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Modeling Scenario

1-053-SlimeSpread-ModelingScenario

Author(s): Brian Winkel

SIMIODE - Systemic Initiative for Modeling Investigations and Opportunities with Differential Equations

Keywords: spreadsheets slime

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Abstract

Resource Image We offer a video showing real time spread of a cylinder of slime and challenge students to build a mathematical model for this phenomenon.

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Article Context

Description

We found a recipe (among oh so many!) for making slime on the Internet (see the Appendix below for details) and set out a ``cylinder'' of slime on a polar graph paper grid. In a video we made and posted on YouTube we enable the viewer to see the radii of the slowly expanding circular ``puddle'' or ``glob'' of slime using a cookie cutter mold to hold the cylinder of slime in place until initial release of the slime disk.

Here, we offer the opportunity to create several models, truly empirical models based on shape and empirical models based on ``behavior," but none of these models are really based on first principles of physics. We further encourage differential equations models in which the rate of growth of the area of the ``glob'' is modeled.

We collected the data in a 65 degree Fahrenheit room using an iPad 4 and Time Lapse Video feature and made a video of the phenomena which we posted on YouTube. We turned out a 1/4 cup (or 59.14 cm3) measuring cup's worth of slime in the form of a cylinder and videoed its spread on a polar plot graph paper.

 

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Authors

Author(s): Brian Winkel

SIMIODE - Systemic Initiative for Modeling Investigations and Opportunities with Differential Equations

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