CK-12 Foundation
Collisions
Is momentum conserved in a collision, along with energy, or are they opposing forces? Pupils vary the mass and velocity of two bumper cars along with the type of bumper in order to answer this question. Worksheet and in-simulator...
CK-12 Foundation
Bumper Cars
Is the transfer of energy different in bumper cars with stable versus bouncy bumpers? One of the variables explored in the simulation is bumper type; other variables are the mass and velocity of each car. This allows pupils to see the...
CK-12 Foundation
Crash Test Dummy
Why are car manufactures required to install seat belts and airbags; do they really make that big of a difference? Scholars use a simulator to determine the amount of force dissipated by a seat belt and airbag in a head-on crash. This is...
It's About Time
Life (and Fewer Deaths) After Seat Belts
Seat belts reduce serious crash-related injuries and deaths by about half. Scholars continue crashing their cart with a crash test dummy into a wall, but this time, they experiment with different types of seat belts to reduce injuries....
Curated OER
Collisions Lesson
Tenth graders explore the role that collisions and near collisions of galaxies play in determining the shape of galaxies. They model the collision of disk shaped and spherically shaped galaxies.
Curated OER
Collision Course
Students measure the speed of moving marbles and use the results to calculate velocity and momentum. They analyze the events preceding a Japanese train crash.
Curated OER
Train vs. Car: Who Wins?
Ninth graders conduct an experiment demonstrating what happens when a train hits a car using easily accessible materials. They calculate momentum, velocity, and distance using the appropriate formulas. Then they write an incident report...