How can you test the Pythagorean theorem and the laws of reflection? This is the question that drives this whole project. This project is called laser laws, and in this project we have been learning about the Pythagorean theorem A2 + B2 = C2 and about the laws of reflection. All of this information was then used when we went into groups to design and build a laser display to prove the Pythagorean theorem and the laws of reflection.
Display photos⬇️
Mind map
Curricular competency’s
Questioning and predicting: Demonstrate a sustained intellectual curiosity about a scientific topic or problem of personal interest.
I demonstrated this curricular competency by I using all class time efficiently. When I worked with a group and even when I worked alone. I used all class time efficiently in both scimatics and in LAC. I especially used our class time well when my group and I were creating the star shaped laser model. This demonstrated my curiosity about the scientific topic, the laws of reflection and the mathematical topic, the Pythagorean theorem.
Communicating and Representing: Represent mathematical ideas in concrete, pictorial, and symbolic forms
This was the curricular competency that I did the best at. To complete this competency my group and I had to measure all the angles of our laser display to make sure that we had at least one right triangle. To know that the triangles in the star were a right triangle we used the Pythagorean theorem(A2 + B2 =C2). We also labeled all of the other triangles in the star as well. Next we put all of these measurements on paper so we could accurately know were to put the mirrors in order to create the best star with the most right angles. Over all we found 6 right angles in our laser star.
photos of the star⬇️
Applying and innovating: Co-operatively design projects
I showed this competency when my group and I accurately planned, labeled, measured, and built a star shaped laser. I also showed this competency when all group members contributed equally towards planing and building our project. We especially work hard when we built the final laser model. All of these things together demonstrates this curricular competency on applying and innovating.
So to answer the driving question, how can you test the Pythagorean theorem and the laws of reflection? You can test it by making a laser display. Not only do you need to know the laws of reflection to properly calculate where the laser is going to go but you also use the Pythagorean theorem to help calculate the triangles in the shape. Over all this was a very interesting project.