A Laboratory Exercise on Determining Dinosaur Speeds Using Dimensional Analysis.

Renshaw, Carl Edward, Johnson, Gary Dean and Kvale, Karin F. (2000) A Laboratory Exercise on Determining Dinosaur Speeds Using Dimensional Analysis. Journal of Geoscience Education, 48 (3). pp. 342-361. DOI 10.5408/1089-9995-48.3.342.

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Abstract

Measurements from a dinosaur trackway are used to estimate how fast the dinosaur track makers were moving. The exercise, which is appropriate for any introductory earth-science course at the secondary-school or college level, introduces students to dimensional analysis by having them construct an empirical graph of dimensionless stride length versus dimensionless velocity. The students then estimate the dimensionless stride length from the trackway data and use the dimensionless graph to determine the speeds of the dinosaurs. Experience with the exercise indicates that even students with little quantitative background are motivated by the challenge of determining whether they could outrun the dinosaurs and often begin to appreciate the power of dimensional analysis, a concept not usually presented in introductory courses.

Document Type: Article
Keywords: Education - laboratory; miscellaneous and mathematical geology; paleontology - vertebrate
Research affiliation: OceanRep > GEOMAR > FB2 Marine Biogeochemistry > FB2-BM Biogeochemical Modeling
Refereed: Yes
Open Access Journal?: No
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Date Deposited: 30 Mar 2021 08:57
Last Modified: 30 Mar 2021 08:57
URI: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/52188

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