It's the law—every action requires a reaction, no matter how small. Pupils experience two demonstrations of Newton's third law of motion as it relates to thrust in the 10th segment of a 22-part unit on flight. Using their mathematical...

Let physical science stars experience Newton's first law of motion by blowing marshmallows out of cardboard tubes! Using different lengths of tubing, they find that more force is needed to overcome increasing friction, and they have a...

Whether or not Galileo actually dropped balls from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, this demonstration will solidly demonstrate that objects are accelerated at the same rate, regardless of mass. You will, however, need a vacuum pump and a few...

Take a look at acceleration within the context of automotive technology. They vary the mass on a toy car and run it down a ramp, exploring Newton's second law of motion. Though this is a classic lab activity, you will appreciate the...

Take Newton's second law of motion to a new level by considering an un-acceleratable object with infinite mass. The idea is mind-blowing, but it is thoroughly explored in this clever video clip! Challenge your high school physicists by...

Accelerate knowledge of gravitational pull with this activity. Physical science fans drop a golf ball and tennis ball from the same height at the same time and discover that they hit the ground at the same time. This is an ideal...

Emerging engineers work in teams to design pipe insulation roller coasters for marbles that meet specific parameters. They are required to label along the track the areas where kinetic and potential energy are highest and lowest, where...

While building rollercoaster tracks for marbles is definitely age-appropriate for middle schoolers, the calculations on the lab sheets for this lesson are above most of them. Physics fledglings measure the potential energy at the...

Become a pinball wizard by understanding acceleration. Mia and Sam define acceleration for the audience and touch on the property of inertia. Get your physical science class up to speed by showing this little video, reviewing the...

What a fun demonstration! Show the video, or better yet, have your physics learners construct this hex nut pendulum and test it themselves. Then have them discuss in groups why the single hex nut wraps around the finger. See if they can...

Classical mechanics are introduced and Newton's Laws of Motion are explained, one at a time. Consisting mostly of still frames and a narrator's voice, this video is difficult to pay attention to. Rather than show it in the classroom,...

A continuation of a previous video (linked on the webpage), this pays close attention to time and acceleration, using an animated train to demonstrate the concepts. Pupils will like the animation, but might need more explanation on what...

An animated video teaches viewers about force and acceleration, using a cartoon character to demonstrate examples of force, speed, time, and acceleration in action. While the video is on the older side, viewers will still enjoy the...

What a fun demonstration! Show the video, or better yet, have your physics learners construct this hex nut pendulum and test it themselves. Then have them discuss in groups why the single hex nut wraps around the finger. See if they can...

Sir Isaac Newton is introduced by a deep and calming voice. The voice and computer animations are used to explain the first Law of Motion, inertia. The video pauses and begins a segment on the second law of motion: force, mass, and...

Provide the details about Felix Baumgartner's sky jump from the far reaches of our atmosphere, 39,045 meters up! Then get your physics free fallers to evaluate the factors that played a role in his acceleration, the time to reach maximum...

Assign this online resource to your physics fans as homework that will help prepare them for an assessment on acceleration. Make sure the questions are all answerable by the material you covered in class, but then rest in the time you...

Students construct a rocket from a balloon propelled along a guide string. They use this model to learn about Newton's three laws of motion, examining the effect of different forces on the motion of the rocket. They measure the distance...

Students design a skydiver and parachute constraption to demonstrate how drag caused by air resistance slows the descent of skydivers as they travel back to Earth. They experience how gravity pulls the skydiver toward the earth and how...

In collaborative groups, physics learners design and create a web portfolio of internet resoucres explaining poitive and negative acceleration, zero acceleration, and positive and negative velocity. This is a terrific assignment for...

Let's get moving! Newton juniors solve 19 problems using force, speed, and acceleration equations. This is a nifty worksheet that includes a few diagrams and multiple choice selections for each question. It provides the straightforward...

Seven pages with 33 multiple choice questions about motion make up this worksheet. Calculations must be performed in order to choose the correct answer. Physics majors will solve for angles, displacement, acceleration, speed, and time...

Send physics learners into orbit by assigning this seven-problem learning exercise. They will calculate the mass of a satellite, construct a force diagram, determine the radius of the orbit, and more. Physics worksheets can become...

Disciples of physics practice solving acceleration and centripetal force problems. They construct qualitative motion maps and quantitative force diagrams in addition to using their critical thinking skills. Get your class moving by...