Interactive

Tire Forces

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

No need to tread lightly on this piece of tire rubber! Polymer science pupils observe the behavior of rubber with an interesting interactive. Users apply three different levels of force to a sample, then watch how they affect the polymer chains.

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Instructional Ideas
  • Pair the resource with a similar interactive that explores the effects of force on plastics, found here
  • Have students theorize what the function of the green atoms in the sample of rubber might be
Classroom Considerations
  • Provide additional information regarding the composition of tire rubber before using the interactive
  • Learners should be comfortable with simple polymer concepts
Pros
  • The simulation provides an opportunity to examine rubber materials at the atomic level
  • Contains a variety of control options, such as pause and rewind, to help with pacing
Cons
  • None