Running Tracks
Look at the running track below consisting of 4 lanes (the black circle is the inside of the track).
The pink line is the finish line.
Is the race fair? Explain your answer.
Design a circular race track so that all the runners run the same distance (100m).
Move the blue point a little to the left to reveal the red point. Use this to increase the diameter of the circle.
By moving the blue point to the left, you can create a more traditional track with two straights and two curves.
Now design a track for running the 200m and 400m events that is fair for all competitors.
To position the start lines, move the red cross and rotate with the brown cross.
The pink line is the finish line.
Is the race fair? Explain your answer.
Design a circular race track so that all the runners run the same distance (100m).
Move the blue point a little to the left to reveal the red point. Use this to increase the diameter of the circle.
By moving the blue point to the left, you can create a more traditional track with two straights and two curves.
Now design a track for running the 200m and 400m events that is fair for all competitors.
To position the start lines, move the red cross and rotate with the brown cross.
Ideas for Teachers
This is a nice investigation into the lengths of cicles and straights and using the formula to find the diameter needed if you know the circumference.
The activity gives students a chance to play around with the measurements, but for the actual designing of the track, get them to draw a scale version of their track accurately (using compasses etc).
Push them to make calculations rather than using trial and error in the later stages.
Deciding where each of the runners should start is also a nice discussion.
An extension is to think about the area of flooring needed to lay each lane.
This is a nice investigation into the lengths of cicles and straights and using the formula to find the diameter needed if you know the circumference.
The activity gives students a chance to play around with the measurements, but for the actual designing of the track, get them to draw a scale version of their track accurately (using compasses etc).
Push them to make calculations rather than using trial and error in the later stages.
Deciding where each of the runners should start is also a nice discussion.
An extension is to think about the area of flooring needed to lay each lane.
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