NASA
Rocket Races
And they are off! Using Styrofoam meat trays and balloons, individuals build racers that demonstrate Newton's Third Law of Motion. Pupils run their racers three times and make improvements between each trial. To conclude the activity,...
Curated OER
Law of Conservation of Momentum
A suggested sequence of events lays out five hands-on activities and four creative assessments on the conservation of momentum. Using spring scales and mail scales, junior physicists examine Newton's Third Law. After you have taught the...
Curated OER
Isaac Newton's Third Law of Motion
Ninth graders experiment with Isaac Newton's Third Law of Motion. In this Third Law of Motion lesson, 9th graders develop an experiment that shows their understanding of this theorem. They work in small groups to read an article at a...
NASA
Newton Car
If a car gets heavier, it goes farther? By running an activity several times, teams experience Newton's Second Law of Motion. The teams vary the amount of weight they catapult off a wooden block car and record the distance the car...
Micron Technology Foundation
Forces of Motion: Rockets
Young scientists design a rocket to launch using Newton's Laws of Motion in order to discover for themselves the forces of motion.
Curated OER
Newton's Third Law of Motion
Learners move through five stations demonstrating Newton's Third Law of Motion. In this Newtonian physics instructional activity, students watch as the instructor uses a firecracker to demonstrate action and reaction. The learners travel...
Curated OER
Balloon Rockets
In this balloon rocket worksheet, students experiment with a balloon, clothespin, straw, string and tape to observe Newton's Third Law of Motion in action. Students explain the action force and reaction force acting in the investigation.
Teach Engineering
May the Force Be With You: Thrust
Force the plane through the air. The lesson introduces the force on an airplane that makes it go forward. Pupils learn how Newton's laws of motion apply to flight in the eighth segment of a 22-part unit on flight.
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science
Applying Newton’s Third Law of Motion in the Gravitron Ride
Here is a collection of readings to be discussed in the science classroom. This one is in the form of a dialog between two boys in an amusement park, talking about the forces involved in a Graviton ride. Questions are listed at the...
Curated OER
Finding Balance
Young scholars examine the relationships between force, mass and balance through the lens of clay sculpture. They discuss the definitions and concepts behind Newton's Third Law of motion then individually apply these principles to the...
Curated OER
Newton's Hat Trick
Students are challenged to develop skits illustrating each of Newton's three laws of motion. They are asked to identify examples of Newton's laws in sports. Students are asked how does Newton's third law allow a runner to run?
National Research Center for Career and Technical Education
STEM: Lou-Vee Air Car
A comprehensive lesson on acceleration awaits your physicists and engineers! Two YouTube videos pique their interest, then sample F=ma problems are worked and graphed. The highlight of the lesson is the building of a Lou-Vee air car!...
Curated OER
Rocket Pinwheel
Young scholars explore the action-reaction principle of Newton's Third Law of Motion. In this rocketry lesson, students construct a pinwheel using a balloon, soda straw, and wooden pencil. Young scholars investigate the results.
Virginia Department of Education
The Rate of Motion
How much time does it take to jump over three balloons? Pupils calculate the speed of tasks that require different motions. They determine motions for tasks such as walking, skipping, hopping, and jumping before creating a spreadsheet...
Curated OER
Rockets!!
Young scholars launch a rocket. In this laws of motion lesson, students discuss the forces of flight, how a plane flies and how a rocket gets off the ground. Young scholars watch a video about rocket launches, discuss Newton's Third...
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Water Rocket Launch
How do rockets fly? Teams design, build, and launch a rocket made from a two-liter bottle to explore forces on a rocket such as Newton's Laws of Motion. During the design phase, young engineers draw a diagram of their rocket and include...
Curated OER
How Do Airplanes Get Off the Ground
Students construct various types of paper airplanes, exploring action and reaction forces by conducting a paper airplane rodeo. Students then discuss how Newton's Third Law of Motion affected their planes.
Curated OER
Newton and his Laws
High schoolers explore Newton's laws, including what they state, and what the intuitive meaning is of the first and third laws.
LABScI
Viscosity: The Fluid Lab
There's more to fluids than meet the eye—they include gases, liquids, and polymers, too! Scholars complete three hands-on activities exploring different properties of fluids. They explore viscosity by measuring the resistance, or...
Curated OER
Newton's Third Law and Aircraft Propulsion
Students research propulsion, graph data, and interpret the results.
Cornell University
The Physics of Bridges
Stability is key when building a bridge. Scholars explore the forces acting upon bridges through an analysis of Newton's Laws and Hooke's Law. The activity asks individuals to apply their learning by building a bridge of their own.
NASA
Water Rocket Construction
What are the basics for building a rocket out of a two-liter bottle? The procedures outline the basics to create an air- and water-powered bottle rocket. Prior to launching the rockets, teams perform safety checks to ensure their designs...
NASA
Project X-51
In a nose-cone to nose-cone competition, which rocket will prevail? Teams form rocket companies to design and build a rocket while competing against other teams in an economic challenge. The team that comes up with the best benefit/cost...
NASA
Heavy Lifting
Astronauts need a way to lift heavy objects. Pupils design and build a crane out of cardboard and determine ways to improve their cranes based upon the outcomes of testing.