Curated OER
Build a Bubble-Powered Rocket
In this law of action and reaction worksheet, students build a bubble powered rocket using a film canister, paper and effervescing tablets to create bubbles inside the canister of the rocket. The pressure inside causes the canister to...
Curated OER
Forces in Action
Students investigate different forces and draw arrows to signify specific directions of force. Students are then shown a brick and they are asked to draw a diagram which will include labels for the forces that are acting on the brick....
Curated OER
Physics Motion
In this physics worksheet, students identify and locate vocabulary terms related to high school physics motion, including projectile motion. There are 46 words located in the puzzle.
Curated OER
Newton's Laws 8th Grade Activities
Eighth graders experiment with Newton's Laws by comparing the falling of different objects with different masses. Students work in teams and rotate through four different stations recording their hypotheses and observations as they go.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12 Exploration Series: Simulations: Physics: Archery
[Free Registration/Login Required] Watch this animation as an archer shoots at a target on an angle, and its horizontal and vertical paths and its velocity are explained. An interactive follows where you can manipulate the archer's...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Acids and Bases: Making a Film Canister Rocket
ZOOM cast members mix different amounts of baking soda and vinegar to see which combination produces the most carbon dioxide for launching a film-canister rocket. [3:23]
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Parachutes: Does Size Matter?
Experiment with different sizes of parachutes to find out if size matters when slowing the descent of the parachute. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an abstract, objective, and introduction,...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Parachutes and Air Resistance
By using different materials students construct a parachute to show how air resistance slows down its fall in this lesson.
American Association of Physics Teachers
Com Padre Digital Library: Open Source Physics: Free Fall Air Resistance Model
A Java-based simulation where students can observe what happens to a free-falling object, with and without air resistance. Controls allow the user to adjust settings and the results are graphed as the simulation progresses.
University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Projectile Motion
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...
Vision Learning
Visionlearning: Acceleration During Freefall
Demonstration showing how individual or multiple objects fall at the same rate.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Acceleration Due to Gravity
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] In this module, students will explore the concept of gravity, and be able to use it to perform calculations using constant acceleration.
OpenStax
Open Stax: Projectile Motion
The following interactive helps students understan how to identify and xplain the properties of a projectile, such as acceleration due to gravity, range, maximum height, and trajectory. They will determine the location and velocity of a...
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: Physics of the Flying T Shirt
Students are introduced to the physics concepts of air resistance and launch angle as they apply to catapults. This includes the basic concepts of position, velocity and acceleration and their relationships to one another. They use...
NASA
Nasa: Drag, Lesson 4
This video [12:28] shows how Newton's law of motion relates to the drag of an airplane. Watch as an instructor shows how the molecules colliding with the airplane create drag.
Physics Classroom
The Physics Classroom: Elephant and Feather: Air Resistance
The concept of air resistance is discussed in terms of why a heavier object falls faster than a lighter object when both dropped from the same height. In this discussion and animation, an elephant and feather are used as examples.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Physics/mechanics (Force and Motion)
A collection of mechanics activities. Many pertain to Newton's laws of motion. Step-by-step directions provided with illustrations. Great for teacher demos or student projects.
Discovery Education
Discovery Education: Science of Everyday Life: The Everyday Science of Sports [Pdf]
A lesson plan where students learn about the physics behind golf balls. Students evaluate different designs of golf balls to understand how their design impacts their function. After their evaluation, students will try to improve the...
Physics Classroom
The Physics Classroom: Newton's Laws
A four-lesson e-textbook covering topics in Newton's Laws. Tutorials include informational text,animations, interactive activities, and quick, interactive comprehension checks throughout the lessons.
Science Struck
Science Struck: Guide to Free Body Diagrams in Physics
A detailed explanation of the different types of forces that can be applied to an object and how to represent them in a free body diagram. Includes examples and some practice problems to try, with solutions provided.
eSchool Today
E School Today: All About Forces
Forces are everywhere. Learn what they are, the characteristics of forces, different kinds of forces, and factors that affect them.
BBC
Bbc Schools: Ks2 Bitesize: Science: Physical Processes: Friction
Use your knowledge about friction to help Carrie get to the Invigatron before someone steals it. Following the activity, read more about friction and resistance, and then take a quick quiz to check for understanding.
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Design and Launch Bottle Rockets
If you want to discover what makes rockets fly, this is an activity for you. You can even add different features, like fins, a nose cone, and a parachute to find out how these alter the flight!