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Elementary Science 21 - 1
Activity
21
Oh! My Aching Back!
Ho !am"s Make Li#ting Easier
Is your backpack heavy? Have you ever tried to find ways to help you move it around more
easily? Force is a measure of how hard you have to work to move something. In this
activity, you will compare the force needed to lift your backpack straight off the ground
to the force needed to pull the backpack up a ramp.
OB$E%&'(ES
In this activity you will
Lift your backpack to a chair in two different ways.
Measure the force needed for each way of lifting.
Make observations.
hink of ways ramps are used to help people move things more easily.
MA&E!'ALS
computer with Logger Lite software installed
!o" Link interface
#ernier $ual%&ange Force 'ensor
student backpack with ( te)t books inside
student*s chair
ramp
piece of rope about + meter long
)E* +,ES&'O-
,hat difference do ramps make in moving heavy things to a higher level?
.!E/'%&'O-
- ramp will make it .easier or harder/ to lift heavy things.
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Activity 21
.!O%E/,!E
+. $o the following to get the Force 'ensor ready to collect data0
a. Make sure the Force 'ensor is connected to the !o" Link and that the !o" Link is
connected to the computer.
b. 'et the switch on the Force 'ensor to the 12% 34 5 setting.
(. 'tart Logger Lite on your computer.
6. 7pen the file for this activity by doing the following0
a. 8lick the 7pen button, .
b. 7pen the file called 9:lementary 'cience.;
c. 7pen the file called 9(+ -ching <ack.;
=. >ut the rope through the top loop of the backpack, and tie the two ends of the rope in
a knot to make a large circle.
3. >ut the Force 'ensor hook into the knot and make sure it is secure.
?. ,atch the computer monitor as you lift the backpack a few times by pulling up on the
Force 'ensor. ,hat do you notice as you pull? he numbers in the live reading tell how
much force .push or pull/ you are e)erting. 5otice how the numbers change as you lift
the backpack and then slowly set it on the floor.
@. 'tand ne)t to a chair with the backpack. 8lick , wait about two seconds, then
slowly and smoothly lift the backpack straight up and set it on the chair.
Lets Go! Elementary Science 21 - 0
Oh! My Aching Back! Ho !am"s Make Li#ting Easier
A. 'tore your data by clicking the 'tore button, .
21 - 1 Lets Go! Elementary Science
Activity 21
B. &ecord your observations about the direct lift on the 7bservations 'heet, below0
O2servations Sheet
$irect Lift
&amp Lift
.re3iction
8lick the >redict button, , and then draw on the graph on the screen to show what you
think will happen when you use the ramp to lift the backpack.
+4. 5ow set the board up as a ramp to the
same chair. .Cou can brace the end
against the wall or a table leg so that it
will not slide./ >lace the backpack on
the lower end of the ramp. 8lick ,
wait about two seconds, then slowly and
smoothly pull the backpack up the ramp
until it is on the chair.
++. &ecord your observations about the ramp lift on the 7bservations 'heet. $escribe
the difference between the two lifts.
+(. o e)amine and record data do the following0
Lets Go! Elementary Science 21 - 4
Oh! My Aching Back! Ho !am"s Make Li#ting Easier
a. 8lick the :)amine button, , and the :)amine bo) will appear.
b. Move the cursor over the graph to read the values in the :)amine bo) to find the
highest typical force value for each lift. ,rite the values in the $ata able.
/ata &a2le
Highest #orce
itho5t ram"
Highest #orce
ith ram"
/i##erence
- - -
A-AL*6E *O,! /A&A
+. How did it feel to lift the backpack directly? Dse your e)perience and the data to
describe how it felt to lift it without the ramp.


(. How did it feel to pull the backpack up the ramp? Dse your e)perience and the data
from the graph to describe that part of the activity.


6. -re the highest force values for the two runs different? If so, which one is greater?
Find the difference between the two values and record the difference in the $ata
able.



=. ,rite about where you see ramps in your everyday life. 8an you think of places where
ramps are needed? 8an you think of other situations in which you would need a ramp?



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Activity 21
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