It's About Time
Circular Motion
Lead your class in this exciting activity to learn more about motion and its importance. Pupils learn about a centripetal and why it is required to maintain a constant speed in a circulating moving mass. They apply the equation for...
Exploratorium
Momentum Machine
If you have a rotating office chair in your classroom, you can have physics pupils participate in this simple, yet effective demonstration of angular momentum. One partner sits in the chair, arms outstretched, holding heavy weights. The...
Exploratorium
Balancing Stick
Have some physical science fun when studying the center of gravity or center of mass. Simply have balancing artists stand a dowel on one finger and keep it from falling over! A lump of clay is added and moved up along the dowel over a...
Star Date
Shadow Play
Three activities make up a solar system lesson that features the sun, its light, and the shadows it produces. Scholars step outside to discover the changes shadows make at different times of day, take part in a demonstration of...
It's About Time
AC and DC Currents
An informative physics lesson includes two teacher demonstrations, one on AC currents and the other on DC currents, allowing pupils to take notes while watching. The resource includes questions to assign as homework or...
Curated OER
Symmetries of Rectangles
Learners explore mapping a rectangle onto itself using rigid motion concepts, geometric intuition and experimenting with manipulatives in a collaborative task.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Circular Motion
This activity will examine the student's comprehension of the basic rotational motion concepts in the field of physics.
Other
Rotational Dynamics
Excellent site explaining rotational dynamics including work. Site includes links to related topics.
Other
Institute of Physics: Experimental Test of F=mv Squared/r
In this class practical students are challenged to measure the variables involved in circular motion, to find out whether the formula for centripetal acceleration, F + mv squared/R, is reasonable.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Circular Motion
In UCM, the net force called Fc is equal to mv2/r and is directed toward the center. This is demonstrated by an object that is suspended by a string and is moving in a circular path which makes a conical pendulum. In this experiment, you...
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Bicycle Wheel Gyro
Description of a museum exhibit in which the spinning bicycle wheel induces the rotation of a student in a rotating chair. Excellent demonstration idea.
Center of Science and Industry
Cosi Columbus: Bottle "Tops"
Learn about rotation and balance in this hands-on science experiment. Includes full list of materials, procedures, and scientific explanation of how wobbling affects the "spin time" of an object due to it being unbalanced.
University of Maryland
Thinking Problems in Oscillations and Waves: Pendulum
A series of thought-intensive, multichoice questions concerning pendulums and provided for by the University of Maryland. A downloadable software program on pendulums is also included.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Gyroscope
Description of a museum exhibit in which the forces exerted by two gyroscope wheels are analyzed. Excellent demonstration idea.