JUDA - The physics class at Juda High School participated in the weeklong biannual Juda Physics Measurement Olympics from Sept. 9 through 13.
The objective of the event is to familiarize students in making measurements, observations and assumptions to solve problems, as well as recording data, showing calculations and results, and writing up analysis and conclusions.
There were four parts to the event this year, which included: determining the number of blades of grass in the Juda Community Park ball diamond; determining the height of an object in the gymnasium without a tape measure; determining the number of quarters that would fill the math room without going to the math room; and weighing a group of heavy rocks with a small 2-pound capacity balance scale. Each team had one event in a class period during which time they had to address the problem, make measurements and formulate possibilities, and arrive at a final answer. Each event was unknown prior to the class period and the time was limited to 50 minutes.
Each group presented their solutions.
The four teams that competed were The Four Forces, Jedi (May the Force be with You), Velociraptures and the Quantum Mechanics. The Four Forces, made up of Morganne Goecks, Tabatha Davis, Cory Segner and Ryan Schmidt, won the Physics Measurement Olympic Golden Washer award.
The team's results concluded that there are 110 million blades of grass in the ball park; the rocks weighed 43 pounds; the object in the gym was 23 feet, 4 inches from the floor; and the math room holds 150 million quarters, or $3.7 million.
The objective of the event is to familiarize students in making measurements, observations and assumptions to solve problems, as well as recording data, showing calculations and results, and writing up analysis and conclusions.
There were four parts to the event this year, which included: determining the number of blades of grass in the Juda Community Park ball diamond; determining the height of an object in the gymnasium without a tape measure; determining the number of quarters that would fill the math room without going to the math room; and weighing a group of heavy rocks with a small 2-pound capacity balance scale. Each team had one event in a class period during which time they had to address the problem, make measurements and formulate possibilities, and arrive at a final answer. Each event was unknown prior to the class period and the time was limited to 50 minutes.
Each group presented their solutions.
The four teams that competed were The Four Forces, Jedi (May the Force be with You), Velociraptures and the Quantum Mechanics. The Four Forces, made up of Morganne Goecks, Tabatha Davis, Cory Segner and Ryan Schmidt, won the Physics Measurement Olympic Golden Washer award.
The team's results concluded that there are 110 million blades of grass in the ball park; the rocks weighed 43 pounds; the object in the gym was 23 feet, 4 inches from the floor; and the math room holds 150 million quarters, or $3.7 million.
