results: Gyroscope94 Space results: Gravitron 96 Space results: Yo-yo98 11 Space collisions 100 The ball and cup100 Pool balls and racquetballs101 Klacker balls102 Space tesults:Ball and cup103 Space results: Pool balls and racquetballs104 Space results: Klacker balls 105 12 Space games 107 Target practice107 Horseshoes 109 Ball and jacks110 Basketball111 Space results: Target practice113 Space results: Horseshoes113 Space results: Ball and jacks 114 Space results: Basketball 116 13 Coming home 119 A The toy operations crews 122 STS 51D crew122 STS 54 crew125 B Teacher Resource Center Network 129 Glossary of science terms 133 Index 137 Foreword FLYING IN SPACE is fun. We go into space for many serious reasonsto explore, to discover, to deploy satellites, to study the earth or stars, and to conduct scientific and medical experiments, just to name a few reasons. But the overriding truth that becomes obvious to all space flyers once in orbit is that it's enjoyable, an experience quite unlike any on earth. Whether looking at the earth speeding by from 160 miles altitude or float- ing effortlessly across the crew compartment of the space shuttle, the sense of this unique environment brings out the child in each of us. Like children, we learn how to move around in our new surroundings by floating, tentatively at first, then with more confidence. We watch objects with childlike fascination to discover how they behave in this apparent zero-gravity world. Watching them, we rediscover our sense of wonder. As astronauts, we are keenly aware of the importance of education and learning. After all, education (along with practical experience) was an im- p( tant reason we were selected to become astronauts. Once a part of the space program, we continue a never-ending process of learning, rehearsing, reviewing, and relearning the myriad details we must master to be space travelers. Education is not just a concept to us; it's our means for survival. We also realize the value of dreams. For me and many of my fellow astronauts, flying in space was a childhood dream come true.