Real life learning for West Ferris physics students

A grade 10 physics class at West Ferris took their studies outdoors on Monday with the launch of a high-altitude weather balloon from the school’s football field.

The payload was carrying sensor, video and radio tracking equipment — and was expected to parachute back to Earth about three hours after launch.

Student Ryan McColeman told Bay Today says this was a real life exercise for students.

“Especially in a physics class. We can take the data and put it into actual learning and it’ll come in handy. It’ll be interesting to see how we can apply what we’re learning in the classroom into real world activities,” he says.

He says they’re measuring speed, temperature and workload of the balloon.

Instructor Kelly Shulman told Bay Today there were 2 major benefits to this exercise.

“To see science in action and an engineering challenge pulled off. While this is going on we are logging experimental data like temperature and altitude,” Shulman says.

The balloon was scheduled to land about 3 hours after launch somewhere near Kiosk.

(photo Chris Dawson BayToday)