Today, 10:20
Authors:
LSM.lv Children’s content editor
Mission “Mars 2050”
The children’s room invites you to learn the various skills that a future astronaut needs in order to be able to go on a mission to Mars in 2050. With the help of the Space Knowledge Center, we will publish a task every day that will help children become active, independent, critical thinkers – real astronauts.
We will post one challenge every day that will help you develop one of the skills an astronaut needs, you just have to practice hard!
Research and exploratory thinking is a very important skill for the future. We usually associate research with scientists, but investigative thinking can be developed already in preschool. Studying and observing different processes trains skills that will be especially important for astronauts!
The resultant force
Photo: Artis Gulbis/Lsm.lv
In the space industry, economy is a very important issue! It might seem that there is a connection between rockets and frugality, as an example we can cite the decrease in the cost of rockets in the last 50 years. The cost has decreased almost 10 times! The Saturn V rocket program that landed the first man on the moon cost nearly $50 billion in today’s prices, while Starship programs – the program that creates rockets to take people to the moon for the creation of an independent settlement, the cost is 5 billion. In addition, if the Saturn V rocket was only usable once, then Starship in the program, the rockets will be reusable.
The main task of the rocket is to overcome the earth’s gravity and deliver the cargo into orbit. For today’s research task, we will use a helium balloon instead of a rocket. every rocket has a certain lifting capacity – we will find out what the lifting capacity of a helium balloon is!
If the balloon were a rocket, how much weight could it lift? Can we make the balloon “fly” in the middle of the room, between the ceiling and the floor?
The aim: encourage experimentation and judgment
Participants: 2 or more (at least one parent)
Required materials: A helium balloon, weights with an easily changeable mass (for example, Lego bricks and a man), you can also use plasticine or any other material that is easily graded.
Gameplay:
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Introduction story – the rocket’s lifting capacity, can the balloon be made to “fly” in the middle of the room?
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We apply the first weight and draw a conclusion – is the lifting force of the balloon greater or less than the weight of the attached part?
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We add or reduce weight according to what is observed. Let’s see what the result is? Can we find out how much weight will equal the lift? Can we make the balloon “hang in the air”?
* Usually, a helium balloon can lift a weight of about 9g. One Lego man weighs about 4g. To make the balloon with people “hang in the air” you can use 1×1 thin blocks. You can also use the opportunity to put various additional accessories in your hands. For weight micro-adjustment, you can leave a longer balloon string, then gradually shorten it by cutting it.
Further game options:
If the weight that is lifted into the air is known, kitchen scales are available and the child knows numbers, it is possible to train the skill of determining greater/lesser than numerical values.
For example – it has been established that the balloon can lift 9.5g. We invite you to create a new structure to attach to the balloon, weigh it and draw a conclusion. The balloon will lift the structure because it is lighter than 9.5g or the structure will stay on the ground because the weight is greater than 9.5g.
Such an activity trains the skill of drawing conclusions, and it also trains the skill of prognostication.
