Principal Sponsors
Makes grants to address the most serious social and environmental problems facing society, where risk capital, responsibly invested, may make a difference over time.
National Science Foundation
An independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 to promote the progress of science.
King Saud University seeks to become a leader in educational and technological innovation, scientific discovery and creativity through fostering an atmosphere of intellectual inspiration and partnership for the prosperity of society.
The O'Donnell Foundation is devoted to building model programs to enhance the quality of education.
Lunar Lander
Can you avoid the boulder field and land safely, just before your fuel runs out, as Neil Armstrong did in 1969? Our version of this classic video game accurately simulates the real motion of the lunar lander with the correct mass, thrust, fuel consumption rate, and lunar gravity. The real lunar lander is very hard to control.
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Teaching Resources
Main Topics
- Lunar Landing
- Moon
- Mass
- Thrust
- Fuel Consumption
- Gravity
Sample Learning Goals
- Explore how the lunar lander behaves on the moon.
- Can you measure the value of the moon's gravitational pull?
- Explore the relation between the force vectors on the lunar lander and the amount of thrust you apply to it.
- Challenge: how many times can you successfully land the lunar lander in different locations before running out of fuel?
Teaching Ideas
| Title | Authors | Level | Type | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservation of Energy for Middle School
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Jefferson County Middle School Workshop | MS | Lab | 4/24/09 |
| Crash! | Doug Spicher | MS | Lab | 9/23/13 |
| Lunar Lander; Let the Force Be With You | Richard Polidoro | MS | Lab | 5/11/12 |
| Universal Gravitation | Sarah Stanhope | HS UG-Intro |
Lab | 1/27/11 |
| Newton's Laws and the Lunar Lander | sam wheeler | UG-Intro HS |
Lab | 11/14/09 |
| Lunar Lander/ Fun Game | Chris Lierheimer | HS UG-Intro |
Lab | 7/5/13 |
| Lunar Lander Activity | Drew Isola | HS | CQs | 1/11/09 |
| Space Cadets Lunar Landing Showdown | Michael Poynter | HS | Lab | 5/7/08 |
You can submit your own ideas and activities.
Translated Versions:
Software Requirements
| Windows | Macintosh | Linux |
|---|---|---|
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Microsoft Windows
XP/Vista/7 Macromedia Flash 9 or later |
OS 10.5 or later
Macromedia Flash 9 or later |
Macromedia Flash 9 or later |
Credits
| Design Team | Third-party Libraries | Thanks To |
|---|---|---|
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