More Functions of a Toy Balloon

摘要

Like all teachers, I am constantly looking for economical but memorable activities that illustrate important ideas in mathematics. Toy balloons, inexpensive and entertaining, offer some interesting opportunities to connect algebra and geometry. In the following activities, students can measure the speed of a released balloon and investigate the subtle relationship between the volume of a sphere and its surface area. In addition, the activities can prompt a rich and revealing discussion about why the experimental results are not the same as those we would expect theoretically.