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Balloon Fest Lots of fun! Lots of fun! Learn real science! Learn real science! Work with professional scientists! Work with professional scientists! Compete with students at other high schools! Compete with students at other high schools!

When & Where Regional Balloon Fest: Regional Balloon Fest: –Saturday, Dec 8, 2013 –Allan Hancock College Championship Balloon Fest: Championship Balloon Fest: –Saturday, Apr 20, 2013 –Tobin James Cellars Hwy 46 and Union road

The Process Prior to Balloon FestRegionalChampionship Prior to Balloon FestRegionalChampionship –Register your team by Sep 29 Jan 11 –Design an experiment. –Submit draft Experimental Design by Oct 13 Feb 8 –Discuss with your mentor starting Oct 27 Feb 22 –Perform lab tests to check equipment and procedures. –Practice a balloon launch –Refine and improve your experiment –Document the final design, validation, & procedure by Nov 24 Apr 5 Balloon Fest Dec 8 Apr 20 Balloon Fest Dec 8 Apr 20 –Gather & Analyze data –Present results –Celebrate with dinner and awards –Publish your results

Experiment Design Process Two Options – –Science – –Engineering

Science Option Choose an interesting and testable question. Write a Problem Statement that clearly defines what the question is. Research the background to this question. Design an Experiment that will resolve the question – –Write several hypotheses around this question. An hypothesis is a clearly stated explanation for an observable event. If I do this I expect that to result because … – –Create at least one test for each hypothesis. A test must be capable of proving an hypothesis false. (i.e. failing the test should give you the confidence to completely reject your hypothesis, while passing it should reinforce your confidence that it may be correct.) Write all of this into a clear, professional Design document that can be published and shared with your mentor. Write all of this into a clear, professional Design document that can be published and shared with your mentor.

Example Experiment Types Altitude Profiles: – –a. Barometric Pressure – –b. Air Temperature (Temp. Inversions) – –c. Humidity – –d. CO2 or O2 % – –e. Magnetic Intensity – –f. Electric Field strength – –g. Cosmic Ray Flux – –h. Sound frequency attenuation vs altitude Constant sound generator, microphone, oscilloscope with fourier analysis, printer and computer More Ideas available on the website

Engineering Option Choose an interesting and useful problem. Write a Problem Statement (or Design Brief) that clearly defines what the need is. Research the background to this problem. Design a Prototype device or procedure that will address the need. It should include the following: – –Product Design Specification (PDS) that details all relevant issues surrounding the need and limitation on an appropriate solution. – –Alternative designs for potential solutions – –Expectations (pros and cons) of each alternative – –Full Drawings and other documentation of the chosen design (how to build it, test it, and how it is expected to perform) Write all of this into a clear, professional Design document that can be published and shared with your mentor. Write all of this into a clear, professional Design document that can be published and shared with your mentor.

Example Experiment Types Laser Corner Reflector for laser rangefinder or other studies Find the point directly below the balloon Differential GPS to very accurately measure altitude Trigonometric Altitude measurement Two or three base stations, solid geometry, simultaneous measurements Aerial Pictures or wireless Video for altitude measurement Interesting perspective but also ability to measure altitude by apparent size of image Remote Sensing AIRSS: Crop Vigor Comparison of altitude measurements by barometric pressure, line length & angle, Laser rangefinder, GPS, Trig, and plate scale. Precision & accuracy. Minimum Aneroid Barometer device to determine maximum altitude One-way valve to allow air out will sample lowest pressure if T is const. Release and track a balloon to measure air movement vs altitude.