It's About Time
The Mu of the Shoe
What is mu? Emerging scientists explore the coefficient of sliding friction, or mu, and apply its concepts as they complete activities in the interesting lesson. They measure the sliding friction between soles of their own athletic shoes...
Oregon State
World Map of Plate Boundaries
Young geologists piece together the puzzle of plate tectonics in an earth science lesson. Given a physical map of the world, they search for land formations that indicate the location of different types of plate boundaries.
It's About Time
Run and Jump
Has your class wondered how fast a human could run or how high they are capable of jumping? Help them understand these concepts as they explore acceleration and use an accelerometer to make semiquantitative measurements of acceleration...
Teach Engineering
Tippy Tap Plus Piping
Getting water to a tap requires an understanding the fundamentals of fluid flow. Groups design, build, and test a piping system to get water from the source — a five gallon bucket — to a tippy tap. The objective is to be able to...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: What Is Friction?
Learn about the force of friction on this reference page which defines why friction is important and how it can change physic problems.
Science Struck
Science Struck: A Comprehensive List of All the Physics Formulas
Provides a long list of physics formulas for easy reference.
Science Struck
Science Struck: Static Friction vs. Kinetic Friction: The Differences
Teaches what friction force is, the difference between static and kinetic friction, and how friction force is calculated.
Rudiments of Wisdom
Rudiments of Wisdom: Science
Browse this index to find fun, hand-drawn cartoons that simplify and explain many science topics, including atmosphere, evolution, fusion, static electricity, and time. Cartoons are created by engineer-turned-cartoonist, Tim Hunkin,...
Scholastic
Scholastic: Dirtmeister's Science Reporters: Simple Machines: The Wheel and Axle
An in-depth explanation of the wheel and axle from Scholastic. Also provides several examples and a picture for understanding.
Science Struck
Science Struck: Guide to Free Body Diagrams in Physics
A detailed explanation of the different types of forces that can be applied to an object and how to represent them in a free body diagram. Includes examples and some practice problems to try, with solutions provided.
American Association of Physics Teachers
Com Padre Digital Library: Open Source Physics: Sliding Down an Incline Plane
Here is a simulation demonstrating an object placed on an inclined plane. The user will vary the slope of the plane to see the relationship the slope has on the gravity of the object and the static friction.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: What Are Inclines?
A webpage with equations and examples of how to solve inclined planes problems. Learn how to deal with slopes when surfaces usually aren't perfectly horizontal.