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Instructional Video

The Physics of Human Sperm vs. the Physics of the Sperm Whale

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This The Physics of Human Sperm vs. the Physics of the Sperm Whale instructional video also includes:

Here is an unusual comparison: the swimming conditions of a sperm cell and a sperm whale. Introduce your physics class to the Reynolds number by sharing this video comparison during your fluid mechanics unit. Afterward, teach them to calculate the Reynolds number for other organisms to determine whether inertial or viscous force is dominant, or assign a laboratory investigation on viscosity of fluids.

15 Views 8 Downloads
CCSS: Adaptable NGSS: Adaptable
Concepts
locomotor skills, gross motor skills, newton's first law of motion, newton's laws of motion, sir isaac newton, bacteria, viscosity, ratios
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Additional Tags
fluid dynamics, sperm cell, reynolds number, density of liquids, viscosity, scale model, ratio, newton's first law of motion, locomotion, bacteria, science
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Pros
  • A unique approach to fluid dynamics
  • Can be used to support Next Generation Science Standards in physical science
  • Includes assessment and discussion questions
  • Links to other resources that can be used to explore the Reynolds number 
Cons
  • None
Common Core
RI.9-10.7 RI.11-12.7
NGSS
HS-PS2-2