MMR Students Bungee Drop

MMR students completed a project today involving linear regression and a Bungee Drop with Barbie dolls.

Students were placed into groups, given a barbie and rubber bands and asked to develop an equation to represent the relationship between the number of rubber bands attached to the barbie and the drop distance. Students performed trials to gather data. After gathering the data, they used DESMOS to enter their data, analyze the pattern and create a regression equation to represent the relationship. Students were then given a test height to enter into the equation to determine the number of rubber bands needed for that drop. Students performed the test drop in class. If the test drop was not successful, they analyzed their data for outliers and or gathered data again in cases of errors. Finally, students were given the height of the final drop. Students used their regression equation to calculate the number of rubber bands needed and attached them to complete their drop.

We had some really outstanding drops along with some drops that will require further analysis to determine where errors might have been made. This project is the first of many projects in this class to give students the opportunity to see a real life situation of using math- identifying a relationship, looking for a pattern, gathering data, making a graph of the data and writing an equation to represent the relationship and finally using it to predict something in the future or unknown. The point and value of math begins to be revealed.