Name_________________________ Video Engagement: Rectangular Coordinate System This NASA eClips video segment students use a number line in a rectangular coordinate system. Identify horizontal and vertical axis lines, quadrants, coordinates, ordered pairs and integers. Example problems help review key concepts.

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/nasaeclips/search.html?terms=%22Rectangular%20Coordinate%20System%22&category=0100&disp=grid

Following the Curiosity Rover on Mars

The Curiosity Rover is traveling across the surface of Mars. We can follow its path by recording a series of Way Stations as ordered pairs using the local North-South location as the Y-axis, and East-West as the X-axis. Draw the coordinate grid for the First Quadrant, with units marked every 50 meters from 0 to 500 meters on each axis.

Graph the following Way points: Day 39:(+210, +180), Day 48:(+360, +175) Day 41:(+270,+210), Day 49:(+390, +180) Day 42:(+300, +200), Day 52:(+470, +200) Day 45:(+315, +165), Day 56:(+500, +205)

Problem 1 - Along which axis was the change in position the largest? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Problem 2 - How far, in meters, did Curiosity travel between Day 42 and Day 52? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Problem 3 - What was the average speed of Curiosity between Day 42 and Day 52?

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Explain your thinking:

Write your own problem - Using information found in the Math Connection problems, the press release or the video program, create your own math problem. Explain why you set the problem up this way, and how you might find the answer.

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Our Place in the Milky Way

Within 5000 light years of our sun, there are 4 separate spiral arms. The following segments represent the locations of these four spiral arms: Outer Arm from (-80,+45) to (+80, +45); Perseus Arm from (-80, +25) to (+80, +25); Orion Arm from (-60, +25) to (+80, -20); Sagittarius Arm from (-80, -25) to (+80,-50). The coordinates are given so that 5 units equals 300 light years.

Problem 1 - In what arms are the following objects located? A) Sun (0,0)? _______________________________________________________ B) Eagle Nebula (+40, -30) ____________________________________________C) Orion Nebula (-10, 0) _______________________________________________D) Crab Nebula (0, +25) _______________________________________________E) Lagoon Nebula (+10, -20) ___________________________________________F) North American Nebula (+35, 0)

Problem 2 - How many light years is the North American Nebula from our Sun?

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