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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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Newton's Second Law of Motion with Simple Machines
First graders study Newton's Second Law of Motion before demonstrating the concept with a simple machine. They sing a song about speed, force, mass, and acceleration. They use simple machines to demonstrate how objects that have a higher...
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Numerical Determination of Drag Coefficients
Students create a video of an object falling with a drag. In this physics lesson, students calculate drag coefficient using data from Logger Pro. They calculate velocity and acceleration of the object.
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Vectors
Students differentiate distance and displacement. In this physics instructional activity, students use formulas to calculate for displacement. They draw vectors using the grid.
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Hit and Run
Pupils explore data collection in this lesson. They investigate distance vs. time and velocity vs. time graphs using information collected with a CBR 2 to simulate the reconstruction of an accident.
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An Introduction to Sensors
Students research the International System (SI) of units of measurements. They make measurements using the metric system. They study key concepts used in building and use of sensors, how sensors work and their role in measuring...
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Gravity
Students explore gravitational force. Through experimentation, students observe the acceleration of objects when they fall. They examine air resistance, and how the human body is attracted to the earth. Students discover the...
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Pendulum Motion Experiments
Students 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, students observe the...
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May The Fastest Toy Win
Students determine which wind-up toy is the fastest. However, they can NOT race the toys. They must find another way. On the first day of the activity, students work in pairs or small groups to develop and write a plan.
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Building the Car (Mechanics and Motion)
Students design and begin building a car out of K'NEX parts after a class discussion on the components of the car, the constraints and goals of the design, the type of testing that will be performed, and a demonstration of a basic...
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Bouncing Ball Experiment
Students collect data for a bouncing ball and select one bounce to analyze. They explore the relationship between velocity, position and acceleration. They seek out connections between the graphs and the physical motion of the ball.
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Hang Time
Students use the equation to calculate the vertical distance an object fall during 1 second in 1/10 second increments. (The acceleration due to gravity on the Earth=a= 9.8 m/s2) Using a graphing calculator, students plot the path of a...
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Frames of Reference: The Basics
Students learn the concept of frames of reference in physics. They examine how two frames of reference, each moving with respect to the other with a constant velocity v (constant speed, constant direction).
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#22 Frames of Reference: The Basics
Young scholars explore the concept of frames of reference in physics.
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Graphing Your Motion-Day 1
Ninth graders explore the concepts of motion, velocity and acceleration through graphing their own movement using LoggerPro. They become more familiar with the computer technology. Students explore graphing in real time and graph on...
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Animating Motion
Students apply what they recall about objects in motion by animati ng sequences of pictures that model a set of physical conditions. They animate the orbital motions of the Earth, the space shuttle, and the Moon based on calculations of...
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Determining Momentum and Energy Loss of Balls Colliding Against Different Surfaces
Students experiment with the bounce of balls on various surfaces. In this physics lesson plan, students use various surfaces to bounce balls to study the momentum. This hands-on activity with the concepts of elasticity of surfaces which...
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Matter and Energy
Students explore energy by completing a science worksheet in class. In this principles of matter lesson, students define the vocabulary terms force, gravity, nuclear, and electromagnetic before reading assigned text about energy....
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Newton's Laws of Motion
Ninth graders utilize Newton's Laws of Motion to explain how things move, create poster illustrating each law of motion, and present and explain their poster to classmates.
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Impulse and Momentum
Students are introduced to the concepts of impulse and momentum and problem solving strategies for these types of problems. In groups, they discover the law of conservation of momentum and share their answers with the class.
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Work-Kinetic Energy Theorem
Students prove the validity of the Work-Kinetic Energy Theorem by analyzing the Car and Driver website which lists qualitative and quantitative data about an assigned car. They decide whether or not they would purchase the car based on...
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Angles: Angles, Angles, Everywhere
Students practice estiminating and measuring angles. After watching a short video, they identify angles in objects in the classroom and their homes. In groups, they participate in activities in which they are given a scenerio and are...
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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.
Cornell University
Catapults
Ready, aim, fire! Launch to a new level of understanding as scholars build and test their own catapults. Learners explore lever design and how adjusting the fulcrum changes the outcome.