Students explore the physics utilized by engineers in designing today's roller coasters, including potential and kinetic energy, friction, and gravity. First, students learn that all true roller coasters are completely driven by the...

In this activity, students will use different materials to find the most effective way to use an inclined plane (in other words, moving an object with as little force as possible). This is a guided inquiry. Although the students will be...

You have probably heard the word "force" before in conversations. Here are a few examples: "the rocket had a lot of force at blast off" or "the force of the storm blew the roof off the building." What is force? Force is defined as a push...

Learners observe objects in motion down a ramp to discover how the force of friction affects an object's motion. Includes the lesson plan, vocabulary list, and extensions for students.

This slide show presentation introduces the idea of the coefficient of kinetic friction.

An animation that portrays the collision between a 3.0-kg loaded cart and a 2-kg dropped brick. It will be assumed that there are no net external forces acting upon the two objects involved in the collision. The only net force acting...

The animation portrays the collision between a 1.0-kg cart and a 2-kg dropped brick. It will be assumed that there are no net external forces acting upon the two objects involved in the collision. The only net force acting upon the two...

In this activity, students' will use a Dual range force sensor to measure the force required to pull a block across different surfaces. They will examine the results to see when more force is needed to move the block and understand the...

Explains what static and kinetic friction are and discusses the coefficient of friction for different situations. Presents two simple lab experiments and real-life examples of friction in action.

Students learn about the concept of pushing, as well as the relationship between force and mass. Students practice measurement skills using pan scales and rulers to make predictions about mass and distance. A LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT robot is...

Explore the forces at work when you try to push a filing cabinet. Create an applied force and see the resulting friction force and total force acting on the cabinet. Charts show the forces, position, velocity, and acceleration vs. time.

Use this simulation to see the results of applying a force to move an object. Analyze forces and friction using graphs.

Explore the forces at work when pulling against a cart, and pushing a refrigerator, crate, or person. Create an applied force and see how it makes objects move. Change friction and see how it affects the motion of objects.

With this hands-on lesson plan, help students understand force, gravity, friction, and speed. Students will also learn how each of these concepts affects the another.

Explore the forces at work when you try to push a filing cabinet. Create an applied force and see the resulting friction force and total force acting on the cabinet. Charts show the forces, position, velocity, and acceleration vs. time....

Forces are everywhere. Learn what they are, the characteristics of forces, different kinds of forces, and factors that affect them.

Explore the forces at work when you try to push a filing cabinet. Create an applied force and see the resulting friction force and total force acting on the cabinet. Charts show the forces, position, velocity, and acceleration vs. time....

This Science Buddies project explains how to build a mechanism that will reproducibly swing a hammer so you can determine the amount of force needed to hammer a nail through various densities of wood. The Science Buddies project ideas...

Which object takes more energy to push up a ramp: a file cabinet, a refrigerator, a piano, or a sleepy dog? Find out in this ramp simulation when you change the angle of the incline, change the objects, or change the friction on the ramp.

This lesson will introduce the concept of friction and explain how it can affect forces. It is 4 of 5 in the series titled "Friction."

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Understand the effects of magnitude of force pairs between objects. Know the differences between kinetic and static friction.

By taking a look at the energy of motion all around us, students learn about the types of energy and their characteristics. They first learn about the two simplest forms of mechanical energy: kinetic and potential energy, as illustrated...

By the end of this section, you will be able to define net force, external force, and system; understand Newton's second law of motion; and apply Newton's second law to determine the weight of an object.

Students are introduced to the concepts of torque, power, friction and gear ratios. Teams modify two robotic LEGO vehicles by changing their gear ratios, wheel sizes, weight and engine power, while staying within a limit of points to...