Physics Classroom
Free Fall
Scholars must understand freefall before they learn how objects like airplanes fly. They apply knowledge of velocity and acceleration to predict speed and direction as part of a larger series on vectors and projectiles.
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Aircraft Trajectory Problem Set
Students, after reading an explanation from a NASA Web-based textbook, demonstrate an understanding of the text by applying it to the calculation of speed, distance, acceleration, and time in simple aircraft motion.
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PHYSICS OF FLIGHT
Ninth graders study the basic principles of flight, including the Bernoulli Principle and Newton's Laws. They construct and study model aircraft
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Balloon Rockets
Students build pinwheel airplanes and balloon rockets to determine which ones fly faster and which fly farther.
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Temperature and Pressure on Airplane Surfaces
Pupils use the Internet to delve into the relationship between fores and motion on a sizable object. They predict where they think the temperature and pressure be the greatest, and where the pressure be the lowest.
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Trimmed Aircraft
Students, after reading an explanation from a NASA Web-based textbook, demonstrate an understanding of the text by applying it to the calculations involving the motion of an airplane.
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Trajectory and Range of a Projectile
Students investigate the factors affecting projectile trajectory. In this physics lesson, students calculate the range, time and speed of projectiles using mathematical equations.
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Newton's Third Law and Aircraft Propulsion
Students research propulsion, graph data, and interpret the results.
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Wright Again: 100 Years of Flight
Aspiring aeronautical engineers demonstrate different forces as they construct and test paper airplanes. This lesson plan links you to a website that models the most effective paper airplane design, an animation describing the forces...
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How Do Airplanes Stay off the Ground?
Students use balloons and string to duplicate Bernoulli's Principle of wing shape and its affect on liftoff.
Exploratorium
Balancing Ball
Demonstrate lift to the class that is studying aerodynamics. In the stream of air produced by a blow dryer, little physicists place a wad of tissue paper and a spherical figure to compare. Or, if you have a vacuum cleaner and beach ball,...
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Bernoulli's Principle
Students explore Bernoulli's principle, how it is related to flight, and the effect of lift, thrust, and drag on flight. They design and develop an experiment that tests for distance traveled by their paper airplane, and record and...
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Life Without Flight
Students keep a journal for an intire week recording their observations of the ways aircraft affect society, The students discuss their findings and categorize them into areas such as military, commercial, research, and so on.
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Aircraft Trajectory Problem Set
Students read text from a NASA Web-based textbook then demonstrate an understanding of the text by using it to complete an activity on aircraft trajectories.
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Rocket Me into Space
Fourth graders study the concept of thrust and how it propels rockets into space. They discover why airplanes cannot travel into space while considering the engineering techniques use in designing rockets. They look at how space...
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Magnus Effect
Students examine the Magnus effect and its history. In this forces instructional activity students investigate the lift of a rotating cylinder.
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Forces in a Climb
Students use a NASA website to use a given formula to find acceleration and distance after a specific time and how it relates to engine propulsion.
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Airplane Propeller
Students examine the different kinds of propellers and their functions. In this airplane lesson students build a hand made propeller.
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Newton's Third Law of Motion
Seventh graders are introduced to Newton's Third Law of Motion. In this physics lesson students examine the concept of thrust as one of the forces acting on aircraft.
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Build Your Own Hovercraft
Learners construct a hovercraft following specific procedures. In this technology lesson, students explain the physics principles behind hovercraft. They compare and contrast this machine with the aircraft.
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History of Flight Timeline Activity
Scholars are introduced to the significant events that led to the development of today's modern forms of air travel. They create a timeline to identify the vital events that are related to man's flight. In addition, they research various...
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Angular Momentum (Automaticity)
Second graders experience practicing with a wide variety of vocabulary terms that relate to the Vista/Module "Angular Momentum:" momentum, inertia, force; motion, direction, centripetal force; angular momentum, gyroscope, resist. They...
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New Perspectives
Eighth graders imagine they are getting ready to "take off." They may imagine themselves in any type of aircraft or spaceship. They may then sketch themselves as passengers anticipating this moment.