The Science of Hot Air Balloons

1
The Science of Hot Air Balloons

• A Coordinated and Thematic Science Unit of Study
• By Michael Lemley

2
THE SCIENCE OF HOT AIR BALLOONS

• Lesson 1 History of Ballooning
• Lesson 2 Density
• Lesson 3 Buoyancy
• Lesson 4 The Behavior of Gasses
• Lesson 5 Atmospheric Forces
• Lesson 6 Hot Air Balloons
• Unit Assessment

3
Lesson 1 History of BallooningConcept
Development

• Explore the evolution of the hot air balloon.
• Identify important people in the evolutionary
  period.
• Identify important dates in the evolutionary
  period.

4
Lesson 2 DensityExploration

• Graphing Density Activity
• Correlate all class data
• Graph data to examine the relationship between
  the mass and volume of a substance

5
Lesson 2 Density

• Concept Development
• Use graphing analysis skills to determine the
  density of the given substance
• Visit an interactive Density web page

• Concept Application
• Investigate density in a laboratory exercise
  using various skills and techniques
• Determine the density of several unknown
  substances

6
Lesson 3 Buoyancy

• Exploration
• Complete an investigation at a Buoyancy web page.

• Concept Development
• View Bill Nyes Buoyancy Video
• Discuss information found at another Buoyancy web
  site
• Discuss how Density and Buoyancy relate to each
  other

7
Lesson 3 BuoyancyConcept Application

• Biology Connection
• What in the world is a Swim Bladder?
• Why do fish need them?
• How do they work?
• Visit a web page that can answer all three!

• Earth Science Connection
• Plate Tectonics and movement of land masses
• Can these plates actually move?
• What exactly is under the continents anyway?
• Visit a web site that relates some very
  interesting ideas

8
Lesson 4 The Behavior of Gasses

• Exploration
• Visit a web page which discusses Charles Law
• Complete an investigation described at the site
• Graph the results and discuss conclusions

• Concept Development
• Visit a second site which describes applications
  of Charles Law
• Complete calculations for Charles Law situations

9
Lesson 5 The Behavior of Gasses Concept
Application

• Why use propane as the fuel for hot air balloons?
  Are there advantages?
• Examine the chemical reaction for the combustion
  of Propane

10
Lesson 5 Atmospheric Forces

• Exploration
• What are convection currents?
• Investigate convection currents in a laboratory
  experiment

• Concept Development
• Visit a web sites which describe atmospheric
  phenomena
• Draw diagrams which describe these phenomena
• Pressure and Pressure Gradient Force
• Coriolis Force
• Sea and Land Breezes
• Jet Stream and Global Wind Patterns

11
Lesson 5 Atmospheric ForcesConcept Application

• View maps of surface wind and winds aloft
• Discuss information found on the maps
• Describe why an aviator would need to know the
  information on these maps

12
Lesson 6 Hot Air BalloonsExploration

• Visit web sites which show just how creative hot
  air balloon designers can be
• Sketch some these unique designs
• Create an original hot air balloon shape and
  design

13
Lesson 6 Hot Air BalloonsConcept Development

• What are some facts about ballooning?
• Record several
• What are the parts of a hot air balloon?
• Draw a diagram
• How do they fly?
• Use the knowledge from the previous lessons to
  tell how

14
Lesson 6 Hot Air BalloonsConcept Application

• Participate in the Nova Online Balloon Race
  Around the World
• Discuss the flight and experience of this virtual
  balloon race

• Design and construct a model hot air balloon
• Fly your balloon and evaluate its performance
• Report on the balloons construction and flight

15
Unit Assessment

• On-going portfolio for all questions, diagrams
  and essays
• Individual lesson quizzes
• Hot Air Balloon Final Report