Science meets art as the 8th grade presents graphs at the Charles City Arts Center

By Travis Fischer, tkfischer@charlescitypress.com

Charles City eighth graders combined science with art, utilizing their creative skills to demonstrate the results of their physics experiments in the Data Meets World art exhibition.

The experiment was a study of Newton’s Laws of Motion, using carts running along tracks to measure the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration. The students calculated a slope, formed an equation, and charted out their results in a graph. After learning how to present their data, the students were then tasked with sprucing it up for an artistic display.

“We took the results from their graphs and turned it into a piece of art,” said teacher Amanda Rahmiller. “It makes their work more real. They understand it better.”

Free to express their findings with the backdrop of their choice, the students used everything from thread to Christmas lights to mark the data points that show how force affects acceleration.

“I like working with graphs. It’s a lot of fun,” said Ana Tutu, whose zodiac themed display showed a string of lit data points crossing a backdrop of constellations.

A fan of both science and art, the project gave her a way to utilize different sets of skills while working toward a goal.

“It was a really cool idea,” said Tutu. “Being able to combine both of these was a lot of fun.”

On Wednesday, March 29, the students presented their art to the public, displaying the results at the Charles City Arts Center. With a selection of refreshments for visitors to enjoy, the eighth grade class took shifts during the morning and afternoon to talk about both the artistic ideas for their work and the math behind it.

“I was really happy with how it turned out,” said Sofia Alinea.

“It was kind of fun to learn about all the data,” said Norah Nassawe.

The art will be displayed at the Charles City Arts Center through Saturday, April 1.