Curated OER
Elastic Racquet
Students discover the science behind a tennis racket by looking at a simple toy that works in a similar way. After looking at the related mathematical equations, students experiment with the simple toy to find the spring constant k by...
Curated OER
Breaking Energy
Pupils experiment with the amount of work required to break a piece of wood by hanging masses from a string attached to a thin dowel of wood. At the completion of activity, students calculate if a fast moving hand could break the dowel.
Curated OER
Bouncing Basketballs
Students discover how the coefficient of restitution is applied to sports by measuring the bounciness of a ball. After examining the mathematical equation that applies to coefficient of restitution, students go to the gym, measure the...
Curated OER
The Spin Doctor Is In
Students are introduced to rotational inertia with some example of objects that rotates: Throw a Frisbee acroos the field and it rotates as it moves. The same is true for a baseball and a football. The two motions, translational and...
Curated OER
The Elastic Racquet
Students use this introductory lab using a tennis racquet, however it is very difficult to study because of the strings and the racquet stretch so little and so quickly during a match that students were unable to make simple...
Curated OER
In-Line Inertia
Students practice calculating the moment of inertia when discussing a skater and the position in which it is best to spin. After class discussion, students practice calculating inertia on their own.
Curated OER
The Drag of Drag
Students are introduced to drag. Then they summarize drag by saying that the drag is proportional to the square of the velocity. Students then solve problems an example of such a problem: Explain why swimming underwater is faster than...
Curated OER
Ice Ain't Easy
Students are told that objects in contact with one another reach an equilibrium temperature. A hot object placed in a cool liquid always cool off. It never happens that the object gets hotter and cool liquid gets colder. Students predict...
Curated OER
The Buoyancy Factor
Students examine why some objects float in water while others sink and the ability of something to float does not depend entirely on its weight. Archimedes' principle is introduced and buoyant force is discussed. Practice calculations...
Curated OER
Newton's Earthquake
Learners discuss Newton's 2nd and 3rd laws using the example of a football linebacker and a small child pushing against each other on an ice rink. Students are able to visualize the results of the push and link it to the laws. Discussion...
Curated OER
Hang Time
Students discuss how all objects fall at the same rate and vertical motion is independent of the horizontal motion. Students apply this information to center of mass activities before solving equations.
Curated OER
Aerodynamic drag
Learners construct a device that can launch spinning balls. One example would be a mailing tube with one side partially cut away, lined with sandpaper. Styrofoam balls should be used for the greatest effet. They are explained how a...
Curated OER
Sailing Through Bernoulli
Pupils participate in a class discussion about Bernoulli's principle while looking at cross-sections of an airplane wing, and discussing the sail on a sailboat and the spoiler on a race car.
Curated OER
Balanced Forces
Young scholars are able to explain why football running backs benefit from having a lower center of gravity when opponents are trying to tackle them. They explain why racing cars are designed to have a low center of gravity. Students...
Curated OER
Math Under Pressure
Students are told that an air tank contains a fixed volume of air under pressure. As air is used, the pressure decreases at a rate that depends on the depth. Students discuss how SCUBA divers calculate the amount of time they can spend...
Curated OER
That Mu You Do
Students discussion frictional force, kinetic friction, and static friction and the role each plays in acceleration and velocity in relationship to a car and the road on which it is traveling. Students complete lesson answering review...
Curated OER
Running with Momentum
Students discuss the conservation of momentum in a collision between two bumper cars and an explosion between a bullet and the rifle's kickback, as well as collisions occurring in 2 dimensions and how they are all expressed mathematically.
Curated OER
The Sounds of Summer
Students experiment with measuring the speed of sound in an open field by clapping hands and measuring the time delay between the clap and hearing the sound at a long distance. Students practice solving equations at completion of activity.
Curated OER
Tracking Speed
Students collect data for a runner by measuring the time it takes for the runner to run equal distances. After collecting data, students average speeds and accelerations for the runner. Assignment is completed by graphing the data.
Curated OER
Create a Greener Place- Adventures in Podcasting
Students create a podcast. In this environment lesson, students learn what a podcast is and why it is used. Students make a podcast about making the world a greener place.
Curated OER
Sampling Rocks
Students examine sampling by investigating rocks found in the schoolyard. In this sampling rocks lesson students collect and analyze a sample of rocks.