Cornell University
Friction
Friction and gravity are always at odds! Learners complete a set of activities to explore the relationship between friction and gravity. Groups make conclusions about the factors that affect the amount and type of friction between surfaces.
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Air Resistance and Friction
Physics learners experiment with three laboratory activities to learn about air resistance and friction. First, they use a hair dryer to move different sized spheres to determine the relationship between cross-sectional area and air...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Effects of Friction on a Moving Block
Students investigate how friction affects the movement of a block across surface areas. They test five different kinds of surfaces—smooth surface, wax paper, a paper towel, course, and fine sandpaper. They predict and record the results...
DiscoverE
Friction in Action
There's no need to have friction among instructors regarding the resource. Pupils investigate how marbles and coins slide along different surfaces which gives them information to estimate coefficients of friction.
Space Awareness
Let's Break the Particles
Build learning by breaking atoms! Young scientists study the way energy changes with a hands-on activity. As they roll steel marbles down a ramp, learners test the hypothesis that kinetic energy does not go away with friction or...
Curated OER
Friction
Young scholars compare and contrast the movement of objects on different surfaces, experimenting with friction and forces of motion. This friction lesson has numerous online tools including worksheets and virtual activities; the option...
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Sports and Science
Using footballs, basketballs, tennis balls, and more, learners conduct experiments to illustrate Newton's Laws of Motion. The experiments are conducted outside, and require them to throw, kick, and hit a variety of balls. Your class...
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Roller Coasters
Twisting and turning through the sky, roller coasters are popular attractions at amusement parks around the world, but how exactly do they work? Explore the physics behind these thrilling rides with an engineering design activity....
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Friction in Our Lives
Students explore force and friction. In this force and friction lesson, students discover everyday examples of how friction helps and hinders things we do. Students create a ramp to test the speed of their car. Students use different...
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Science in Focus: Force and Motion
Students explore force and motion through a series of experiments. In this physics lesson plan, students create and interpret speed graphs. They build an electromagnet and explain the factors affecting its strength.
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Design a Bobsled
Learners apply their knowledge of friction, drag, mass and gravity as they design, build, and test mini-bobsleds.
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Heat, Temperature, and Transfer
Physical science scholars discover an array of heat sources. They experiment to connect radiation to heat. They begin to understand thermal equilibrium. Then, they test to see if mass affects the rate of temperature change. Choose a few,...
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TE Lesson: Factors Affecting Friction
Students investigate the effect of weight on normal friction or the friction due to surface roughness. They tell about the effects of contact area that occurs as a result of molecular attraction by looking at data on line graphs.
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Sliders - Static and Kinetic Friction
Learners work in groups to conduct experiments the demonstrate the differences between static and kinetic friction. They consider how friction affects us in our everyday lives, determine the effects of weight on friction and complete a...
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Rocket Science 101
Students explore the aspects of Newton's First and Third Laws of Motion as they conduct controlled rocketry experiments and analyze the Mars Mission in terms of the principles of rocketry.
Captain Planet Foundation
Solar Cooking Race
Study heat transfer with activities that focus on how heat energy works. Using a solar cooker, ice cubes, and heat transfer bracelets, kids experiment and record what they find by keeping ice cubes cold and vegetables hot.
Curated OER
Forces in Action
Second graders experiment to understand how force is effected by friction. In this forces in action lesson, 2nd graders view a website to simulate what happens when the height of a ramp is changed. Students participate in an experiment...
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Red Light, Green Light
Students investigate the friction between tires and the road and how it affects the movement of cars while driving. They discuss and define friction, experiment with sandpaper and wax paper to determine which material provides the least...
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Introduction to Friction
Students study the properties of the frictional force between two surfaces in contact. They inspect various phenomena in nature where friction plays an important role and demonstrate
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Hovercraft Racers!
Students gain first-hand experience on how friction affects motion. They build a hovercraft using air from a balloon to levitate a craft made from a compact disk (CD), learning that a bed of air under an object significantly reduces the...
Curated OER
Surface Friction and Wear Characteristics of Common Materials
Students identify the factors affecting friction. In this physics lesson, students construct their own rocket car and race them. They graph the average speeds and discuss how lubricants affect friction between rubbing surfaces.
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Force
Fifth graders move a variety of objects in different ways to observe the different forces. For this physics lesson, 5th graders observe pushing, pulling, gravity, and friction. The hands-on component, and teamwork involved, should make...
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Simple Machines I - Inclined Planes, Wedges, and Screws
The principles and uses of inclined planes, screws, and wedges are the focus of a science lesson. In it, youngsters come up with every day examples of simple machines, and build an example of one in class. That project is then used to...
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Newton's First Law of Motion with a Yo-Yo
Fourth graders are introduced to, summarize, analyze and memorize Newton's First Law of Motion and experiment demonstrating the theory with a yo-yo. They state, sing, draw, or enact Newton's First Law of Motion several times and with...