Rice University
College Physics for AP® Courses
Take a look at an organized physics course. The 34-section electronic textbook covers material in AP® Physics 1 and 2. Teachers use the text to supplement lectures and have the class work through the labs. Each section contains multiple...
Curated OER
Liter8 Lesson Plan
Ninth graders create a chart of different tensions. In this algebra lesson, 9th graders use the idea of force due to gravity to explain equations and why they should always be solve equally. They complete the lab, identify mass...
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Trigonometry in Automobile - Accident Reconstruction
In this accident reconstruction worksheet, students use trigonometry and vectors to determine the speeds of automobiles in a car accident. They compute the speed at which a car skidded before a crash. This one-page worksheet contains 1...
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Acceleration and Average Speed
In this acceleration and average speed worksheet, students learn the equations for acceleration and average speed. They match 6 variables with their quantities, they identify speed vs. velocity and scalar vs. vector and they solve 4...
Physics LAB
Vertical Circular Motion
For this vertical circular motion worksheet, high schoolers answer 16 questions about given diagrams showing masses rotating in circular motion. Students find tension in strings, they find the magnitude of the critical velocity, they...
Discovery Education
Physical Oceanography and Meteorology, Navy Search and Rescue Operation
It's an ocean rescue mission! Groups must find a pilot downed off the coast of the Chesapeake Bay. Rescuers must determine the distance needed to travel as well as the heading to get to the pilot's last known position. Taking into...
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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.
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Pendulum Motion Experiments
High schoolers experiment with simple pendulums to determine the validity of an equation for all angles. Students discover the usefulnes and limitations of approximations in science. Using spreadhseets and a java applet, high schoolers...
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Multivariable Calculus: Bonus Quiz 6
In this gradient operator and gradient fields learning exercise, students determine if two vectors are gradient fields. They solve for the appropriate scalar functions of a vector variable. Students show that the gravitation al force...
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Electric Field Mapping in 3D
Students create a 3D vector field map of an electric field. For this physics lesson, students measure the voltage inside an aquarium with water. They present their findings and map to class..
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Momentum And Colliding Spheres
Students explain that mass times velocity equals momentum. They investigate the impacts of collisions and their results and determine the vector of an incident.
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Newton's Laws
Students examine and discuss Newton's Laws and discover his contribution to physics. In groups, they participate in an experiment in which they much apply the Laws to the world around them. They describe contact and conservative forces...
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Eratosthenes And Radius of the Earth
Students calculate the radius of the earth. They use the method and data suggested by Eratosthenes. They investigate the interrelationships among mass, distance, force, and time through experimental processes.
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Science: Electric Fields from Point Charges
Students examine electric fields using viewers to discover the direction of positive charges and the location of the field's strength. They experiment with positive, negative, like and opposite charges. Students also describe how...
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Distance Problems
In this distance worksheet, students determine the distance and displacement of a person who walked 40 m east and 100 m south. Then they determine the resultant velocity of a motorboat that heads due west at 10 m/s with a river current...
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Space Ship Pilot
Students visualize the relation between acceleration and velocity in 2 dimensions. They are introduced to Newton's first law,and Newton's second law. Students work on an exploration activity where they condsider an example of a...
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Phasor Mathematics
In this mathematics activity, students solve 13 questions on series, factorial, phase mathematics and calculus. They define what phasor means.
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Composition of the Atom
Learners investigate the structure of the atom and its composition. For this atom structure lesson, students find the area of cut out circles and drop pens into the circles. They count the number of marks in the circles and relate their...
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Circular Motion
A helpful physics presentation will have you talking in circles! The material covers circular motion, and includes diagrams, formulas, and example problems. When used in addition with directed instruction and a teacher-created form of...
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Investigating Newton's Second Law Of Motion
Students participate in a lesson that investigates Newton's Second Law of Motion. They conduct an experiment of observing balls that are rolled down a ramp. The lesson includes background information for the teacher for preparation and...
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Paper Suspension Bridges: You Want Me To Go Up There?
A few class periods will be required to complete this physics investigation with your high schoolers. There is an unavailable video written into the lesson plan, but there is plenty of material here to bridge the gap. Two terrific...
Bowels Physics
Torque: Rotational Statics and Rotational Dynamics
Scholars examine the application of torque in relation to motion by viewing a comprehensive presentation that explains the basic concepts related to torque and rotational motion. The lesson ends with examples showing how to calculate...
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Magnetism
All phenomena concerning magnets, their field lines and impact on objects are covered. The trivia surrounding field lines and the earth, electric charges, repulsion and attraction is plentiful. The slide show continues after twenty...
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Temperature
Several slides compare different temperature scales. Thermal expansion, heat transfer, and Maxwell speed distribution are also explored. The last two slides seem unrelated to the topic of heat, but are easily left out of this otherwise...