Is a Smartphone Smart Enough to Go to the Moon?

20 min

Teacher Prep
Setup
Groups of 2. Display or distribute blackline master. 15–20 minutes of work time, then whole-class discussion.

Narrative

Students perform operations with numbers expressed in scientific notation, including problems where both decimal and scientific notation are used. Students use scientific notation and choose units of appropriate size for measurements of very large or very small quantities (MP6).

Launch

Arrange students in groups of 2. Distribute one copy of the blackline master containing computer hardware specifications over time to each group, or display for all to see throughout the activity. Give students 15 minutes of quiet work time, and follow that with a brief whole-class discussion.

Student Task

In 1966, the Apollo Guidance Computer was developed to make the calculations that would put humans on the Moon.

Your teacher will give you information for different devices from 1966 to 2023. Choose one device, and compare the specifications of that device with the 1966 Apollo Guidance Computer. If you get stuck, consider using scientific notation to help with the calculations.

For reference, storage is measured in bytes, processor speed is measured in hertz, and memory is measured in bytes. “Kilo” stands for 1,000, “mega” stands for 1,000,000, “giga” stands for 1,000,000,000, and “tera” stands for 1,000,000,000,000.

<p>A photo of the Saturn Five rocket lifting off.</p>

  1. Which device did you choose?
  2. How many times more information than the 1966 Apollo Guidance Computer can this device store?
  3. How many times faster than the 1966 Apollo Guidance Computer is this device's processor speed?
  4. How many times more memory than the 1966 Apollo Guidance Computer can this device store?

Sample Response

1977 Desktop:

  • Can store 2815\frac{28}{15} times as much as Apollo.
  • Processor is 12\frac{1}{2} as fast as Apollo.
  • Has the same amount of memory as Apollo.

2001 Desktop:

  • Can store 2.6‾× 1052.\overline{6} \times 10^5 times as much as Apollo.
  • Processor is 550 times as fast as Apollo.
  • Has 32,000 times as much memory as Apollo.

2007 Smartphone:

  • Can store 5.3‾× 1045.\overline{3} \times 10^4 times as much as Apollo.
  • Processor is 200 times as fast as Apollo.
  • Has 32,000 times as much memory as Apollo.

2016 Smartphone:

  • Can store 4.26‾× 1054.2\overline{6} \times 10^5 times as much as Apollo.
  • Processor is 4,400 times as fast as Apollo.
  • Has 7.5× 1057.5 \times 10^5 times as much memory as Apollo.

2020 Laptop:

  • Can store 1.3‾× 1071.\overline{3} \times 10^7 times as much as Apollo.
  • Processor is 6,000 times as fast as Apollo.
  • Has 2×1062 \times 10^6 times as much memory as Apollo.

2023 Smartphone:

  • Can store 1.3‾× 1071.\overline{3} \times 10^7 times as much as Apollo.
  • Processor is 6,000 times as fast as Apollo.
  • Has 2×1062 \times 10^6 times as much memory as Apollo.
Activity Synthesis (Teacher Notes)

The purpose of this discussion is for students to share their results. Begin by inviting students to share which device they chose to compare to the 1966 Apollo Guidance Computer and how the specifications have changed over the years. Some questions for discussion are:

  • “Did anyone compare the same two devices but use a different strategy?”
  • “What do you notice about these results?” (Answers vary.)
  • “What do you wonder about these results?” (Answers vary.)
     
MLR7 Compare and Connect. Invite groups to prepare a visual display that shows the strategy they used to compare the specifications of their chosen device to those of the 1966 Apollo Guidance Computer. Encourage students to include details that will help others interpret their thinking. Examples might include using specific language, different colors, shading, arrows, labels, notes, diagrams, or drawings. Give students time to investigate each others’ work. During the whole-class discussion, ask students, “What did the approaches have in common? How were they different?” “What kinds of additional details or language helped you understand the displays?” “Were there any additional details or language that you have questions about?”
Advances: Representing, Conversing
Standards
Addressing
  • 8.EE.3·Use numbers expressed in the form of a single digit times an integer power of 10 to estimate very large or very small quantities, and to express how many times as much one is than the other. <em>For example, estimate the population of the United States as 3 × 10<sup>8</sup> and the population of the world as 7 × 10<sup>9</sup>, and determine that the world population is more than 20 times larger.</em>
  • 8.EE.4·Perform operations with numbers expressed in scientific notation, including problems where both decimal and scientific notation are used. Use scientific notation and choose units of appropriate size for measurements of very large or very small quantities (e.g., use millimeters per year for seafloor spreading). Interpret scientific notation that has been generated by technology.
  • 8.EE.A.3·Use numbers expressed in the form of a single digit times an integer power of 10 to estimate very large or very small quantities, and to express how many times as much one is than the other. <span>For example, estimate the population of the United States as <span class="math">\(3 \times 10^8\)</span> and the population of the world as <span class="math">\(7 \times 10^9\)</span>, and determine that the world population is more than <span class="math">\(20\)</span> times larger.</span>
  • 8.EE.A.4·Perform operations with numbers expressed in scientific notation, including problems where both decimal and scientific notation are used. Use scientific notation and choose units of appropriate size for measurements of very large or very small quantities (e.g., use millimeters per year for seafloor spreading). Interpret scientific notation that has been generated by technology.

25 min