Australia's Science Forum

what is this and how is it used in an experiment to transform one source of energy into another. they have asked for a cat and mouse (no other info given) on a prac. sheet. do I have to kidnap my neighbours dog and bring in my emo....don't want to be there for the resul;ts.

Goodness me!!
I checked the date, it's not april fools day, perhaps it's "stir up the lab tech" day.
Surely they must be kidding

Don't you just love how explicit some prac requests are!

Lyn.

Hmmmm!
I think I would be asking to see a Risk Assessment for the mouse and to have it signed off by the "Animal Welfare Officer" before I did anything!

Ian

I'd print a picture of each of them...and maybe even laminate them, and pop it in the prac tub ready to go to the class and say no more....

did you just suggest that we LAMINATE the TEACHER!!!
woweeeeee... then we could all come and throw darts...

sure, laminate them but don't trim the edges on the guillotine - that would be taking it too far!

I don't know. One good guillotining would keep the others in line! I'd like to see that on a warning sign. "Teachers who don't listen to the Lab Tech will be laminated, guillotined and used as a dartboard!"

As for the cat and mouse, maybe you could bring in a wind up mouse and a cat costume for the teacher. Tell them that for animal welfare reasons you cannot use real animals but you are happy for them to demonstrate the appropriate behaviour using the tools provided.

Or give them the mouse from your computer and tell the teacher that so far you have been unable to trap the feral cat that haunts the drains around the school.

I can give you the mice but you will have to find the cat

Oh yes.. go on.. do it!
A computer mouse, and a picture of a cat.. in the trolley.. ready for the prac!

PICTURES of the response please.

As much as I have loved the fun comments I have an idea what they might have meant.
If its tansfering energy maybe they mean something like those steel ball things you see. You lift one end and swing it towards the others and the energy is transfered down the line until the ball on the far end swings away. I have no idea what the contraption is called but its all based on the transfer of energy .
Or like when you hold two bouncy balls together (one on top of the other) and drop them so only one hits the ground and the energy is transfered up into the top ball to make it bounce extremely high.
I really don't know if this is helpful, not as helpful as the laminating of the teachers anyway but let us all know how you go.

Cheers
Kelli

you see those ball things on exec's desks...is it called newtons apparatus? or newtons balls?

I am intrigued about the cat and mouse too - i even posted it on the science teachers group on Yammer, but the response is much slower than on here.

I believe it's called Newton's cradle.

i knew newton had something to do with it

Might just play with mine now...

let me enlighten you...the cat turned out to be an electronic cat with a magnetic mouse. when the mouse went near the cat the cats eyes lit up...we couldn't find it so ended up using the torch that you have to pump to rub the magnets together that produces electricity and lights the bulb...not half so fun or as imaginative as your guys replies

your what????