Using a hands-on approach, learners explore the effect of friction on objects. Learners use toy cars, shoes, wood, metal, and more to experiment with the causes and effects of friction. Afterwards, they conduct experiments in which they...

Students create a car using physics. In this forces and motion lesson, students create a car and test which changes in design change the performance of the car. Students complete a graphic organizer with the different changes...

Become a pinball wizard by understanding acceleration. Mia and Sam define acceleration for the audience and touch on the property of inertia. Get your physical science class up to speed by showing this little video, reviewing the...

Who knew F=MA could determine the force of a free-falling elevator? Give your class this set of thirteen word problems for practice determining force, mass, and acceleration of everyday objects. One question introduces an object in...

Host a design challenge of Olympic proportion! Junior engineers build their own bobsleds using simple materials. The activity focuses on kinetic and potential energy and how the center of mass affects motion on a downhill track....

Fourth graders explore friction. They examine the effects of friction in the movement of objects. Students discover how friction helps and hinders us in our daily lives. They answer questions and participate in activities to demonstrate...

Students are able to analyze gravity as an universal force. They are able to demonstrate ways that simple machines can change force. Students are able to determine how the force of friction retards motion. They are able to describe...

Each of the slides here gives a definition, equation, or calculation example for a component of force and motion. This large collection covers topics from momentum and Newton's laws to centripetal forces and simple machines. Animations...

By rolling marbles down a six-foot length of track, physical scientists determine how much energy is lost to heat. It is recommended that you opt for the foam pipe insulation track because more friction slows the marble, allowing...

Young scholars explore the force of friction between materials. In this physics lesson, students participate in an experiment using various materials such as wood, waxed paper, and aluminum foil and explore which item produced the most...

Is your class struggling with Newton's Second Law? Then show them a presentation that covers everything physics scholars need to know about forces. Starting with gravity, the slides focus on Newton's Laws of Motion, and end with an...

Aspiring aeronautical engineers demonstrate different forces as they construct and test paper airplanes. This lesson plan links you to a website that models the most effective paper airplane design, an animation describing the forces...

Twisting and turning through the sky, roller coasters are popular attractions at amusement parks around the world, but how exactly do they work? Explore the physics behind these thrilling rides with an engineering design activity....

Give every type of learner in your physics class an opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned throughout the year. From analyzing tables and graphs, to evaluating diagrams and solving problems, there is an outstanding variety of...

Force equals mass times acceleration. Physics whizzes apply this formula to six different diagrams, solving eight acceleration problems in all. This is a practical assignment, perfect for homework when practicing Newton's second law of...

Learners discuss force, gravity, and friction as well as examples of each based on what they viewed during a Discovery video. They examine first hand the effect of forces by building their own luge track, making predictions, and testing...

Rolling for momentum. As part of a study of mechanical energy, momentum, and friction, class members experiment rolling a ball down an incline and having it collide with a cup. Groups take multiple measurements and perform...

Students examine the topics of ocean waves, currents, and tides. They locate and label ocean currents on a world map, conduct experiments, analyze key vocabulary, view demonstrations and record the data, and complete handouts.

Friction is a force that can be felt, which means that learners with visual impairments can experiment to feel and understand the concept of friction. They slide a rock along a smooth table, and then they slide a rock across sandpaper,...

Wow! Colorful and simple, these 160 slides introduce the various forms of energy, along with a relevant image. Some of the images are animations, which help beginning physical scientists to visualize the flow of electrons or energy! This...

Planning a physics unit on energy can take a lot of work, luckily this instructional presentation is here to help. Covering everything from work and energy to elastic collisions and the conservation of momentum, this comprehensive...

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...

Define six common forces: propulsion, air resistance, water resistance, friction, gravity, and upthrust. A picture of a Smart Car is displayed with arrows showing all of the forces acting on it when it is motion. A picture of a rubber...

In this work worksheet, learners determine the amount of work done on moving objects given the speed of the objects. They also determine the work done on objects given the measurement of force and the angle above the horizontal at which...