PASCO SPARK User manual

User’s Guide
manual number 012-10616A
Science Learning System
®

Limited Warranty
For a description of the product warranty, see the PASCO catalog.
Copyright
SPARK Science Learning System User’s Guide is copyrighted with all rights reserved. Permission is granted to non-profit educational institutions for repro-
duction of any part of this manual, providing the reproductions are used only in their laboratories and classrooms, and are not sold for profit. Reproduction
under any other circumstances, without the written consent of PASCO scientific, is prohibited.
Trademarks
PASCO, PASCO scientific, PASPORT, SPARK, SPARK Science Learning System, and SPARKlab are trademarks or registered trademarks of PASCO scientific,
in the United States and/or in other countries. All other brands, products, or service names are or may be trademarks or service marks of, and are used to
identify products or services of their respective owners. For more information visit www.pasco.com/legal.
Software Licenses
All required licenses for software components of the SPARK Science Learning System can be found on the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM included with the
product. To obtain source code for GPL/LGPL licensed software components, contact PASCO at by phone at 1-800-772-8700 (in the U.S), [phone]
(worldwide), or by email at [e-mail]/support

iii
Contents
1 Introduction
About the SPARK Science Learning System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Getting started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Technical and Teacher Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2 Starting an experiment
Turning on the SPARK Science Learning System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Connecting a sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Connecting PASPORT sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Connecting a temperature probe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Connecting a voltage probe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Monitoring live data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Moving on from the Home Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Opening a SPARKlab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Showing a SPARKlab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Building a SPARKlab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3 Setting up an experiment
Customizing data collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Setting the sample rate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Putting the SPARK into periodic sampling mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Putting the SPARK into manual sampling mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Customizing how numbers are displayed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Setting the number of decimal places displayed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Setting the number of significant figures displayed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Displaying numbers in scientific notation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Changing the units of a measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Changing the units of a measurement in an existing display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Changing the default units of a measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Calibrating sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Selecting a measurement to calibrate and a calibration type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Performing a calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

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Performing a 2-point calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Performing a 1-point offset-only calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Performing a 1-point slope-only calibration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4 Data Recording
Recording a run of periodically sampled data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Recording a set of manually sampled data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Deleting data runs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
5Datadisplay
Displaying data in a graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Creating a new graph. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Showing and hiding the graph tool palette. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Adjusting the scale of a graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Causing a graph to scale-to-fit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Scaling by direct manipulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Selecting data to show in an existing graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Showing and hiding data runs in a graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Changing the variable on the x- or y-axis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Selecting data for operation in a graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Selecting a data run for operation in a graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Selecting part of a data run for operation in a graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Annotating data in a graph. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Adding an annotation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Editing or deleting an annotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Displaying data in a table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Creating a new table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Showing and hiding the table tool pallet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Scrolling a table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Selecting data to show in an existing table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Selecting a run for display in an existing column. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Changing the variable displayed in an existing column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Adding a column. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Removing a column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

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Selecting cells for operation in a table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Displaying data in a digits display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Creating a new digits display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Showing and hiding the digits display tool palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Changing the variable in a digits display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Displaying data in a meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Creating a new meter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Showing and hiding the meter tool palette. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Adjusting the scale of a meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Causing a meter to scale-to-fit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Setting the scale of a meter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Changing the variable displayed in a meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Customizing the appearance of a meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
6 Data analysis
Analyzing data in a graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Viewing statistics in a graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Applying a curve fit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Removing a curve fit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Drawing a prediction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Finding the x- and y-values of a point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Finding the x- and y-distance between two points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Finding the slope at a point on a data plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Viewing statistics in a table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Viewing statistics in a digits display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Viewing statistics in a meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
7 Calculations and manually entered data
Working with calculations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Opening the calculator screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Creating a calculation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Displaying a calculation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Entering data manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Opening the measurements list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

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Creating a data set for manual entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Creating a data set for manually entered numbers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Creating a data set for manually entered text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Preparing a table for manual data entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Entering data into a manual data set. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Displaying manually entered data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Editing manually entered data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
8 Building SPARKlab pages
Starting a new SPARKlab page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Adding a display to a SPARKlab page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Adding a graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Adding a table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Adding a digits display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Adding a meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Adding a text box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Adding an image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Removing or replacing an image in a image box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Locking an image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
About adding multiple elements to a SPARKlab page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Deleting a SPARKlab page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
9 Saving and sharing
Saving a lab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Printing a lab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Exporting data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Opening a saved lab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Opening a lab saved on a USB flash drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Managing files and folders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Deleting a file or folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Moving a file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Copying a file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
10 Keeping a journal
Taking a snapshot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

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Opening the journal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Adding a caption to a snapshot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Deleting a journal entry or snapshot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Navigating in the journal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Editing a caption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Rearranging journal entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Closing the journal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Saving a journal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Exporting a journal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Printing a journal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
11 Common tasks
Turning pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Returning to the Home Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Entering text and numbers using the on-screen keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Creating a new folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Reactivating the SPARK Science Learning System when it is in sleep mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Turning off the SPARK Science Learning System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
12 Managing the device
Updating the SPARK Science Learning System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Charging the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
How battery status is indicated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Setting the date and time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
About sleep modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Customizing sleep modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Adjusting the screen brightness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Calibrating the touch-screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Product End of Life Disposal Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
SPARK Battery Replacement and Disposal Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

viii

1
1
Introduction
About the SPARK Science Learning System
The SPARK Science Learning System is an all-in-one mobile device that seam-
lessly integrates the power of probeware with inquiry-based content and assess-
ment. With its large, full-color display, finger-touch navigation and data
collection and analysis capabilities, SPARK redefines the concept of
easy-to-use--so the focus remains on the learning of science.
SPARK is designed to become the center of your school's discovery-based
science learning environment, providing both teacher and student the
embedded support for exploring scientific concepts.
The SPARK Science Learning System includes more than 60 free pre-installed
SPARKlabs™--standards-based guided inquiry labs in a unique electronic note-
book format. These SPARKlabs integrate background content, data collection
and analysis, even assessment--all within the same environment. Everything
you need is right there in context.
Getting started
There are three basic ways to start an investigation on the SPARK Science
Learning system. They are:
•Open an embedded SPARKlab and follow the on-screen instructions;
•Show a SPARKlab with one measurement in a graph, table, digits display,
and meter; and
•Build a custom SPARKlab with your choice of data, displays, text, and
pictures.
To start learning the SPARK Science Learning System, simply turn it on, plug in
a sensor, and start using it. If you need help doing a task, you'll find step-by-step
instructions in this guide.

INTRODUCTION
TECHNICAL AND TEACHER SUPPORT
2
Technical and Teacher Support
For help with the SPARK Science Learning System and other PASCO products,
you can contact PASCO's Technical and Teacher Support staff by phone, email,
or on the Web.
Phone: [phone] (in the U.S.)
[phone] (worldwide)
Email: [e-mail]
We b: w w w. p as c o. com /s u pp or t

2
3
Starting an experiment
Turning on the SPARK Science Learning System
1. If the battery is not charged, connect the included AC adapter to a wall
outlet and to the AC adapter port on the bottom of the SPARK.
2. Press and hold the power button.
TASK RESULT:The SPARK turns on, boots up, and displays the Home Screen.
1. AC adapter port. 2. Power button.

STARTING AN EXPERIMENT
CONNECTING ASENSOR
4
Connecting a sensor
1. PAS POR T por ts. 2. Temperature port. 3. Voltage port.
You can use up to two PASPORT sensors plus a temperature probe and a
voltage probe. The SPARK automatically identifies any sensor connected to it.
Complete one or more of the following tasks to connect sensors to the SPARK.
Connecting PASPORT sensors
1. Plug a PASPORT sensor into one of the PASPORT ports on the top of the
SPARK.
2. Optionally, plug a second PASPORT sensor into the other PASPORT
port.
Connecting a temperature probe
• Plug the included temperature probe (or other temperature probe) into
the temperature port on the top of the SPARK.

STARTING AN EXPERIMENT
MONITORING LIVE DATA
5
Connecting a voltage probe
• Plug the included voltage probe into the voltage port on the top of the
SPARK.
Monitoring live data
Live data from all connected sensors are displayed whenever the Home Screen
is open.
Complete one of these steps to view the Home Screen:
• If the SPARK is turned off, turn it on and connect a sensor.
• If the SPARK is turned on, touch the Home button to return to the
Home Screen.
Moving on from the Home Screen
With the Home Screen displayed, you're ready to move into a SPARKlab. A
SPARKlab is a multi-page environment where your science investigation takes
place.
Complete one of the following tasks to open an embedded SPARKlab, show a
measurement in a SPARKlab, or build a custom SPARKlab.
Opening a SPARKlab
The SPARK Science Learning System includes over 60 embedded SPARKlabs.
Complete these steps to open a SPARKlab:
1. Connect the sensor (or sensors) required for the SPARKlab that you wish
to do.
2. If there are unneeded sensors connected, disconnect them.
3. In the Home Screen, touch OPEN.
STEP RESULT:A list of folders appears.
4. Touch the folder corresponding your subject area.
5. If necessary, touch a subfolder.

STARTING AN EXPERIMENT
MOVING ON FROM THE HOME SCREEN
6
6. Touch the SPARKlab that you would like to open.
7. Touch OK.
TASK RESULT:The SPARKlab opens.
AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK:Follow the on-screen instructions to continue your
science investigation. Use the page navigator to turn pages.
Showing a SPARKlab
A show-path SPARKlab is the fastest way to record data and display it in a
graph, table, digits display, and meter. Complete these steps to show a
SPARKlab:
1. Connect a sensor.
2. In the Home Screen, touch the measurement that you would like to
show.
STEP RESULT:The selected measurement is highlighted.
3. Touch SHOW.
A measurement must be selected for SHOW to be available.
TASK RESULT:A four-page SPARKlab opens.
AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK:Touch the Start button to record data.
Use the page navigator to see your data in the different displays.
Building a SPARKlab
When you build a custom SPARKlab, you design each page with your choice of
measurements and displays. You can also add text and pictures. Complete these
steps to start building a SPARKlab:
1. Connect a sensor (or sensors).
2. In the Home Screen, touch BUILD.
STEP RESULT:The page-build screen opens.

STARTING AN EXPERIMENT
MOVING ON FROM THE HOME SCREEN
7
Page-build screen: 1. Measurements. 2. Data display, image box, and
text box buttons. 3. Preview.
3. Touch the measurement (or measurements) that you would like to
show in the first data display.
Selected measurements are highlighted. Touch a measurement again to clear
a selection.
4. Touch one of the data display buttons for a graph, table, digits display,
or meter.
If you select just one measurement, all data displays are available. If you select
two measurements, only the graph and table are available. If you select three
or more measurements, only the table is available.
Data display buttons: graph, digits display, table, and meter.
STEP RESULT:The measurements and display that you have selected appear in
the preview section of the page-build screen.

STARTING AN EXPERIMENT
MOVING ON FROM THE HOME SCREEN
8
5. Optionally, do any of the following:
• Repeat the steps above to select more measurements and add another
data display.
• Touch one of the image box buttons to add a large or small image box.
(After the page has been added to the SPARKlab, you can touch the
image box to select an image to display in the box.)
• Touch one of the text box buttons to add a large or small text box. (After
the page has been added to the SPARKlab, you can touch the text box
to enter text.)
• Press UNDO to remove an element from the preview.
6. When you are satisfied with the preview and ready to build your page,
touch OK.
TASK RESULT:Your new SPARKlab opens showing the page that you have just
built.
AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK:Touch the Start button to record data.
Touch the New Page button build another page and add it to your SPARKlab.

3
9
Setting up an
experiment
Customizing data collection
You can start recording data using the default settings, or complete one or more
of the following tasks to change the sampling rate or sampling mode.
Setting the sample rate
With the SPARK in periodic sampling mode (the default mode), complete these
steps to set how many data points are recorded each second or how much time
elapses between data points:
1. Touch the Sampling Options button.
STEP RESULT:The Sampling Option screen opens.
2. Touch the Sample Rate Unit box and select Hz, minutes, or hours.
3. Touch the Sample Rate box and select a value.
4. Touch OK.
Putting the SPARK into periodic sampling mode
In periodic sampling mode (the default mode, sometimes known as “contin-
uous” mode), the SPARK records data points at regular intervals. If the SPARK
is in manual sampling mode, complete these steps to put it into periodic
sampling mode:
1. Touch the Sampling Options button.
STEP RESULT:The Sampling Option screen opens.
2. Touch Periodic.
3. Touch OK.

SETTING UP AN EXPERIMENT
CUSTOMIZING HOW NUMBERS ARE DISPLAYED
10
Putting the SPARK into manual sampling mode
In manual sampling mode, a single value from each measurement is recorded
each time you manually trigger the SPARK. Complete these steps to put the
SPARK into manual sampling mode:
1. Touch the Sampling Options button.
STEP RESULT:The Sampling Option screen opens.
2. Touch Manual.
3. Touch OK.
Customizing how numbers are displayed
Setting the number of decimal places displayed
1. Touch the Experiment Tools button.
STEP RESULT:The Experiment Tools screen opens.
2. Touch DATA PROPERTIES.
STEP RESULT:The Data Properties screen opens.
3. Touch the Measurement box and select a measurement or other vari-
able.
4. Touch Number Format.
STEP RESULT:The number format options appear.
5. Touch the Number Style box and select Fixed Precision.
6. Use the Digits arrows to select the number of digits to be displayed
after the decimal point.
7. Touch OK.

SETTING UP AN EXPERIMENT
CUSTOMIZING HOW NUMBERS ARE DISPLAYED
11
Setting the number of significant figures displayed
1. Touch the Experiment Tools button.
STEP RESULT:The Experiment Tools screen opens.
2. Touch DATA PROPERTIES.
STEP RESULT:The Data Properties screen opens.
3. Touch the Measurement box and select a measurement or other vari-
able.
4. Touch Number Format.
STEP RESULT:The number format options appear.
5. Touch the Number Style box and select Significant Figures.
6. Use the Digits arrows to select the number of significant figures to be
displayed.
7. Touch OK.
Displaying numbers in scientific notation
1. Touch the Experiment Tools button.
STEP RESULT:The Experiment Tools screen opens.
2. Touch DATA PROPERTIES.
STEP RESULT:The Data Properties screen opens.
3. Touch the Measurement box and select a measurement or other vari-
able.
4. Touch Number Format.
STEP RESULT:The number format options appear.
5. Touch the Number Style box and select Scientific Notation.
6. Use the Digits arrows to select the number of digits to be displayed.
7. Touch OK.

SETTING UP AN EXPERIMENT
CUSTOMIZING HOW NUMBERS ARE DISPLAYED
12
Changing the units of a measurement
Do one or both of the following tasks to select different units for a measurement.
Changing the units of a measurement in an existing display
Complete these steps to change the units of a measurement displayed in an
existing graph, digits display, table, or meter:
1. Touch the Tools button of a graph, digits display, table, or meter to
open the tools palette.
2. Touch the Properties button to open the properties screen.
3. Touch the Units box and select a unit of measure.
4. Touch OK.
TASK RESULT:The display shows the measurement with the selected units.
Changing the default units of a measurement
Complete these steps to change the units that will be used by default when you
select a measurement in the future:
1. Touch the Experiment Tools button to open the Experiment Tools
screen.
2. Touch DATA PROPERTIES to open the Data Properties screen.
3. Touch the Measurement box and select a measurement.
4. Touch the Units box and select units of measure.
5. Touch Set As Default to select it.
When Set As Default is selected, it is highlighted.
6. Touch OK.
TASK RESULT:The next time you select that measurement for display, it will
appear with the units that you selected.