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  1. Walker Race
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  9. Self-Driving Rover

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  4. Minecraft Controller
  5. Retro Racer

  1. Security Zone
  2. Ultrasonic Drum
  3. Resistor Piano
  4. Ther-Mood-Stat
  5. Color Coded
  6. Pulse

  1. Beam Break
  2. Car Race
  3. Motion Ball

  1. Solar House
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  1. Light Show
  2. Light Show Animation

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Motion expedition

Mission 1 of 3

Motion expedition: Mission 1 of 3

Beam Break


Advanced

1 hour

Grades 3 - 8
MISSION OBJECTIVE

Learn to use the Beam Break sensors and measure how fast Piperbot's car can go.

Vroom, vroom... Piperbot is making his daring escape as the Cheeseteroid hurtles toward Earth! Will Piperbot make it in time? How fast does he have to peel away in his Hot Wheels™ car? How on *Earth* will we measure how fast he's going?

View student interface at make.playpiper.com
MISSION CHARACTERS

Piperbot

Pip
Meet
the Cast
  Print Educator Guide   Student Worksheet    Student Quiz    Support
MISSION MATERIALS
MISSION RESOURCES Learning Goals Career Connections Hardware Diagram Code Diagram Tutorial Steps Blueprint Troubleshooting Tips
EXPANDED RESOURCES Helpful Links Term Glossary Standards Alignment
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MISSION MATERIALS

Computer with USB port and Chrome or Edge browser
Piper Make Base Station or Starter Kit
Beam Break
MISSION RESOURCES

Learning Goals

  1. In this project, students will apply what they've learned about loops and wiring in order to create a program that tracks the speed of a moving object.
  2. Students will understand the differences between Potential and Kinetic Energy.
  3. Students will demonstrate computational thinking core concepts, including:
    • Algorithm Design by creating an ordered series of instructions for solving similar problems or performing a task, such as turning a light off and on in the right order.
    • Simulation by developing a program to imitate the real-world process of a stoplight.

Career Connections

Urban and Regional Planner: Salary $79,540/yr
Sports Official: Salary $36,010/yr
Physicist: Salary $142,850/yr
Avionics Technicians: Salary $75,450/yr

Hardware Diagram




Code Diagram




Tutorial Steps

Beam Break

Blueprint

DOWNLOAD BLUEPRINT

Have an different version? Look for more information on the Support Page.

Troubleshooting Tips

  • Are you receiving a ZeroDivisionError?
    • Check the wiring between your sensor and the Pico.
    • Check to make sure your track is not covering the sensor.
  • Are you concerned that your sensor is not working? Let’s test it!
    • Open a new project in Creative Mode and use the Beam Break Sensor Test Code. Once uploaded, send your car down the track and your Yellow LED should light up. You can also test this by placing your finger in front of the emitter sensor.

Our customer support specialists are on hand to ensure your implementation of Piper runs seamlessly.
View Support Docs or Contact Support
EXPANDED RESOURCES

 What are Pull-Up and Pull-Down Resistors?

Term Glossary


Velocity Another word for speed or the rate of change in an object’s position. (MB / BB)

Acceleration Measurement of the change in velocity or how much an object speeds up over time (MB / BB)

Kinetic Energy Energy an object has due to its motion. It can be converted from potential energy. (MB / BB)

Potential Energy Energy stored by an object due to its state or position; can be converted to kinetic energy. (MB / BB)

Force A push or pull on an object, measured in pounds (imperial) or Newtons (metric). (MB / BB)

Momentum Measurement of mass in motion equal to the mass times the velocity of an object. (MB / BB)

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Standards Alignment


Individual Standards
  • CA 3-PS2.A Make observations and/or measurements of an object’s motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion. (1.ESS1.A; 4.PS4.A; MS.PS2.A; MS.ESS1.B)
  • CA 4-PS3.B Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when objects collide. (K.PS2.B; 3.PS2.A; MS.PS2.A; MS.PS3.A; MS.PS3.B; MS.PS3.C)
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