Activity
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Physics/mechanics (Force and Motion)

For Students 9th - 10th
A collection of mechanics activities. Many pertain to Newton's laws of motion. Step-by-step directions provided with illustrations. Great for teacher demos or student projects.
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Why Winglets?

For Students 6th - 9th
Make a paper airplane and experiment with adding winglets to it to test its performance. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an abstract, objective, and introduction, followed by a section on terms,...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Tightening the Turns in Speed Skating

For Students 9th - 10th
Fast turns around the track can become your laboratory tests in these experiments, whether you skate on ice, wood, or pavement. The goal is to determine which type of turns are best in a race - tight, medium, or wide - and then to figure...
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Car Collision Testing & Tradeoffs: Don't Crack Humpty

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Student groups are provided with a generic car base on which to design a device/enclosure to protect an egg as it rolls down a ramp at increasing slopes. During this activity, student teams design, build and test their prototype...
Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Mechanics Mania

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Through ten lessons and numerous activities, students explore the natural universal rules engineers and physicists use to understand how things move and stay still. Together, these rules are called "mechanics." The study of mechanics is...
Handout
Wolfram Research

Wolfram Math World: Triangle Centroid

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from MathWorld gives a diagram of a triangle with its centroid labeled. The site details how to find the centroid with links to the key terms. The site details many other interesting properties of the triangle centroid.
Unknown Type
Physics Aviary

Physics Aviary: Practice Problems: Find Mass With Torque

For Students 9th - 10th
Determine the unknown mass that is being balanced by a known mass for a meter stick balanced at its center of mass (50.0 cm mark).
Unknown Type
Physics Aviary

Physics Aviary: Practice Problems: Universal Gravity Problem

For Students 9th - 10th
Students must find out the strength of the gravitational force between two spherical objects based on the size, density and distance between centers.
Activity
NASA

Nasa: Weight and Balance Forces Acting on an Airplane

For Students 9th - 10th
The effects of forces exerted on an airplane wing are discussed both conceptually and mathematically. Illustrations and sample problems and solutions are provided.
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Forces and Graphing

For Teachers 6th - 8th
This activity can be used to explore forces acting on an object, to practice graphing experimental data, and/or to introduce the algebra concepts of slope and intercept of a line. A wooden 2x4 beam is set on top of two scales. Students...
Handout
NASA

Nasa: Flight: What Is Weight?

For Students 9th - 10th
Discover how the factor of weight affects airplanes in flight.
Handout
Texas Education Agency

Texas Gateway: Ap Physics: Statics and Torque: Glossary

For Students 11th - 12th
This is a glossary of terms and definitions used in Chapter 9: Statics and Torque from the AP Physics online text.
Handout
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Centripetal Force: Pulling Cs and Gs

For Students 4th - 8th
In this interactive activity from NOVA, discover how centripetal force can affect you when riding in a car or flying at high speeds in a fighter jet.
Website
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Centripetal Force: Roller Coaster Loops

For Students 9th - 10th
This video segment explains centripetal force and illustrates how roller coasters rely on it to give you a thrilling ride. Includes background reading material and discussion questions. [4:40]
Handout
Georgia State University

Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Kinetic Energy

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from Georgia State University Physics Department defines kinetic energy and compares and contrasts it with other forms of energy. Provides an equation and links to further, more-detailed information.
Website
University of Virginia

University of Virginia: Rotational Motion

For Students 9th - 10th
A page describing rotational equilibrium and non-equilibrium situations. Includes graphics, equations, and many examples.
Handout
Georgia State University

Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Circular Orbit

For Students 9th - 10th
The necessity of gravitation to a circular orbit is discussed and equations for the orbital speed are derived from the law of universal gravitation. Binary systems in which two objects orbit about a center of mass are explained and...
Handout
Wolfram Research

Wolfram Science World: Huygens, Christiaan

For Students 9th - 10th
This ScienceWorld site provides a short biographical sketch of Christiaan Huygens and describes his most notable scientific discoveries and contributions. Links are provided throughout for additional information as well.
Activity
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Structures Around the World

For Students 3rd - 8th
How does that bridge stay up? What are the forces acting on that column? This site helps students understand how structures can be built by having them build their own. Also provides images of real structures for kids to compare with...
Handout
Encyclopedia of Earth

Encyclopedia of Earth: Solar Radiation

For Students 9th - 10th
Almost all of the energy that drives the various systems (climate systems, ecosystems, hydrologic systems, etc.) found on the Earth originates from the sun. Solar energy is created at the core of the sun when hydrogen atoms are fused...
Activity
PBS

Pbs Teachers: Scientific American: Robots Alive! Toddler's First Steps

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Investigate the physics involved in balancing.
Activity
Treehut

Suzy's World: Balance

For Students 3rd - 8th
Find out how you make things balance and try balancing yourself!

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