Curated OER
Avalanche!
Students explain that when forces on an object are balanced, the motion of object does not change. They describe how an object changes its motion when forces on it are unbalanced. They plan and conduct a scientific investigation to test...
Curated OER
Elements of Physics: Motion, Force and Gravity
Students research about different human space explorations conducted by NASA. In this physical science lesson, students discuss why space exploration is important. They write a paper about their thoughts on continuing NASA's space...
NASA
Rocket Wind Tunnel
Using a teacher-built wind tunnel constructed from a paper concrete tube form, a fan, and a balance, individuals determine the amount of drag their rocket design will experience in flight. Pupils make modifications to increase the...
Curated OER
Balanced Forces
High schoolers 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...
Teach Engineering
Get Me Off This Planet
What do Newton's Laws have to do with getting from Earth to Mars?The activities in this resource show how Newton's Laws work with rockets to get them into space. Background information includes facts about orbits and how orbits...
Curated OER
Robot Gears
Young scholars build simple gear trains and record data to discover how to compute gear ratios. They investigate the definition of torque and how torque can be increased or decreased in a gear train.
Curated OER
Action-Reaction! Rocket
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...
Physics Classroom
Action-Reaction Lab
Computer-interfaced motion detectors are required to carry out this inquiry. It is a new twist on exploring motion with plunger carts: they are set back-to-back and then propelled away from each other. Their velocities are measured, and...
Curated OER
Weightlessness
Eighth graders study weight, force and mass as it pertains to the earths pull. In this weightlessness lesson students are divided into groups and complete an activity.
Curated OER
How Do Airplanes Get Off the Ground
Students construct various types of paper airplanes, exploring action and reaction forces by conducting a paper airplane rodeo. Students then discuss how Newton's Third Law of Motion affected their planes.
Curated OER
MEASURING THE GRAVITATIONAL CONSTANT, G
Students study gravitational force an. In this gravitational force lesson students observe a demonstration.
Cornell University
Buoyancy
Swimmers know to float by turning their bodies horizontally rather than vertically, but why does that make a difference? In an interesting lesson, scholars explore buoyancy and the properties of air and water. They test cups to see which...
Curated OER
Newton and his Laws
Students explore Newton's laws, including what they state, and what the intuitive meaning is of the first and third laws.
Curated OER
Newton's Second Law
Students examine how physical quantities and laws depend distance, mass and time. They examine the MKS system; meter, kilogram and second, for doing calculations.
Curated OER
Calibrating a Roverbot
Pupils build and program a Lego Mindstorms Roverbot to travel for a given amount of time. They gather data on time versus distance traveled to determine a calibration constant for their robot, which relates time to distance.
Curated OER
TE Activity: Build Your Own Mobile
Students inquire into how the center of mass is the key factor in designing cars. They construct an oddly shaped object and determine its center of mass. They find that engineers are able to predict how objects will behave while they are...
Curated OER
Newton's Laws
Students state Newton's Laws of Motion. They explain how force, mass and acceleration are related. They analyze action and reaction forces, calculate momentum,
and explain conservation of momentum
Curated OER
Principles of Flight
Students explore the principles of flight. In this flight lesson, students construct a model plane and investigate the forces acting on the flier. They will measure the thrust and calculate the stored energy.
Curated OER
Civil Engineering: Designing Bridges
Students examine the bridges of the United States. They discuss the concept of balance. They draw their own design of a suspension bridge.
Curated OER
The Pork With Torque
Students determine the torque of CEENBoTs wheel hub. In this physics lesson, students reinforce their learning by exploring interactive websites on torque. They give real life applications of torque.
Curated OER
Earth's Orbit Lesson
Tenth graders devise a computational model to explore how the orbit of the Earth might change if its velocity were different. Using accurately recorded data, 10th graders defend a scientific argument.
Curated OER
Swinging on a String
Students explore how pendulums work and why they are useful in everyday applications. In a hands-on activity, they experiment with string length, pendulum weight and angle of release.
Curated OER
Rockets and Payloads
Young scholars investigate Newton's Second Law of Motion as they predict the effect of a payload on the amount of energy needed to lift a rocket vertically. The constraints of the weight of the equipment carried to Mars is compared to...
Curated OER
PHYSICS OF FLIGHT
Ninth graders study the basic principles of flight, including the Bernoulli Principle and Newton's Laws. They construct and study model aircraft