Lesson Planet
Search educational resources
  • Sign In Try It Free
  • AI Teacher Tools
    • Discover Resources Search reviewed educational resources by keyword, subject, grade, type, and more
    • Curriculum Manager (My Content) Manage saved and uploaded resources and folders To Access the Curriculum Manager Sign In or Join Now
    • Browse Resource Directory Browse educational resources by subject and topic
    • Curriculum Calendar Explore curriculum resources by date
    • Lesson Planning Articles Timely and inspiring teaching ideas that you can apply in your classroom
    • Our Story
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Testimonials
    • Contact Us
  • Pricing
  • School Access
    • Your school or district can sign up for Lesson Planet — with no cost to teachers
      Learn More
  • Sign In
  • Try It Free

Hi, what do you want to do?

Create a lesson plan
Create a lesson plan
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Find a teaching resource
Find a teaching resource
Forces and Motion: Basics InteractiveForces and Motion: Basics Interactive
Publisher
PHET
Resource Details
Curator Rating
Educator Rating
Not yet Rated
Grade
6th - 12th
Subjects
Science
1 more...
Resource Type
Interactives
Audience
For Teacher Use
Duration
45 mins
Instructional Strategy
Simulation
Technology
Internet Access
Year
2017
Usage Permissions
Creative Commons
BY: 4.0
cc
Interactive

Forces and Motion: Basics

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

How is tug of war related to pushing a refrigerator? Here's a simulation connects these two activities with Newton's First Law of Motion. Four different simulations allow scholars to explore net force with tug of war, motion with pushing a cart, friction with moving a refrigerator, and acceleration when players change masses, speed, friction, and other variables.

210 Views 192 Downloads
CCSS: Adaptable

Concepts

force, motion, friction, speed, newton's first law of motion

Additional Tags

science

Instructional Ideas

  • Set up a tug of war game in an open area after completing the net force portion of the simulation
  • Create worksheets for individuals to predict the direction of motion when there are a combination of forces acting upon the item

Classroom Considerations

  • Requires the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Internet Explorer 10+ depending on the operating system being used
  • While the simulation is for middle and high school learners, one lesson includes elementary pupils

Pros

  • Includes links to lessons, labs, homework, and more that have been created by teachers to go along with the simulation
  • Translates the activity into 23 different languages
  • Provides ideas for simplifying the simulation to allow for differentiation

Cons

  • None

Common Core

RST.6-8.4 RST.9-10.4 RST.11-12.4

See similar resources:

Lesson Plan

Motion, Forces, Energy and Electricity

Curated OER
What a wonderful way to explore motion and forces! Learners design a catapult, after watching a video and discussing types of catapults. This is a comprehensive and complete instructional activity with links to supplementary resources.
K - 8th Science
Interactive

Forces and Motion

PHET
The average American will move 12 times, which results in a lot of moving furniture! Class members consider the forces required to move objects with a creative simulation that opens with the forces required to push a filing cabinet....
6th - 12th Science
CCSS: Adaptable
Interactive

Forces in 1 Dimension

PHET
A realistic simulation uses charts to show forces, position, velocity, and acceleration versus time based on how the simulation is set up. Once those concepts are mastered, scholars use free body diagrams to explain how each graph...
6th - Higher Ed Science
CCSS: Adaptable
Interactive

University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Forces and Motion: Basics

University of Colorado
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.
9th - 10th Science
Interactive

University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Forces and Motion

University of Colorado
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.
9th - 10th Science
Interactive

University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Forces and Motion: Basics

University of Colorado
See how forces affect various items that are pushed or pulled.
9th - 10th Science
Activity

University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Projectile Motion

University of Colorado
An interactive simulation that teaches about kinematics, air resistance, and parabolic curve by shooting a car out of a cannon while trying to hit a target. Observe how changes in angle, initial speed, mass, air resistance, and drag...
9th - 10th Science
Interactive

University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Forces in One Dimension

University of Colorado
Use this simulation to see the results of applying a force to move an object. Analyze forces and friction using graphs.
9th - 10th Science
Interactive

University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Forces and Motion

University of Colorado
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....
9th - 10th Science
Activity

Physics Tug of War

Teach Engineering
Slide books with a little assistance from Newton. Using books, groups create a demonstration of Newton's Second Law of motion. Pupils compare the distance traveled by one and two books when they apply a force to them.
5th - 7th Math
CCSS: Designed
Try It Free
© 1999-2026 Learning Explorer, Inc.
Teacher Lesson Plans, Worksheets and Resources

Sign up for the Lesson Planet Monthly Newsletter

Open Educational Resources (OER)

  • Health
  • Language Arts
  • Languages
  • Math
  • Physical Education
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • Special Education
  • Visual and Performing Arts
View All Lesson Plans

Discover Resources

  • Our Review Process
  • How it Works
  • How to Search
  • Create a Collection

Manage Curriculum

  • Edit a Collection
  • Assign to Students
  • Manage My Content
Contact Us Site Map Privacy Policy Terms of Use