Middle School Science
Middle School Science: Balloon Powered Race Cars
An idea developed by a physical science teacher who applied Newton's Laws of Motion in creating a balloon powered race car. Find simple objective, materials, rules, and procedures.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigation of Newtonian Forces on Plate Tectonics
An investigation for students to understand plate tectonics by using models to see how motion and forces act on the plates. Students can use these models to see the connection between Newtonian Laws to Earth materials. Lesson plan...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Circular Motion Lab
In this activity young scholars use a homemade circular motion machine to investigate the variables that affect circular motion. The students then graph their data in order to find mathematical relationships between the variables they...
University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Gravity Force Lab
Manipulate the mass and distance of two objects to see how these properties change the gravity force.
Michigan Reach Out
Newton's Apple: Soccer
Learning physics can help you win your next soccer game as well as prepare you for your science studies.
Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)
Smile: Lab Activity: Aviation
This site from the Illinois Institute of Technology provides a student lab activity in which the flight of a paper airplane is investigated and studied. Designed for primary grades, but easily adaptable for junior high students.
Museum of Science
Museum of Science and Industry Chicago: Online Science: Drop Eggs Into Cups
Step-by-step illustrated instructions showing how to drop four eggs into four cups without touching them. Demonstrates the concept of inertia according to Newton's first law of motion.
Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)
Smile: Momentum Conserved
This site by the Illinois Institute of Technology gives a Lab activity in which young scholars use a variety of toys to discover Newton's second law and momentum conservation. Newton's cradle, skate boards, and a toy motorcycle are...
Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)
Smile: Lab Work Forces & Acceleration
The Illinois Institute of Technology provides this site. The site contains a graphing activity which illustrates that a constant force exerted upon an object results in constant acceleration. Rolling carts and stopwatches are used to...
Yale University
Yale New Haven Teachers Institute: The Physics of Bridges
Introduce students to physics concepts that engineers use when building a bridge. This curriculum unit includes concepts such as Newton's Third Law, stress on a material, vibration, and resonance. Unit includes lectures, lab activities,...
Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)
Smile: Colliding Spheres
This lab activity from the Illinois Institute of Technology lets students investigate the impact of collisions upon the velocity and momentum of the colliding objects. Requires understanding of vectors.
Other
Uc Santa Cruz: Collisions
A physics definition of collisions with examples to illustrate the concept and related links to problems and solutions.