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Lights on the International Space Station

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View of the interior of the U.S. lab taken with green night lighting.

Audience

Educators

Grade Levels

Grades 9-12

Subject

Mathematics, Algebra, Measurement and Data Analysis, Waves, Light

Type

Lesson Plans / Activities

Key Topics: Power functions with negative exponents

The Lighting Environment Test Facility at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, investigates and evaluates proposed lighting systems for use on space vehicles. Students will perform a hands-on activity to explore the inverse relationship of illumination to distance. Students will then calculate the number of lights needed in a module on the space station.
Students will:

  • Analyze data from a simulation.
  • Model data from a simulation using a graphical and algebraic approach.
  • Apply the measure of illumination, lux = Candela/m2, to various situations.

Downloads
This activity requires the use of a Texas Instrument Nspire (TI-Nspire) graphing calculator technology.
Files for use with the TI-Nspire
Lights on the International Space Station TI-Nspire Educator Edition
Lights on the International Space Station TI-Nspire Student Edition

These files are software specific files for TI-Nspire calculators.
Lights on the International Space Station TI-Nspire Document (TNS 134 KB)
Lights on the International Space Station TI-Nspire Solution Document (TNS 134 KB)