Download Energy Car - CPO Science

Energy Car
With the Energy Car, students can explore
speed, force, velocity, acceleration, Newton's
Laws, graphs of motion, conservation of
energy, conservation momentum, and more.
Excellent versatility and a variety of options
allow students to control multiple variables
while performing fun and engaging
experiments. Change the mass of the cars by
50%, 100% or 150%. Perform elastic and nonelastic collisions. Make calculations with
friction. Measure speed and acceleration with
precision. Set it up as a one-meter straight
track or as a slope and level combo track, and
more!
Next Generation Science Standards Connection
The investigations in this CPO Science Link module build conceptual understanding and skills for the following
NGSS Performance Expectations:
 MS-PS2-1. Apply Newton’s Third Law to design a solution to a problem involving the motion of two colliding
objects.
 MS-PS2-2. Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object’s motion depends on the sum of
the forces on the object and the mass of the object.
 MS-PS2-4. Construct and present arguments using evidence to support the claim that gravitational interactions
are attractive and depend on the masses of interacting objects.
 MS-PS3-1. Construct and interpret graphical displays of data to describe the relationships of kinetic energy to the
mass of an object and to the speed of an object.
 HS-PS2-1. Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical
relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration.
 HS-PS2-2. Use mathematical representations to support the claim that the total momentum of a system of objects
is conserved when there is no net force on the system.
 HS-PS2-4. Use mathematical representations of Newton’s Law of Gravitation and Coulomb’s Law to describe and
predict the gravitational and electrostatic forces between objects.
 HS-PS3-2. Develop and use models to illustrate that energy at the macroscopic scale can be accounted for as a
combination of energy associated with the motions of particles (objects) and energy associated with the relative
positions of particles (objects).
CPO Science Link Energy Car
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Energy Car
This CPO Science Link module includes 15-20 inquiry-based investigations.
Sample content and skills covered include the following:
Concept
Key Question
Learning Goals
Vocabulary
Level A Investigations
Measuring Time
How do we
accurately
measure
time?
• Accurately measure time.
time
interval,
reaction
time
Experiments and
Variables
How do you
design a valid
experiment?
• Set up an experiment.
• Explain the difference between control and
experimental variables.
• Discuss why conducting multiple
experimental trials is better than gathering
only one set of data.
experiment
Speed
Can you predict the
speed of the car as it
moves down the
track?
• Predict what happens to the car’s speed as it
travels down the track.
• Create and interpret a speed vs. position
graph.
• Use a graph to make a prediction that can be
quantitatively tested.
• Calculate the percent error between a
measurement and a prediction.
variable
control
variable
experimental
variable
ti l
speed
average speed
instantaneous
speed
Acceleration
What is acceleration?
• Define acceleration.
• Analyze position versus time and speed
versus time graphs to explain changes in
motion of the
• Energy car in terms of acceleration.
• Apply the acceleration formula to solve
problems.
acceleration,
position
Friction
How does
friction affect
motion?
• Observe the effects of air, rolling, and sliding
friction.
• Compare the effects of air, rolling, and sliding
friction on an object’s motion.
friction, force,
sliding friction,
static friction, air
friction, rolling
friction
Newton's First and
Second
Laws
What is the
relationship
between force and
motion?
• Describe how a net force impacts motion.
• Explain the meaning of acceleration.
• Use observations to interpret Newton’s first
and second laws of motion.
Newton’s first law
Newton's Third Law
What happens
when equal and
opposite forces are
exerted on a pair
of Energy Cars?
• Explain the meaning of action-reaction
forces.
• Apply knowledge of Newton’s first and
second laws to explain the resulting force
when
• objects experience equal and opposite
forces.
• Observe examples of Newton’s third law.
Newton’s third
law, inertia,
mass, net force
CPO Science Link Energy Car
Newton’s second
law acceleration
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Concept
Collisions
Key Question
Learning Goals
Vocabulary
Why do things
bounce back when
they collide?
• Describe action-reaction force pairs.
• Explain what happens when objects collide in
terms of Newton’s third law.
collisions,
momentum,
conservation of
momentum,
velocity
Time, Distance, and
Speed
How is motion
described and
measured in
physics?
• Measure time intervals
• Calculate speed from time interval
measurements
• Graph position vs. time for car traveling down
track
time, distance,
speed, position,
graph, x-axis, yaxis, variable,
system, energy
Systems, Energy, and
Change
Why do things
change? Why do
things change by
only a certain
amount?
• Calculate speed from time interval
measurements
• Identify variables in an experiment
• Control variables in an experiment
variable,
system,
control
variable,
experimental
Newton's First Law
Why are heavier
objects harder to
start moving or stop
from moving?
• Recognize that force is needed to change an
object’s motion.
• Explain Newton’s first law.
• Describe how inertia and mass are related.
mass, inertial,
Newton’s first
law
Newton's Second Law
What is force?
What is the
relationship
between force
and motion?
• Define and calculate acceleration.
• Explain the relationship between force,
mass, and acceleration.
• Determine mass, acceleration, or force given
two of the quantities.
acceleration,
deceleration,
Newton’s second
law
Newton's Third Law
What makes moving
objects keep going at
the same speed in
the same direction?
• Use Newton’s third law to explain various
situations.
• Explain the relationship between Newton’s
third law and momentum conservation.
• Solve recoil problems.
Newton’s third
law, momentum,
Level B Investigations
impulse, law of
conservation of
momentum
Collisions and
Restraints
What is the best
way to minimize
forces during a
collision?
• Describe action-reaction force pairs.
• Explain what happens when objects collide in
terms of
• Newton’s third law.
• Apply the law of conservation of momentum
when describing the motion of colliding objects.
Newton’s third
law, momentum,
law of
conservation of
momentum
Energy in a System
How is energy
related to
motion?
• Discuss the meaning of a system.
• Describe the motion of car in terms of energy.
• Infer that objects possess either energy due to
their position or energy due to their motion.
Energy
joule
(J)
system
potential
energy kinetic
energy
CPO Science Link Energy Car
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Concept
Key Question
Learning Goals
Vocabulary
Conservation of
Energy
What limits how
much a system
may change?
• Analyze a speed versus height graph.
• Calculate potential energy.
• Use energy conservation to derive a formula for
the speed of the car in terms of energy.
law of
conservation of
energy
Energy and Efficiency
How well is energy
changed from one
form to another?
• Compare the energy of an object before and
after being accelerated by a rubber band to
determine the efficiency of energy transfer
law of
conservation of
energy
How does a
system get
energy?
• Define work in terms of force and distance
and in terms of energy.
• Calculate the work done when moving an
object.
• Explain the relationship between work and
power.
power,
watt,
How does gravity
work on a ramp?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Level C Investigations
Work and Energy
Motion on a Ramp
Studying Two-Part
Motion
What happens to
the Energy Car as it
travels down a hill
and across a flat
section of track?
CPO Science Link Energy Car
Measure acceleration
Calculate the steepness of a hill
Analyze motion on a ramp
Calculate speed and acceleration
Graph acceleration
Use Newton’s second law to calculate force
• Predict the effects of a ramp with sloped and
level sections on acceleration and speed.
• Observe the motion of an object.
• Analyze the motion of an object in order to
describe speed and acceleration in terms of
distance and time.
horsepower
displacement,
projectile,
trajectory,
parabola, range
acceleration
average speed
instantaneous
speed
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