LSOP Live: It’s About Time, January 29, 2021
This episode is about time! We use video to slow time down, to speed time up, to make time go backwards—and we see how this changes our view of the world. We also do some cool tabletop experiments with metronomes, with hot cocoa, and with hand sanitizer. What do these things have to do with time? You’ll need watch to find out!
This week, and in future weeks, we connect with schools. This week, we went to McGraw Elementary and joined Ms. Babcock’s 5th grade class to make some cool videos (actually, cold—we were outside, and it was snowing) that we share as part of the program.
Video Shorts
This popular “magic” trick is an easy way to show kids the importance of time and speed! When the table cloth moves slowly, it drags the cups of water with it. But when the table cloth moves faster, the cloth is gone before the water cups have much of a chance to move.
Kids can use everyday activities like playing outside at recess to demonstrate scientific principles related to time! In these slow motion videos of balloons, water, slinkies, and more, you can clearly see how movement is related to time.
Watch as students use their own bodies and a slow motion camera to observe how humans move throughout small increments of time.
If you experiment with spaghetti noodles or wooden sticks, you will find that they tend to break into three pieces, instead of two. Watching in slow motion, you can see that this effect is caused by the timing of the two separate breaks.
Watch in slow motion the patterns that glass creates in the instant of time before it shatters.
Many different actions and motions look exactly the same both forwards, and in reverse! Students may find it impossible to differentiate between what is forwards and what is backwards, and are encouraged to try it themselves!
More forwards or backwards challenge!
With proper timing, it is possible to create a pattern of waves in the water balloon that can lift it off the table, even from rest. Students can try this with a water balloon, or even a basketball.
Here, Milo demonstrates how dogs run and pant at the same frequency. When Milo lands on his front paws, the air is pushed out of his diaphragm, causing his breathing and running to line up in perfect time!
