Measure
the distance from the ball to the hole along the path
the ball travels in the challenge. Suppose
the ball hits the boundary anywhere else on the way to
the hole. Measure this other path and compare it to the
first. What do you find?
Trace the diagram
in the challenge on a sheet of paper. Insert
thumb-tacks at the tee and the hole. Stretch a rubber
band around the thumb-tacks. Place a protractor
on the diagram and pull the rubber band to the center
of the protractor as shown.
Slide the protractor
until the angles marked 1 and 2 are the same size.
Now measure the length of the stretched rubber band. If
the angles are not the same size, how do you think the
length of the rubber band will change? |
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The diagram below shows a beam of light
entering a triangular box with mirrored walls. Trace
the path of the light as it bounces off the walls.
No matter where you start, what happens to
the path?
Design a hole for a miniature
golf course; then play a game with a friend
to show how the ball can bounce off the sides and into
the hole. (Try this on a computer.)
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