Month:

What Materials Make Up the Apollo VII?

  • September 9

We notice that the bottom surface of the Command Module of the Apollo VII space mission looks different from the material making up the rest of the module. We learn that this difference is a critical part of the design of the module that brought home the crew of 3 astronauts in 1968. Further, the heat shield material that was developed for the command module’s bottom surface is now something we use in everyday life – great example of innovation that ends up being used far more widely than an... CONTINUE READING

Why is the Apollo VII shaped that way?

  • September 9

The Command Module of the Apollo VII mission has a truncated cone shape which was essential to its goals of leaving the earth's atmosphere and then safely re-entering the atmosphere to bring its crew back to Earth in 1968. Here, we wonder how the shape of the module was an important aspect of its design and learn about cone shapes, air resistance, and surface area. Supplementary Activity Guides to extend student learning at the Frontiers of Flight Museum for K-12 grade levels are freely availabl... CONTINUE READING

Why is it Called the Flying Pancake?

  • September 9

The Flying Pancake is a fun name for a unique airplane that is no longer in use. We wonder as to why this aircraft was designed to have a flat wing-like body giving it such a large surface area? We explore this unique design and come to understand how this design met its goals but also came at a cost. Supplementary Activity Guides to extend student learning at the Frontiers of Flight Museum for K-12 grade levels are freely available here:... CONTINUE READING

How Many People Can Fit on the Observation Deck?

  • September 9

At Camp Whispering Cedars, Girl Scouts climb a winding series of steps to reach the top of an observation deck, where they can stargaze or have meetings. We wonder how they might estimate exactly how many people could have fun stargazing sleepover party on the deck! Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to extend student learning for K-12 grade levels are freely available here: https://talkstem.org/tal... CONTINUE READING

How Big is the Pool?

  • September 9

Ever look into a pool and think, “Wow – that’s a lot of water!” This thought prompted us to consider exactly how many showers one could take using water in the pool at Camp Whispering Cedars. We started by measuring the surface area and perimeter of the pool before determining volume, using the formula, Volume=(Area)(Height). You’ll be amazed at what we discovered! Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to extend student learning for K-12 grade levels are freely available here:... CONTINUE READING

How is Spaceship One Uniquely Designed to Achieve its Goals?

  • September 9

SpaceShipOne is a rocket-powered aircraft with sub-orbital spaceflight capability at speeds of up to 3,000 ft/s (900 m/s). Its unique design features a “feathering” atmospheric reentry system where the rear half of the wing and the twin tail booms fold 70 degrees upward. Watch the video to understand the function of this unique design. Also, learn how you can do a simple experiment at home to see the rationale behind this design. Supplementary Activity Guides to extend student learning at th... CONTINUE READING

What is the Highest Point on the Swing?

  • September 9

Scouts love visiting Camp Whispering Cedars for its amazing ropes course – great for bonding and pushing new boundaries! The course features a zip line, ropes bridge, climbing wall, and a towering three-person swing. The swing made us wonder – exactly how high is someone pulled to start the swing? In order to figure this out, we use shadows and similar triangles. Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to extend student learning for K-12 grade levels are freely available here:... CONTINUE READING

How Can we Estimate the Height of the Beal Rocket?

  • September 9

Here, we observe the scale model of the Beal Rocket and wonder how we can estimate the height of this scale model and thereby estimating the height of the actual rocket using some simple and fun math detective work. We ended up coming very close to the actual height! Supplementary Activity Guides to extend student learning at the Frontiers of Flight Museum for K-12 grade levels are freely available here:... CONTINUE READING