Curated OER
Rockets
Students explain the basics of rocketry and explain the relationships between mass, acceleration, and thrust.
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Efficient Propeller Design
There's a lot to understand about the simple propeller to see how it affects lift and thrust in an airplane or helicopter. This Science Buddies project gives you lots of ideas on how to change the design of the propeller to achieve...
University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Lunar Lander
An interactive simulation that teaches about the lunar landing, the moon, and mass by observing how changes in mass and thrust affect fuel consumption while trying to avoid a boulder field and put a lunar lander on the moon. This...
NASA
Nasa: Aerodynamics Index
Are you studying or teaching Aerodynamics? This page acts as an index to all the terminology related to this topic. Clicking on any title will open a page with a colored slide and a scientific explanation of the contents. Animated,...
NASA
Nasa: Welcome to the Beginner's Guide to Propulsion
What is propulsion and how does it work? This NASA site provides an animated example plus many details related to its use in jet engines.
OpenStax
Open Stax: Newton's Third Law of Motion: Symmetry in Forces
In the following interactive students will begin to understand Newton's third law of motion and also apply it to define systems and solve problems of motion.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Into Space!
While building and testing model rockets fueled by antacid tablets, students are introduced to the basic physics concepts on how rockets work. Students revise and improve their initial designs. Note: This activity is similar to the...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Flying With Style
As students begin to understand the physics behind thrust, drag, and gravity and how these relate these to Newton's three laws of motion, groups assemble and launch the rockets that they designed in the associated lesson.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Adaptations for Aeronautical Engineering
This activity first asks the students to study the patterns of bird flight and understand that four main forces affect the flight abilities of a bird. They will study the shape, feather structure, and resulting differences in the pattern...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Up, Up and Away! Airplanes
The airplanes unit begins with a lesson on how airplanes create lift, which involves a discussion of air pressure and how wings use Bernoulli's Principle to change air pressure. Following the lessons on lift, students explore the other...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Houston, We Have a Problem!
Students apply their mathematics and team building skills to explore the concept of rocketry.Throughout the design process, teamwork is emphasized since the most successful launches occur when groups work effectively to generate creative...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Lifter (Ehd Thrusters)
Students teams each assemble a wing component of a lifter with the goal to test the lifter wing and measure the force exerted when high voltage is applied to it. After an introduction to torque and its use to measure force, students...
NASA
Glenn Research Center: Newton's Laws of Motion
NASA presents a concise explanation of Newton's three laws of motion. Click on the highlighted vocabulary to find more detailed and illustrated descriptions. Included is a link to a movie that shows how the laws of motion described the...
Other
Nye Thermodynamics: Basic Gas Turbine Theory
Outstanding information (and a lot of it) on gas turbine (jet) engines. Describes the history behind their development and the theory behind their operation. Well written and includes very informative graphics.
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...
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Paper Airplanes
At this site students will use origami to fold a paper airplane that fly better than the classic dart airplane.
South Carolina Educational Television
Etv: Nasa Online: Flight: Thrust
An introduction to thrust and how it relates to airplanes, told in an animated format.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: You're a Pushover!
The purpose of this activity is to demonstrate Newton's 3rd Law of Motion, which is the physical law that governs thrust in aircraft. The students will do several activities that show that for every action there is an equal and opposite...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Strawkets and Thrust
In this activity, students investigate the effect that thrust has on rocket flight. Students will make two paper rockets that they can launch themselves by blowing through a straw. These "strawkets" will differ in diameter, such that...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Fuel Mystery Dis Solved!
In this activity, students investigate the simulated use of solid rocket fuel by using an antacid tablet. Students observe the effect that surface area and temperature has on chemical reactions. Also, students compare the reaction time...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Aqua Thrusters!
In this activity, students construct their own rocket-powered boat called an "aqua-thruster." These aqua-thrusters will be made from a film canister and will use carbon dioxide gas - produced from a chemical reaction between an antacid...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Pop Rockets
Students design and build a paper rocket around a film canister, which is used as the engine. An antacid tablet and water are put into the canister, react to form carbon dioxide gas, and act as the pop rocket's propellant. With the lid...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: May the Force Be With You: Lift
Students revisit Bernoulli's Principle (Lesson 1 of the Airplanes unit) and learn how engineers use this principle to design airplane wings. Airplane wings create lift by changing the pressure of the air around it. This is the first of...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: May the Force Be With You: Thrust
In this lesson, students will study how propellers and jet turbines generate thrust. This lesson focuses on Isaac Newton's 3rd Law of Motion, which states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.