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Bscs: Forces and Motion Content Background Document
In this document, we will try to answer a fundamental question of physical science, "Why do things start to move, slow down, speed up, stop moving or change direction?" In answering these core questions we can develop concepts that can...
Children's Museum
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis: Curious Scientific Investigators: Flight Adventures
Students will make paper rockets, parachutes, and foam gliders to experience how objects move through the air. Explore topics such as thrust, weight, gravity, force, and lift through fun activities and stories and cutting-edge work done...
NASA
Nasa: Newton's Theory of "Universal Gravitation"
This site, which is provided for by NASA, discusses the thinking which led Newton to understand universal gravitation.
NASA
Nasa: Kepler and His Laws
This site from NASA provides biographical details about the lives of Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler. Discusses Kepler's successes at developing laws of planeatry motion. States the three laws and discusses each one individually....
Curated OER
Zona Land: Mechanics and Vectors
An exceptional tutorial on the topic of vectors that offers many helpful graphics, some of which are interactive.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mit: Open Course Ware: Courses: Physics: Introduction to Special Relativity
College-level electrical physics course highlighting Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity. Course introduces the physics of Lorentz contraction, time dilation, the "twin paradox", and E=mc2. Course features suggested readings,...
Cosmos 4 kids
Cosmos4 Kids: Galaxy Cluster Basics
Understand what galaxy clusters are on this site which contains both information and a video.
Center of Science and Industry
Cosi Columbus: Balloon Rockets [Pdf]
Science experiment that demonstrates Newton's Third Law by launching rockets made out of balloons. Includes full list of materials, procedures, and scientific explanation of what causes balloons to shoot forward and how you can make them...
E-learning for Kids
E Learning for Kids: Science: Indian Ocean: What Are Mass Amd Weight?
Join Maria and Boris the Astronaut in their journey. Learn about mass, weight, and gravity in space.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Gravity of the Situation
Gravity of the Situation asks students to describe what role gravity plays on the movement of the three groups of kids in the video.
University of California
Ucla K 6 Physics/astronomy: Mass, Weight, and Density
This website provides explanations of mass, weight, and density with directions for building simple scales and balances. Provided as encouragement to teach these concepts to young children, it offers a good review for older students.
Wolfram Research
Wolfram Science World: Henry Cavendish (1731 1810)
Short biography of the shy chemist, Henry Cavendish. Some interesting personal information and background. Mentions all of his major work.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Acceleration Due to Gravity
Students will collect data of different massed cars and compare the acceleration down an incline.
Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)
Smile: Measuring the Gravitational Constant, G
A demonstration/lab idea for determining the numerical value of the universal gravitation constant using a torsion balance.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Using Egg Drop Activity to Promote Critical Thinking and Analysis Skills
In this multi-lesson hands-on inquiry activity, students will develop their critical thinking skills by designing and constructing an apparatus that will permit an egg to survive a nine foot fall. Given limited materials, they will...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigating Forces: Pop Bottle Rockets
In this lab, students will work on scientific inquiry skills: observation, developing questions, conducting an experiment, and collecting data. They will investigate forces using pop bottle rockets that they have designed.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Exploring Magnetism: Investigating the Forces of Magnets
Students describe and create an experiment to prove that like poles of magnets repel each other while opposite poles attract. Using the experiment, they use the data to support the claim that the repelling force is stronger than the...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Measuring Reaction Time
Students investigate each other's reaction time by measuring how far a ruler falls before they can catch it. They will interpret the data and turn in a lab report describing the procedure they used and the results they discovered.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Marble Stop
In this two-part lesson, students will discover that no matter what the shape of the track, the marble will rise to the same vertical height. They will begin to understand the concepts of gravity, motion, and force.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigating Gravity: Predicting Time to Hit the Ground
Learners will drop and shoot horizontally "Nerf" balls from a variety of known heights then record the amount of time it takes for the ball to hit the ground for each trial. They will plot height vs. time data and create a trend line for...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigating Air Resistance
In this lab, students will investigate what factors affect air resistance while introducing gravity and other forces.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Newton's Second: Having a Ball With Motion
Students will create a gravity ball launcher to demonstrate their understanding of mass, force, momentum, and motion. The students will use critical thinking, measurement, and observation and analysis of data to make changes and improve...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Egg Drop
For this physics lab, students build a container to safely deliver two eggs from the top of the school. Students calculate average velocity, acceleration, momentum, and the amount of force as it hits the ground. If their egg breaks, they...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Projectile and Satellite Orbits
This activity introduces gravity and Kepler's Laws and helps to develop an understanding of gravitational force, satellite orbits, and their dependence on the initial velocity.