The Missing Manual
A New Tool for Measuring
You have to make some measurements, and you are given a new tool for making them.

The problem is that the manual for the tool is missing. You'll need to discover how to use it by experimenting on your own!

The tool is sort of an automatic ruler, because it measures distance instantly. But it also measures time. It's called a motion probe, and it reports its measurements on a graph.

Your motion probe plugs into a USB port on your computer. Place it so that you can see the computer screen while standing in front of it.

Please go on to the next page.


Try It Out
Experiment with the motion probe. Work in teams. Take turns. One person is the “computer operator” who starts, stops, and clears the graph. Another person is the “mover” who stands in front of the probe and moves.

Try different motions. Does the probe “see” all your motions? Try to control the line on the graph by the way you move.





After you have had some time to experiment, click the Submit button to share what you discovered. You may always Submit more than once. Then, answer the questions and Submit them too.














Can you control the line on the graph by the way you move? Yes No Describe what you discovered. For instance, What motions does the probe “see” or not “see?” How do you move so that you control the line on the graph? What do quick jumps in the graph’s line mean? If you had problems, describe the problems and what you did to overcome them, if possible.
Discussion and Response
Skip to the next page until you have discussed the questions on the previous page with your teacher and / or class. You can return to this page to make the entry below.



Describe one “tip” about how to use the motion probe for the missing manual that you learned from the discussion of questions on the previous page.
Draw a Picture
Use the motion probe to draw a “picture” on the graph below.

Draw a landscape of a flat plain with two mountains of different heights and steepness. Share the roles of mover and computer operator with your team. Click Submit when you are satisfied with your graph.

























Describe where you started and how you moved to make the plain. Describe how you moved to make the two mountains.
Summary of Patterns
Below, write an entry for the Missing Manual that provides instructions for making motions for the graphs listed below. You may use the graph to help you.









Enter instructions for creating sections of motion graphs with the following features: (1) A long horizontal straight line . (2) Steep straight lines going up and down. (3) Lines with gentle slopes going up and down.
The End
You may close this window when you are done. Your work will be saved.