|| home ||| units ||||| help

Trial 3 - Hunting With the Light Sensor

1. Spread a white sheet of paper out on your desk. Draw an animal somewhere on the paper and fill it in with a solid dark color. The body of the animal should be at least as big as your hand. If there are several members of your team, each can make his/her own animal.

2. Connect the light sensor to the computer. Refer to Technical Hints to connect the light sensor. Tape a pencil to the sensor, as you did in Trial 2.

3. One student holds the light sensor and watches just the screen. Another student holds a piece of paper up so that the first student can't see where the animal is. The student with the sensor tries to find the animal without looking at the desk. Find the animal by searching with the light sensor and reading the light sensor measurement.

   

   When the student with the sensor thinks, by looking at the graph, that the animal has been located, say, "I found you!" The other student should answer yes or no.

   Take turns hunting for the animal. Refer to Technical Hints to record a series of measurements. Then answer the following questions.

   

   Was it hard to find the animal?

   a. yes

   b. no

   c. sometimes

   What made it easy or hard?

   

   How could you tell where the animal was from the light sensor measurement?

   

   Did the color of the animal make a difference? Explain.

   

   Did the shape or size of the animal make a difference? Explain.