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Standard 12 : Motion
This document was generated on CPALMS - www.cpalms.org
A. Motion can be measured and described qualitatively and quantitatively. Net forces create a
change in motion. When objects travel at speeds comparable to the speed of light, Einstein's
special theory of relativity applies.
B. Momentum is conserved under well-defined conditions. A change in momentum occurs when
a net force is applied to an object over a time interval.
C. The Law of Universal Gravitation states that gravitational forces act on all objects irrespective
of their size and position.
D. Gases consist of great numbers of molecules moving in all directions. The behavior of gases
can be modeled by the kinetic molecular theory.
E. Chemical reaction rates change with conditions under which they occur. Chemical equilibrium
is a dynamic state in which forward and reverse processes occur at the same rates.
Number: SC.912.P.12
Title: Motion
Type: Standard
Subject: Science
Grade: 912
Body of Knowledge: Physical Science
Related Benchmarks
Code
SC.912.P.12.1:
Description
Distinguish between scalar and vector quantities and assess
which should be used to describe an event.
Remarks/Examples:
Distinguish between vector quantities (e.g., displacement,
velocity, acceleration, force, and linear momentum) and
scalar quantities (e.g., distance, speed, energy, mass,
work).
MAFS.912.N-VM.1.3 (+) Solve problems involving
velocity and other quantities that can be represented by
vectors.
Analyze the motion of an object in terms of its position,
velocity, and acceleration (with respect to a frame of reference)
as functions of time.
SC.912.P.12.2:
Remarks/Examples:
Solve problems involving distance, velocity, speed, and
acceleration. Create and interpret graphs of 1-dimensional
motion, such as position versus time, distance versus time,
speed versus time, velocity versus time, and acceleration
versus time where acceleration is constant.
Florida Standards Connections: MAFS.912.N-VM.1.3 (+)
Solve problems involving velocity and other quantities that
can be represented by vectors.
Interpret and apply Newton's three laws of motion.
Remarks/Examples:
SC.912.P.12.3:
SC.912.P.12.4:
Explain that when the net force on an object is zero, no
acceleration occurs thus, a moving object continues to
move at a constant speed in the same direction, or, if at
rest, it remains at rest (Newton's first law). Explain that
when a net force is applied to an object its motion will
change, or accelerate (according to Newton's second law,
F = ma). Predict and explain how when one object exerts a
force on a second object, the second object always exerts a
force of equal magnitude but of opposite direction and
force back on the first: F1 on 2 = -F1 on 1 (Newton's third
law).
Describe how the gravitational force between two objects
depends on their masses and the distance between them.
Remarks/Examples:
Describe Newton's law of universal gravitation in terms of
the attraction between two objects, their masses, and the
inverse square of the distance between them.
Apply the law of conservation of linear momentum to
interactions, such as collisions between objects.
SC.912.P.12.5:
Remarks/Examples:
(e.g. elastic and completely inelastic collisions).
Qualitatively apply the concept of angular momentum.
Remarks/Examples:
SC.912.P.12.6:
Explain that angular momentum is rotational analogy to
linear momentum (e.g. Because angular momentum is
conserved, a change in the distribution of mass about the
axis of rotation will cause a change in the rotational speed
[ice skater spinning]).
Recognize that nothing travels faster than the speed of light in
vacuum which is the same for all observers no matter how they
or the light source are moving.
SC.912.P.12.7:
Remarks/Examples:
Recognize that regardless of the speed of an observer or
source, in a vacuum the speed of light is always c.
Recognize that Newton's Laws are a limiting case of Einstein's
Special Theory of Relativity at speeds that are much smaller
than the speed of light.
SC.912.P.12.8:
Remarks/Examples:
Recognize that the speed of light in any reference frame is
the central postulate of the Special Theory of Relativity.
As speeds approach zero, Special Relativity tends towards
equivalence with Newton's Laws of Motion.
Recognize that time, length, and energy depend on the frame of
reference.
SC.912.P.12.9:
SC.912.P.12.10:
Remarks/Examples:
The energy E and the momentum p depend on the frame of
reference in which they are measured (e.g. Lorentz
contraction).
Interpret the behavior of ideal gases in terms of kinetic
molecular theory.
Remarks/Examples:
Using the kinetic molecular theory, explain the behavior of
gases and the relationship between pressure and volume
(Boyle's law), volume and temperature (Charles's law),
pressure and temperature (Gay-Lussac's law), and number
of particles in a gas sample (Avogadro's hypothesis).
Describe phase transitions in terms of kinetic molecular theory.
SC.912.P.12.11:
Remarks/Examples:
Explain, at the molecular level, the behavior of matter as it
undergoes phase transitions.
Explain how various factors, such as concentration,
temperature, and presence of a catalyst affect the rate of a
chemical reaction.
Remarks/Examples:
SC.912.P.12.12:
Various factors could include: temperature, pressure,
solvent and/or solute concentration, sterics, surface area,
and catalysts. The rate of reaction is determined by the
activation energy, and the pathway of the reaction can be
shorter in the presence of enzymes or catalysts. Examples
may include: decomposition of hydrogen peroxide using
manganese (IV) oxide nitration of benzene using
concentrated sulfuric acid hydrogenation of a C=C double
bond using nickel.
Explain the concept of dynamic equilibrium in terms of
reversible processes occurring at the same rates.
Remarks/Examples:
SC.912.P.12.13:
Identify and explain the factors that affect the rate of
dissolving (e.g., temperature, concentration, surface area,
pressure, mixing). Explain that equilibrium is established
when forward and reverse-reaction rates are equal.
Related Access Points
Independent
Access Point Number
SC.912.P.12.In.5:
Access Point Title
Recognize that the speed of light is always the same.
SC.912.P.12.In.6:
SC.912.P.12.In.1:
SC.912.P.12.In.2:
SC.912.P.12.In.3:
SC.912.P.12.In.4:
Identify that gases exert pressure in a closed surface, such as
pressure inside a basketball or a hot air balloon.
Recognize that scalar quantities describe the magnitude of the
measurement, such as size, weight, volume, area, temperature,
or speed.
Identify acceleration as a change in speed or direction.
Recognize various situations that show Newton’s third law
of motion: for every action there is an equal and opposite
reaction.
Identify examples of how gravity attracts other objects, such as
people to Earth or orbits of planets in the Solar System.
Supported
Access Point Number
SC.912.P.12.Su.5:
SC.912.P.12.Su.6:
SC.912.P.12.Su.1:
SC.912.P.12.Su.2:
SC.912.P.12.Su.3:
SC.912.P.12.Su.4:
Access Point Title
Recognize that light travels very fast.
Recognize that a gas can exert pressure, such as in balloons, car
tires, or pool floats.
Recognize that speed is expressed as distance moved in a
certain time, such as miles per hour or feet per second.
Recognize that acceleration generally involves a change in
speed.
Recognize the action and reaction in a situation that show
Newton’s third law of motion: for every action there is an
equal and opposite reaction.
Identify that gravity is a force that attracts objects.
Participatory
Access Point Number
SC.912.P.12.Pa.5:
SC.912.P.12.Pa.6:
SC.912.P.12.Pa.1:
SC.912.P.12.Pa.2:
SC.912.P.12.Pa.3:
SC.912.P.12.Pa.4:
Access Point Title
Recognize ways to stop light from traveling, such as closing a
door.
Recognize that some objects contain air, such as balloons, tires,
and balls.
Recognize that objects travel at different speeds.
Identify the speed and direction of a moving object, including
fast and slow, up and down, round and round, straight line.
Identify the source of the force moving an object.
Recognize that things fall down toward Earth unless stopped or
held up (gravity).
Related Resources
Virtual Manipulative
Name
A Hydraulic Lever:
Balloons and Buoyancy:
Description
This simulated activity will help understand and
apply Pascal's principle which states that pressure
is transmitted undiminished in an enclosed static
fluid. This is the theoretical foundation of
hydraulic levers.
This simulation will provide an insight into the
properties of gases. You can explore the more
advanced features which enables you to explore
three physical situations: Hot Air Balloon (rigid
open container with its own heat source), Rigid
Sphere (rigid closed container), and Helium
Balloon (elastic closed container).
Through this activity you can:


Determine what causes the balloon, rigid
sphere, and helium balloon to rise up or fall
down in the box.
Predict how changing a variable among
Pressure, Volume, Temperature and
number influences the motion of the
balloons.
This activity will allow you to make colorful
concentrated and dilute solutions and explore how
much light they absorb and transmit using a virtual
spectrophotometer.
You can explore concepts in many ways including:

Beer's Law Lab:



Describe the relationships between volume
and amount of solute to solution
concentration.
Explain qualitatively the relationship
between solution color and concentration.
Predict and explain how solution
concentration will change for adding or
removing: water, solute, and/or solution.
Calculate the concentration of solutions in
units of molarity (mol/L).





Catalysis:
Centrifugal Reaction Force:
Chemical Equilibrium:
Design a procedure for creating a solution
of a given concentration.
Identify when a solution is saturated and
predict how concentration will change for
adding or removing: water, solute, and/or
solution.
Describe the relationship between the
solution concentration and the intensity of
light that is absorbed/transmitted.
Describe the relationship between
absorbance, molar absorptivity, path length,
and concentration in Beer's Law.
Predict how the intensity of light
absorbed/transmitted will change with
changes in solution type, solution
concentration, container width, or light
source and explain why?
This interactive animation presented here helps in
understanding the concept of catalysis, which is
defined as the process of accelerating the process
of chemical reaction with the use of a catalyst. This
visual conceptualization will provide the students
with the opportunity to test their knowledge and
understanding about the concepts.
The present activity will help the students
understand the centrifugal force which is an
outward force experienced by an object travelling
in a circle. Students will recognize that this force
depends on the mass of the object, the speed of
rotation, and the distance from the center. It is
important to make the students understand that
centrifugal force does not actually exit, it appears
quite real to the object being rotated and students
can understand this concept while playing with the
virtual manipulative.
This virtual manipulative will help the students in
understanding the concept of chemical equilibrium
which is a state wherein both reactants and
products are present at concentrations with no
further tendency to change with time. Students will
also observe that chemical equilibrium does not
mean the chemical reaction has necessarily stopped
occurring but that the consumption and formation
of substances has reached a balanced condition.
Learn more about collisions with the use of a
virtual air hockey table. Investigate simple and
complex collisions in one and two
dimensions.Experiment with the number of discs,
masses and initial conditions. Vary the elasticity
and see how the total momentum and kinetic
energy changes during collisions.
Some of the sample learning goals can be:

Collision lab:





Coulomb's Law:
CurveBall Expert Version:
Energy Skate Park:
Draw "Before and After" pictures of
collisions.
Construct momentum vector
representations of "Before and After"
collisions.
Apply law of conservation of momentum to
solve problems with collisions.
Explain why energy is not conserved and
varies in some collisions.
Determine the change in mechanical energy
in collisions of varying "elasticity".
What does "elasticity" mean?
This virtual manipulative will help the learners
understand Coulomb's law which is the
fundamental principle of electrostatics. It is the
force of attraction or repulsion between two
charged particles which is directly proportional to
the product of the charges and inversely
proportional to the distance between them.
 Manipulagte and watch the effects of the
forces acting on a baseball
 Control conditions such as height, release
velocity, spin, and distance
 View different reference frames of the
ball's path
The students will make ramps and hills for a
skateboarder to ride on. Students will explore the
relationship between kinetic and potential energy,
as well as thermal energy. Several variables, such
as gravity, mass of skater, and friction can be
manipulated. You can even test your skater in
space! Amount of energy can be displayed in pie
and bar graphs.
Equilibrium Constant:
Chemical equilibrium is the condition which
occurs when the concentration of reactants and
products participating in a chemical reaction
exhibit no net change over time. This simulation
shows a model of an equilibrium system for a unimolecular reaction. The value for the equilibrium
constant, K, can be set in the simulation, to observe
the reaction reaching the constant.
This virtual manipulative will allow you to
visualize the gravitational force that two objects
exert on each other. By changing the properties of
the objects, you can see how the gravitational force
changes.
Some areas to explore:

Gravity Force Lab:



Ideal Gas Law:
Ladybug Motion 2D:
Relate gravitational force to masses of
objects and distance between objects.
Explain Newton's third law for gravitational
forces.
Design experiments that allow you to
derive an equation that related mass,
distance, and gravitational force.
Use measurements to determine the
universal gravitational constant.
This is an effective tool to help learners gain
knowledge about all the aspects of ideal gas law.
An ideal gas law is defined as one in which all
collisions between atoms or molecules are
perfectly elastic and there are no inter- molecular
attractive forces. An ideal gas can be characterized
by three state variables: absolute pressure (P),
volume(V), and absolute temperature (T), and their
relationship is explained with the help of kinetic
theory.
Learn about position, velocity and acceleration
vectors. Move the ladybug by setting the position,
velocity or acceleration, and see how the vectors
change. Choose linear, circular or elliptical motion,
Maze Game:
Molarity:
and record and playback the motion to analyze the
behavior.
The students will try to move a red ball into a blue
goal without touching the walls. They will have
fun competing amongst themselves to get the best
time but at the same time they will also be learning
about vectors, velocity, and acceleration.
This virtual manipulative will help the students
understand what determines the concentration of a
solution. They will learn about the relationships
between moles, liters and molarity by adjusting the
amount of solute, and solution volume. Students
can change solutes to compare different chemical
compounds in water.
Some of the sample learning goals can be:




Motion in 2D:
Newton's Cradle :
Newton's three laws of motion:
PhET Gas Properties:
Describe the relationships between volume
and amount of solute to concentration
Explain how solution color and
concentration are related.
Calculate the concentration of solutions in
units of molarity (mol/L)
Compare solubility limits between solutes.
The students will drag a red point across the screen
in any direction they please and, in the process,
will be able to see the forces that are being put on
that point at any given moment.
This virtual manipulative will demonstrate the
conservation of momentum and energy via a series
of spheres. Students will understand that when one
sphere on the end is lifted and released, the
resulting force travels through the line and pushes
the last on upward.
This website has a short biography about Sir Isaac
Newton. It also reviews his three laws of motion
with examples, and ends with a short quiz.
This virtual manipulative allows you to investigate
various aspects of gases through virtual
experimentation. From the site: Pump gas
molecules to a box and see what happens as you
change the volume, add or remove heat, change
gravity, and more (open the box, change the
molecular weight of the molecule). Measure the
PhysClips:
Projectile Motion:
temperature and pressure, and discover how the
properties of the gas vary in relation to each other.
Vast collection of multimedia resources in
mechanics, waves and relativity.
This simulation demonstrates the physics of
projectile motion. The user can fire different
objects through a cannon, set its speed, angle and
mass and observe the resultant motion.
This simulation allows you to explore forces and
motion as you push household objects up and
down a ramp. Observe how the angle of inclination
affects the parallel forces. Graphical representation
of forces, energy and work makes it easier to
understand the concept.
Some of the learning goals can be:

Ramp: Forces and Motion:




Predict, qualitatively, how an external force
will affect the speed and direction of an
object's motion.
Explain the effects with the help of a free
body diagram
Use free body diagrams to draw position,
velocity, acceleration and force graphs and
vice versa.
Explain how the graphs relate to one
another.
Given a scenario or a graph, sketch all four
graphs.
This virtual manipulative will allow you to explore
what makes a reaction happen by colliding atoms
and molecules. Design your own experiments with
different reactions, concentrations, and
temperatures. Recognize what affects the rate of a
reaction.
Reactions Rates:
Areas to Explore:


Explain why and how a pinball shooter can
be used to help understand ideas about
reactions.
Describe on a microscopic level what
contributes to a successful reaction.




Describe how the reaction coordinate can
be used to predict whether a reaction will
proceed or slow.
Use the potential energy diagram to
determine : The activation energy for the
forward and reverse reactions; The
difference in energy between reactants and
products; The relative potential energies of
the molecules at different positions on a
reaction coordinate.
Draw a potential energy diagram from the
energies of reactants and products and
activation energy.
Predict how raising or lowering the
temperature will affect a system in the
equilibrium.
This virtual manipulative will allow you to watch a
reaction proceed over time. You can vary
temperature, barrier height, and potential energies
to note how total energy affects reaction rate. You
will be able to record concentrations and time in
order to extract rate coefficients.
Additionally you can:


Reversible Reactions:





Describe on a microscopic level, with
illustrations, how reactions occur.
Describe how the motion of reactant
molecules (speed and direction) contributes
to a reaction happening.
Predict how changes in temperature, or use
of a catalyst will affect the rate of a
reaction.
On the potential energy curve, identify the
activation energy for forward and reverse
reactions and the energy change between
reactants and products.
Form a graph of concentrations as a
function of time, students should be able to
identify when a system has reached
equilibrium.
Calculate a rate coefficient from
concentration and time data.
Determine how a rate coefficient changes
with temperature.

Compare graphs of concentration versus
time to determine which represents the
fastest or slowest rate.
This activity will help the students learn about the
polymerization. The process of polymerization can
be classified into two categories: Chain growth
Step Growth Polymerization:
polymerization and step growth polymerization. In
this activity students will understand the process of
step growth polymerization in which bi-functional
or multi-functional monomers react to form
polymers.
This virtual manipulative will help the students to
understand that in order for a chemical reaction to
take place the reactants must collide. The collision
between the molecules must provide the amount of
kinetic energy needed to break the molecular bonds
The Collision theory of Chemical Reaction:
and form new ones. Students can control the speed
of the simulation to observe the collision and can
also reset the initial energy settings to high or low
to show that some chemical reactions will not
occur in low energy (or low temperature) settings.
This virtual manipulative will the students learn
about position, velocity and acceleration.
Acceleration is the derivative of velocity with
respect to time and the velocity is the derivative of
position with respect to time. With the elimination
of time, the relationship between the acceleration,
velocity and position can be represented as x = v2 /
2a. In the stimulation, students will be able to
move the man back and forth with the mouse and
The Moving Man:
plot his motion.
Some of the sample learning goals can be:


Vapor Pressure:
Interpret, predict and draw charts (position,
velocity, and acceleration) for common
situations.
Provide reasoning used to make sense of
the charts.
This simulation activity will help you understand
the concept of vapor pressure which is defined as
the pressure of the vapor resulting from
evaporation of a liquid (or solid) above a sample of
the liquid (or solid) in a closed container. You will
also recognize that the vapor pressure of a liquid
varies with its temperature, which can be seen with
the help of a graph in the simulation.
Lesson Plan
Name
A New View: Space Exploration MEA:
Acceleration:
Amusement Park Physics:
Description
This MEA is about space
exploration. Students will
review data on six extrasolar
planets and determine which
one would be most feasible
to explore first.
In this lesson students will
learn to:
1. Identify changes in
motion that produce
acceleration.
2. Describe examples of
objects moving with
constant acceleration.
3. Calculate the
acceleration of an
object, analytically,
and graphically.
4. Interpret velocitytime graph, and
explain the meaning
of the slope.
5. Classify acceleration
as positive, negative,
and zero.
6. Describe
instantaneous
acceleration.
Students will research
various types of amusement
park rides and use their
findings to design a feasible
ride of their own. They will
summarize their findings and
present their ride design to
Animating Motion:
Applying Newton's Second Law:
BIOSCOPES Summer Institute 2013 - Forces:
BIOSCOPES Summer Institute 2013 - Motion:
the class. Each student will
then write a persuasive letter
to a local amusement park
describing the reasons their
ride design is the best.
A lesson plan inclusive of
three lesson challenges,
which encompass space
science, engineering, physics
and math. Students apply
knowledge of object motion
by animating sequences of
pictures that model a set of
physical conditions such as
the orbital motion,
gravitational force, and
relative motion.
Students will investigate how
acceleration of an object is
affected by the mass of the
object and by the applied
force on the object.
This lesson is designed to be
part of a sequence of
lessons. It follows
resource 52937
"BIOSCOPESÂ Summer
Institute 2013 - Motion" and
precedes resource 52910
"BIOSCOPESÂ Summer
Institute 2013 - Mechanical
Energy." This lesson uses a
predict, observe, and explain
approach along with inquiry
based activities to enhance
student understanding of
Newton's three laws of
motion.
This lesson is the first in a
sequence of grade 9-12
physical science lessons that
are organized around the big
ideas that frame motion,
forces, and energy. It directly
precedes resource # 52648
"BIOSCOPES Summer
Institute 2013 - Forces."
This lesson is designed along
the lines of an iterative 5-E
learning cycle and employs a
predict, observe, and explain
(POE) activity at the
beginning of the "Engage"
phase in order to elicit
student prior knowledge. The
POE is followed by a
sequence of inquiry-based
activities and class
discussions that are geared
toward leading the students
systematically through the
exploration of 1-dimensional
motion concepts. Included in
this resource is a summative
assessment as well as a
teacher guide for each
activity.
BIOSCOPES Summer Institute 2013 - Solutions:
BIOSCOPES Summer Institute 2013 - States of Matter:
This lesson is designed to be
part of a sequence of lessons.
It follows CPALMS
Resource #52705
"BIOSCOPES Summer
Institute 2013Â - States of
Matter" and precedes
CPALMS Resource #52961
"BIOSCOPES Summer
Institute 2013Â - Atomic
Models." The lesson
employs a predict, observe,
explain approach along with
inquiry-based activities to
enhance student
understanding of properties
aqueous solutions in terms of
the kinetic molecular theory
and intermolecular forces.
This lesson is designed to be
part of a sequence of lessons.
It follows CPALMS
Resource #52957
Bottled Up Energy:
Boyle's Law Bell Jar POEs:
"BIOSCOPES Summer
Institute 2013 Thermal Energy" and
precedes CPALMS Resource
#52961 "BIOSCOPES
Summer Institute 2013 Solutions." The lesson
employs a predict, observe,
explain approach along with
inquiry-based activities to
enhance student
understanding of states of
matter and phase changes in
terms of the kinetic
molecular theory.
This experimental design
project deals with real life
understanding of being
assigned a group task,
creating a budget, and
providing evidence about the
completion of the assigned
task. The task in this case is
that students are being asked
to create a model of a car out
of supplied materials and to
test these designs. After each
trial the students will analyze
the data collected and make
any improvements that are
necessary. The teams will
test all modifications and
after analyzing the results of
their trials, they will create a
presentation to the class on
how their design performed.
This is a fun way to
introduce Boyle's Law to
students. Predict-ObserveExplain models are used to
encourage students to think
about what will happen to
the volume of four different
objects (balloon,
marshmallow, cotton ball,
and penny) when they are
Brain Trauma:
Chemical Reaction Rates: Inquiry on Affecting Factors:
Collision On The Tracks:
Conservation of Linear Momentum:
placed into a bell jar and the
air is removed. They are then
challenged to come up with
an explanation for their
observations. Students are
surprised by the outcomes
and excited by some of the
results.
Students investigate how
bicycle helmets protect the
brain from forces related to
sudden changes in motion.
Chemical reaction rates can
differ when different factors
are present. The lesson
focuses on the main rate
changing contributors:
temperature, concentration,
surface area, and catalysts.
Students are intended to
learn through several inquiry
based lab stations with
minimal teacher guidance.
The labs are of thought and
observational base with little
complexity in construction.
This is a lab activity focusing
on Newton's Second Law of
Motion. Students will
investigate how both mass
and force affect the
acceleration of an object.
This is an application
based activity that allows
students to question and
explore the Conservation of
Momentum and how it
governs the natural world. It
is designed for students who
have a firm grasp on physical
concepts of nature and
mathematical derivations and
manipulations. In this
activity the teacher will use
an Online Simulation titled
Constant Velocity using the Buggy Car:
Discovering Newton's Third Law:
Distance and Displacement.:
"2D Elastic Collisions of
Two Hard Spheres" to model
idealistic elastic collisions
and describe how mass and
initial velocities can affect
the post-collision
momentum for each mass.
The students will also be
introduced to
inelastic collisions and will
compare these to elastic
collisions. Students will fill
out the attached lab
worksheet and perform
calculations based on
manipulating the
mathematical equation for
Momentum Conservation.
Students explore constant
velocity through collecting
data on a motorized buggy
car. They collect data, graph
their Displacement - Time
(D-T) data to find the slope
of the line and thus the
velocity of their buggy car.
They then formulate the D =
V * t equation gotten from
their graph and use it to
extrapolate variables. Then
they plot the Velocity - Time
(V-T) to explore finding
Displacement through that
graph. They formulate V*t =
Displacement from this
graph. Finally, they use this
equation to extrapolate "what
if" questions about their
buggy car.
Students will investigate
interacting forces between
two objects.
 In this lesson
students, will be able
to identify frames of



reference and
describe how they are
used to measure
motion.
Identify appropriate
SI units for
measuring distances.
Distinguish between
distance and
displacement.
Calculate
displacement using
vector addition.
Students will investigate the
motion of three objects of
different masses undergoing
free fall. Additionally,
students will:



Falling for Gravity:


Use spark timers to
collect displacement
and time data.
Use this data to
calculate the average
velocity for the object
during each interval.
Graph this data on a
velocity versus time
graph, V-t. They find
the slope of this
graph to calculate
acceleration.
Calculate the falling
object's acceleration
from their data table
and graph this data
on an acceleration
versus time graph, at.
Use their Spark timer
data paper, cut it into
intervals, and paste
these intervals into
their displacement
versus time graph.
Florida Vacation Project- Distance, Displacement, Speed and
Velocity:
Forced To Learn:
Free Fall Clock and Reaction Time!:
This is a culminating lesson
for a unit on Motion.
Students will be asked to
plan a vacation around
Florida that includes 5
destinations. By generating
and analyzing their own data
students will apply
knowledge of distance,
displacement, speed and
velocity to a real world
experience.
Using inquiry techniques,
students, working in groups,
are asked to design and
conduct an experiment to test
Newton's Second Law of
Motion. Upon being
provided with textbooks,
rulers, measuring tapes,
mini-storage containers, golf
balls, marbles, rubber balls,
steel balls, and pennies they
work cooperatively to
implement and revise their
hypotheses. With limited
guidance from the teacher,
students are able to visualize
the direct relationships
between force and mass;
force and acceleration; and
the inverse relationship
between mass and
acceleration.
This will be a lesson
designed to introduce
students to the concept of
9.81 m2 as a sort of clock
that can be used for solving
all kinematics equations
where a = g.
Gas Laws:
Gas Laws:
Heating Curve of Water:
Hooke's Law and Simple Harmonic Motion:
How fast are you?:
This is a "gold star" lesson
plan that incorporates the
virtual manipulative "Gas
Properties" from PhET
(University of Colorado).
Students investigate
properties of gases, represent
predictions graphically, test
predictions using the
manipulative, and then
extend the knowledge into
real investigations (i.e. non
virtual).
Through this hands on
activity, students will be able
to identify the behavior of
gases and the relationship
between pressure and
volume (Boyle's Law),
volume and temperature
(Charles' Law), and pressure
and temperature (GayLussac's Law)
The lesson is inquiry based,
asking students to investigate
phase changes and kinetic
molecular theory. They are
to measure and graph the
heating of water while
correctly analyzing how the
particles kinetic energy
changes through each phase
change.
Students will graphically
determine the spring constant
k using their knowledge of
Newton's Laws of Motion
and Hooke's Law and by
determining the period of a
weight on a spring
undergoing simple harmonic
motion.
Use students' competitive
natures in this engaging lab
on velocity. Students will
How Fast do Objects Fall?:
How high is that railing, anyway?:
How Mosquitoes Can Fly in the Rain:
learn how using a known
distance and a measured time
for a runner can be used to
calculate their velocity.
Students will graph the
relationship between these
two factors to see the
correlation as a graphic
representation.
Students will investigate
falling objects with very low
air friction.
This is a short activity where
students are able to
determine the height of an
elevated railing by using the
equations associated with
freefall. This lesson may also
be appropriate for analyzing
graphs related to
position/velocity/acceleration
versus time.
In this lesson, we learn how
insects can fly in the rain.
The objective is to calculate
the impact forces of
raindrops on flying
mosquitoes. Students will
gain experience with using
Newton's laws, gathering
data from videos and graphs,
and most importantly, the
utility of making
approximations. No calculus
will be used in this lesson,
but familiarity with torque
and force balances is
suggested. No calculators
will be needed, but students
should have pencil and paper
to make estimations and, if
possible, copies of the graphs
provided with the lesson.
Between lessons, students
are recommended to discuss
Investigating Newton's Third Law: An Inquiry Based Lesson
Plan:
Lesson Plan for Designing, Building, and Launching Water
Rockets:
the assignments with their
neighbors.
This lesson provides an
inquiry based approach that
allows students to discover
Newton's 3rd Law. In this
lesson, students will use
force sensors to measure the
magnitude and direction of
paired forces. The lab
provides multiple
experiments that allow the
students to observe the
magnitude and direction of
paired forces for different
situations. Upon completing
the lab, the teacher can
debrief the lab using class
data to come up with a
consensus for a definition for
Newton's 3rd Law. Possible
extensions of the lesson
include using Newton's 3rd
Law to design bottle rockets,
or research the rocketry
design process at firms such
as NASA.
This lesson covers Newtons
Third Law only of standard
SC.912.P.12.3.
The teacher brings the
concepts presented in
physics class to life through
the experience of designing,
building, and launching
rockets. Acting as engineers,
students will have the
opportunity to match their
ingenuity with the limits of
the Laws of Physics in order
to design a rocket that is
aerodynamically sound.
They must use their
knowledge of Newton's laws,
aerodynamic forces, and
impulse and momentum to
successfully meet the goal
set by a control rocket. Their
task is to increase the time
flight, and altitude of their
rocket without the usage of a
recovery system.
Let's Get It Started: Chemical Reaction Rates:
Linear Motion:
Linear Motion:
Recordkeeping in the form
of an engineering notebook
will be encouraged as a vital
tool, and will serve as the
summative assessment.
Students will be required to
make daily entries
throughout the duration of
the challenge.
This one-day investigation
begins with a teacher
demonstration that
introduces students to the
nature of catalysts and how
they influence chemical
reaction rates. Students then
formulate hypotheses and
collect data on the effects of
temperature and
concentration of a reactant
on reaction rates. Students
will be able to graph their
data (both individual and
group) and compile/analyze
class data using GeoGebra.
The lesson explores ways for
students to describe linear
motion and investigate
relationships between the
velocity, acceleration, and
the concepts of vector/scalar
quantities.
In this activity students will
learn the relationship
between:




Lunar Rover Challenge :
Momentum and the Law of Conservation of Momentum: A
Student-Centered Lesson:
Distance and
displacement
Velocity and speed
Vectors and scalars
Acceleration
and demonstrate their
knowledge through group
presentations.
In this Engineering Design
Challenge, student teams
will design a lunar rover.
The students will calculate
the velocity of the rovers,
illustrate the movement
through graphs, and
complete written
explanations. The
LRVÂ that can travel the
greatest distance wins this
challenge.
This is a largely self-paced
unit for students to learn the
basics of Momentum as well
as the Law of Conservation
of Momentum. Students
complete two investigative
exercises (one hands-on, the
other virtual). They then are
directed to read a website (or
a textbook could be
substituted) and take notes
with the teacher"s support as
needed. After taking their
own notes, students complete
a worksheet to practice
calculations involving the
Law of Conservation of
Momentum. At the end of
the unit, students take a
traditional summative
assessment with True/False,
multiple-choice, and fill-inthe-blank questions along
with a calculations section.
Note that this lesson only
covers the basics of linear
momentum and does not
include impulse or angular
momentum.
In this lesson students should
be able to :


Motion: Speed and Velocity:


Identify appropriate
SI units for
measuring speed.
Compare and contrast
average speed and
instantaneous speed.
Interpret positiontime graphs.
Calculate the speed
of an object using
slopes.
Students will research and
take Cornell Notes over
Newton's Three Laws of
Motion. Once the research is
completed, students will
create either an animated
Newton Video Project:
video or an actual video in
which they will correctly
name, describe or explain
and apply using a real world
example of each of the three
laws.
This is an extended lesson
that will take approximately
two to three weeks to
complete. Students begin by
completing an inertial
balance lab, which includes a
Newton's Three Laws of Motion: A Student-Centered Approach: graphing and data analysis
component, in order to
introduce them to Newton's
First Law of Motion.
Students then go on to
complete a Webquest to
reinforce Newton's First Law
Olympic Snowboard Design:
Pendulum Conundrum Inquiry Lab:
and to learn about Newton's
Second Law and Free-body
Diagrams. The class then
participates in a
demonstration to learn
Newton's Third Law of
Motion. Students then either
complete a worksheet to
practice calculations
involving Newton's Second
Law or an inquiry lab to
understand how Newton's
Laws can be used to build
Balloon Rocket Cars (or
both!). Finally, students
complete an original project
by writing a letter, recording
a song, or creating a poster to
demonstrate their mastery of
Newton's Three Laws of
Motion.
This MEA requires students
to design a custom
snowboard for five Olympic
athletes, taking into
consideration how their
height and weight affect the
design elements of a
snowboard. There are several
factors that go into the
design of a snowboard, and
the students must use
reasoning skills to determine
which factors are more
important and why, as well
as what factors to eliminate
or add based on the athlete's
style and preferences. After
the students have designed a
board for each athlete, they
will report their procedure
and reasons for their
decisions.
In this exploration, students
will answer the following
essential questions:
1. How does the length
of a pendulum impact
how long it takes to
swing back and
forth?
2. How does the amount
of mass hanging from
a pendulum impact
the amount of time to
swing back and
forth?
3. How can we calculate
the value of
acceleration due to
gravity (g) from the
behavior of a moving
pendulum (optional
activity for math
reinforcement)?
Picture This!:
Racing Hotwheels:
This is a short unit plan that
covers position/time and
velocity/time graphs.
Students are provided with
new material on both topics,
will have practice
worksheets, and group
activities to develop an
understanding of motion
graphs.
Students will investigate
acceleration by releasing a
toy car down a ramp.
They will collect data,
calculate the velocity of the
car as it goes down a ramp,
graph this velocity verses
time, and then find the slope
of the V/T graph. They will
understand that this
represents the acceleration of
the velocity of the car ((v2v1) = a * (t2-t1)).
Ramp It Up:
Relatively Easy Relativity:
They will also plot an
acceleration verses time
graph (A/T), and use this
graph to calculate the
velocity of the car and for a
certain time interval, A * T =
V
Using inquiry techniques,
students, working in groups,
are asked to design and
conduct experiments to test
the Law of Conservation of
Energy and the Law of
Conservation of Momentum.
Upon being provided with
textbooks, rulers, measuring
tapes, stopwatches, ministorage containers, golf balls,
marbles, rubber balls, steel
balls, and pennies, they work
cooperatively to implement
and revise their hypotheses.
With limited guidance from
the teacher, students are able
to visualize the relationships
between mass, velocity,
height, gravitational potential
energy, kinetic energy, and
total energy as well as the
relationships between mass,
velocity, and momentum.
This lesson plan covers an
exploration of the speed of
light, and seeks to answer the
question "why can't massive
objects move at or above the
speed of light?" using a
student-created manipulative,
algebra skills, and the
expanded form of Einstein's
famous matter-energy
equivalence principle E =
mc2, which is E2 = (mc2)2 +
(pc)2, and the Pythagorean
theorem.
Riding the Roller Coaster of Success:
SMALL: Shape Memory Alloy Lab:
Solids, Liquids and Gases, Oh My!:
Students compete with one
another to design and build a
roller coaster from insulation
tubing and tape that will
allow a marble to travel from
start to finish with the lowest
average velocity. In so
doing, students learn about
differences between distance
and displacement, speed and
velocity, and potential and
kinetic energy. They also
examine the Law of
Conservation of Energy and
concepts related to force and
motion.
Shape Memory Alloys are
metals that can return to or
'remember' their original
shape. They are a cutting
edge application for
Chemistry, Physics, and
Integrated Science. The
activities in this lesson work
well for the study of forces,
Newton's Laws, and
electricity in physics. They
also lend themselves well to
crystalline structures, heat of
reaction, and bonding in
chemistry. In addition,
students could study
applications for the materials
in the medical and space
industries.
 Students will
investigate the three
phases of water by
measuring the
temperature changes
to ice as heat is
applied and they
record temperature
changes.
 Students will graph
the data (y)

Spinning Around - Angular Momentum:
Splash and Learn:
Stop That Arguing:
temperature and (x)
time and connect the
points to show what
happens to
temperature as water
changes phases.
Students will write a
paragraph explaining
how this process
works.
Students are introduced to
the concept of angular
momentum using a PredictObserve-Explain model
demonstration involving a
rotating stool, small weights,
and a bicycle wheel with
handles. If you do not have
access to these materials,
website links with
appropriate videos are
provided in the teacher
materials.
Students will utilize their
knowledge about projectiles
to devise a method to launch
a water balloon so that it
lands on a 1 meter square
cloth target at least 25 meters
away. If they hit the target
with the balloon (not just
splash a few drops on it),
they receive extra credit on
the lab.
Students will explore
representing the movement
of objects and the
relationship between the
various forms of
representation: verbal
descriptions, value tables,
graphs, and equations. These
representations include
speed, starting position, and
Story of a Graph:
Temperature, Volume, and Rate of Reaction:
direction. This exploration
includes brief direct
instruction, guided practice
in the form of a game, and
independent practice in the
form of word problem.
Students will demonstrate
understanding of this concept
through a written
commitment of their answer
to the word problem
supported with evidence
from value tables, graphs,
and equations.
Students will use their
knowledge of position versus
time and velocity versus time
graphs to create their own.
The graphs they will create
will correlate to a story they
develop. The hope is
students have a better
understanding of motion
graphs because students are
relating the motion graphs to
a scenario they have
designed.
This lesson does not cover
acceleration.
This one-two day lab will
allow students to collect data
on temperature, volume, and
rate for a reaction in a closed
system. Heat speeds up the
reaction, altering both
volume and rate due to an
increase in energy. Students
will be able to graph their
own lab group's data and
compile class data if Google
docs is available. They can
then look at correlations
between temperature,
volume, and rate of reaction.
The Adventures of "Shelly the Sea Turtle":
The Amazing Balloon Rocket :
The Gumball Roll Lab:
This is a hands-on activity
that will keep your students
engaged while learning about
vectors. Students will create
a map using provided
coordinates that will plot the
"Adventures of Shelly the
Sea Turtle."
Students are given the
opportunity to be creative
and distinguish between
scalar and vector quantities
and assess which should be
used used to describe an
event.
Students will investigate
Newton's 3 Laws of Motion
as it relates to rocketry by
constructing a balloon
rocket. They will collect
data, calculate velocity of the
balloon as it races across the
string and calculate velocity
and acceleration. Students
will construct a DistanceTime graph and a VelocityTime graph. Students will
find the slope of the
Distance-Time graph and
will explain why this slope
represents the velocity of the
balloon. Students will further
explain why they slope of the
Velocity-Time graph
represents the acceleration.
This lesson is on motion of
objects. Students will learn
what factors affect the speed
of an object through
experimentation with
gumballs rolling down an
incline. The students will
collect data through
experimenting, create graphs
from the data, interpret the
The Physics of Pool:
slope of the graphs and
create equations of lines
from data points and the
graph. They will understand
the relationship of speed and
velocity and be able to relate
the velocity formula to the
slope intercept form of the
equation of a line.
The objective of this lesson
is to illustrate how a
common everyday
experience (such as playing
pool) can often provide a
learning moment. In the
example chosen, we use the
game of pool to help explain
some key concepts of
physics. One of these
concepts is the conservation
of linear momentum since
conservation laws play an
extremely important role in
many aspects of physics. The
idea that a certain property of
a system is maintained
before and after something
happens is quite central to
many principles in physics
and in the pool example, we
concentrate on the
conservation of linear
momentum. The latter half of
the video looks at angular
momentum and friction,
examining why certain
objects roll, as opposed to
slide. We do this by looking
at how striking a ball with a
cue stick at different
locations produces different
effects.
Though not required,
students who have been
exposed to some physics
would benefit most from this
video. In mathematically
rigorous classes, students can
concentrate on the details of
vectors and conservation of
linear momentum.
To Be, or Not to Be...Conserved!:
X Marks the Spot:
No materials are required for
this lesson, and it can be
completed easily within a
class period.
This is an inquiry based
activity that encourages
student engagement with
relevant lab procedures and
class discussions. It is
designed for students to
explore and discover
relationships about the
Conservation of Momentum
through a meaningful lab and
with the guidance of teacher
led discussions. In this
activity, students are able to
visualize how momentum
occurs and how variable
masses affect the momentum
and velocity of the carts.
This inquiry-lead activity
that will engage students to
discover the distinguishing
qualities of scalars and
vectors via a treasure hunt.
Tutorial
Name
Acceleration:
Forces:
Description
This page is from a comprehensive and
comprehensible tutorial in physics.
Schematic drawings, questions for
understanding with the answers, and
links to animations are included.
This tutorial provides the learners with
detailed information about forces.
Topics covered include Newton's
Laws, friction, gravity, balanced and
unbalanced forces, vectors, weight,
motion and momentum.
Would a brick or feather fall faster?
What would fall faster on the moon?
Gravitational Forces: Brick vs. Feather:
Would a brick or feather fall
faster?: What would fall faster on
the moon?
This video tutorial from the Khan
Academy explains how to calculate the
Ice Accelerating Down an Incline:
acceleration of ice down a plane made
of ice.
This video tutorial shows how to figure
out the components of force due to
Inclined plane force components:
gravity that are parallel and
perpendicular to the surface of an
inclined plane.
This brief tutorial introduces teachers
to the construction of free-body
diagrams and their use in setting up
LSSS Tutorial 1-2: Introduction to Free-body diagrams:
and solving equations of motion for
objects under the influence of one or
more forces.
This resource is intended to serve as a
concise introduction to vector and
scalar quantities for teachers of
secondary math and science. It
provides definitions of vectors and
scalars as well as physical examples of
LSSS Tutorial: Introduction to Vectors and Scalars:
each type of quantity, and also
illustrates the differences between
these two types of quantities in both
one and two dimensions, through
determinations of both distance
(scalar) and displacement (vector).
This video discusses how to figure out
Projectile at an angle:
the horizontal displacement for a
projectile launched at an angle.
This tutorial is about projectile motion.
This powerpoint lecture discusses the
Projectile Motion:
independence of the vertical and
horizontal motion of projectiles.
Students will be asked to solve
problems involving projectile motion
of both projectiles fired horizontally
and at an angle. This tutorial is geared
for advanced students.
Text Resource
Name
Beginner's Guide to Aerodynamics:
Berkeley Scientists Discover Inexpensive Metal Catalyst for Generating
Hydrogen from Water:
Description
NASA's
"Beginner's
Guide to
Aerodynamics"
provides some
general
information on
the basics of
aerodynamics.
The site allows
users to
explore at their
own pace and
level of
interest. The
topics
available
include
equations of
motion, free
falling, air
resistance,
force, gas
properties, and
atmosphere.
Movies,
reading
materials, and
activities are
all available to
accommodate
a variety of
different
learning styles.
This
informational
Is Time Travel Real? Physicists Say It Happens All The Time:
text resource is
intended to
support
reading in the
content area.
The article
demonstrates
the importance
of hydrogen as
an alternative
to fossil fuels
and announces
the discovery
of a new
catalyst useful
in splitting
water
molecules to
obtain
hydrogen gas.
Current
methods of
obtaining
hydrogen from
natural gas, for
example,
release carbon
and consume
large amounts
of energy. This
new catalyst
opens the
possibility of
making
hydrogen
production
much less
expensive and
carbon neutral
as compared to
current
technologies.
This
informational
text is intended
to support
The Physics Hypertextbook: Speed & Velocity:
Ultracold Atoms:
reading in the
content area.
This article is
about the
physics of time
travel,
including basic
explanations of
Einstein's
relativity
theories. The
text
investigates the
plausibility of
both "forward"
and
"backward"
time travel
using current
scientific
knowledge.
This resource
offers content
support for
teachers with
sets of
conceptual and
numerical
problems
related to
speed and
velocity. It
includes
creative ideas
for classroom
investigations
that integrate
statistics. This
is part of an
online
textbook in
introductory
physics.
This
informational
text resource is
intended to
support
reading in the
content area.
Most students
are familiar
with the four
most common
states of
matter, but
what about the
5th state of
matter, the
Bose-Einstein
condensate
(BEC for
short)? This
article explains
what a BEC is
and how
researchers are
exploring this
unique state of
matter.
Perspectives Video: Professional/Enthusiast
Name
Boat Propellers:
Coffee Physics: Raising the Bar with Espresso:
Coffee Physics: Siphon Method:
Ethanol Fuel:
Shaping Pottery with Angular Momentum:
Description
We'll be looking at the role of
pitch, number of blades and
material for outboard motor
props as it relates to the
propulsion of a boat
Under pressure to learn how
physics and coffee go
together? Watch this espresso
video and find out.
After you watch this video on
coffee brewing and physics,
let the information percolate.
Why can't you put Ethanol
fuel in a boat motor?
Factors to consider when
making pottery on the wheel
are discussed, but not in a way
that would make your head
spin.
Where have you bean? Didn't
you know that chocolate is a
The Science of Chocolate: Crystals, Texture, and Phase Change:
delicious topic for discussing
phase change?
Project
Name
Description
This website offers a number of experiments that
teachers can use to demonstrate or show to the
Factors Affecting Chemical Reaction Rates:
students how chemical reaction rates can be
affected by different factors.
Perspectives Video: Expert
Name
Description
Dr. Betta Jerome, a
senior mechanical
engineer with the
United States Air
Force, explains force,
Force, Motion, and Momentum in Military Projectile Weapons Testing:
motion, and
momentum in the
context of a military
projectile weapons
testing environment.
Watch as Dr. Simon
Capstick drops fruit
from a tall building to
Gravity, Air Friction, and Falling Objects:
demonstrate the effect
of mass, gravity, and
air friction on falling
objects.
Harley Means
discusses the
mathematical methods
Velocity of the Aucilla River:
hydrologists use to
calculate the velocity
of rivers.
Teaching Idea
Name
Description
The heat of fusion of water is the energy
required to melt one gram of ice. In this
lab, your students will use experimental
evidence to approximate the heat of fusion
of water. They'll also compare the energy
Melt Away - Exploring the Heat of Fusion of Water: needed to cause a change of state to the
energy needed to change temperature with
no change of state. This lab can be used at
the middle or high school level, depending
on your learning objectives and how you
introduce and debrief the activity.
This site provides instruction, teacher
plans, student activities, and resources. It
The Impulse-Momentum Change Theorem:
has multiple links and recommendations
for expanding lessons.
Student Center Activity
Name
Description
In this lesson, students will qualitatively and quantitatively
analyze the motion of a cart undergoing uniform
Meter Stick Cart:
acceleration. Graphs of position and velocity versus time
will be created and a function for the velocity graph will be
generated using the data.
This web page provides an elementary introduction and
overview of momentum and a discussion of recoil,
conservation and energy. A lesson plan and related pages
are also linked to this page. This is part of an extensive
Newtonian Mechanics: Momentum:
web site, "From Stargazers to Starships", that uses the
topics of space exploration and space science to introduce
topics in physics and astronomy. Translations in French,
Italian and Spanish are available.
Unit/Lesson Sequence
Name
Description
Students explore the concept
that chemical reactions involve
the breaking of certain bonds
Middle School Chemistry Unit | Chapter 6 | Chemical Change: between atoms in the reactants,
and the rearrangement and
rebonding of these atoms to
make the products. Students
also design tests to investigate
how the amount of products and
the rate of the reaction can be
changed. Students will also
explore endothermic and
exothermic reactions.
Video/Audio/Animation
Name
MIT BLOSSOMS - Galaxies and Dark Matter:
Description
This video lesson has
the goal of introducing
students to galaxies as
large collections of
gravitationally bound
stars. It explores the
amount of matter
needed for a star to
remain bound and then
brings in the idea of
Dark Matter, a new
kind of matter that
does not interact with
light. It is best if
students have had
some high school level
mechanics, ideally
Newton's laws, orbital
motion and centripetal
force. The teacher
guide segment has a
derivation of
centripetal
acceleration. This
lesson should be
mostly accessible to
students with no
physics background.
The video portion of
this lesson runs about
30 minutes, and the
questions and
demonstrations will
give a total activity
time of about an hour
MIT BLOSSOMS - Ice Skater’s Delight: The Conservation of
Angular Momentum :
if the materials are all
at hand and the
students work quickly.
However, 1 1/2 hours
is a more comfortable
amount of time. There
are several
demonstrations that
can be carried out
using string, ten or so
balls of a few inches
in diameter, a
stopwatch or clock
with a sweep second
hand and some tape.
The demonstrations
are best done outside,
but can also be carried
out in a gymnasium or
other large room. If
the materials or space
are not available, there
are videos of the
demonstrations in the
module and these may
be used.
This learning video
describes within an
action orientation
certain often difficultto-understand
concepts of Newtonian
physics. The
conservation of
momentum is
extended to rotational
situations, and some
of the results may be
counter-intuitive! As
Professor Lewin states
in the opening
segment, the
prerequisite necessary
for this lesson includes
familiarity with the
concepts of torque,
MIT BLOSSOMS - The Physics of Boomerangs:
angular velocity,
angular momentum
and moment of inertia.
This interactive video
lesson can easily be
completed within a
55-minute class
period, and the only
material required is a
blackboard/whiteboard
to write on. During the
breaks between video
segments, students
will be asked to think
about and discuss:
conditions under
which angular
momentum is either
conserved or not
conserved; examples
in which the moment
of inertia changes; a
human ice skater and a
rough estimation of
her moment of inertia;
as well as other topics.
This learning video
explores the
mysterious physics
behind boomerangs
and other rapidly
spinning objects.
Students will get to
make and throw their
own boomerangs
between video
segments! A key idea
presented is how
torque causes the
precession of angular
momentum. One class
period is required to
complete this learning
video, and the optimal
prerequisites are a
familiarity with forces,
Position vs Time Graph:
Position vs Time Graph-Part 2:
Science of the Olympic Winter Games - Aerial Physics:
Lesson Study Resource Kit
Newton's laws, vectors
and time derivatives.
Each student would
need the following
materials for
boomerang
construction:
cardboard (roughly the
size of a postcard),
ruler, pencil/pen,
scissors, protractor,
and a stapler.
In this video, Paul
Anderson explains
how to interpret a
position vs. time graph
for an object with
constant velocity. The
slope of the line is
used to find the
velocity. A phet
simulation is also
included. This in Part
1 in a two part series.
In this video, Paul
Andersen explains
how to read a position
vs. time graph to
determine the velocity
of an object.,
including objects that
are accelerating. He
also introduces the
tangent line. This is
the second video in a
two part series.
A 4-minute video in
which an Olympic
freestyle skier and a
physicist discuss the
physics behind
freestyle skiing.
Name
Motion and Forces:
The Motion of Objects:
Description
This Lesson Study Resource Kit was adapted from a 2013
BioScopes physical science summer institute. It features a
STEM-integrated unit plan that consists of resources and
activities aligned to a unit of instruction on that employs
Vernier LabQuest probeware in an investigation of Newton's
Laws that complies with the Florida Standards for mathematics
and the NGSSS for science for grades 9-12.
This 9-12 Lesson study resource kit is designed to engage
teachers of physical science and physics in the planning and
design of an instructional unit and research lesson pertaining to
the motion of objects. Included in this resource kit are unit
plans, concept progressions, formative and summative
assessments, complex informational texts, and etc. that align to
relevant NGSSS science, and the new Florida standards for
mathematics and English language arts.
Perspectives Video: Teaching Idea
Name
Description
Have you ever wanted to fly paper airplanes for fun while
learning about the science of flight? Here's your chance!
Paper Glider Forces:
Produced with funding from the Florida Division of
Cultural Affairs.
Let's get rolling and explore the physics behind rolling
cars! Make sure you stay on track.
Pinewood Derby Forces and Motion:
Produced with funding from the Florida Division of
Cultural Affairs.
Student Resources
Title
Balloons and Buoyancy:
Description
This simulation will provide an insight
into the properties of gases. You can
explore the more advanced features
which enables you to explore three
physical situations: Hot Air Balloon
(rigid open container with its own heat
source), Rigid Sphere (rigid closed
container), and Helium Balloon
(elastic closed container).
Through this activity you can:


Determine what causes the
balloon, rigid sphere, and
helium balloon to rise up or fall
down in the box.
Predict how changing a
variable among Pressure,
Volume, Temperature and
number influences the motion
of the balloons.
This activity will allow you to make
colorful concentrated and dilute
solutions and explore how much light
they absorb and transmit using a
virtual spectrophotometer.
You can explore concepts in many
ways including:



Beer's Law Lab:




Describe the relationships
between volume and amount of
solute to solution
concentration.
Explain qualitatively the
relationship between solution
color and concentration.
Predict and explain how
solution concentration will
change for adding or removing:
water, solute, and/or solution.
Calculate the concentration of
solutions in units of molarity
(mol/L).
Design a procedure for creating
a solution of a given
concentration.
Identify when a solution is
saturated and predict how
concentration will change for
adding or removing: water,
solute, and/or solution.
Describe the relationship
between the solution
concentration and the intensity


Beginner's Guide to Aerodynamics:
Boat Propellers:
Catalysis:
Chemical Equilibrium:
of light that is
absorbed/transmitted.
Describe the relationship
between absorbance, molar
absorptivity, path length, and
concentration in Beer's Law.
Predict how the intensity of
light absorbed/transmitted will
change with changes in
solution type, solution
concentration, container width,
or light source and explain
why?
NASA's "Beginner's Guide to
Aerodynamics" provides some general
information on the basics of
aerodynamics. The site allows users to
explore at their own pace and level of
interest. The topics available include
equations of motion, free falling, air
resistance, force, gas properties, and
atmosphere. Movies, reading materials,
and activities are all available to
accommodate a variety of different
learning styles.
We'll be looking at the role of pitch,
number of blades and material for
outboard motor props as it relates to
the propulsion of a boat
This interactive animation presented
here helps in understanding the
concept of catalysis, which is defined
as the process of accelerating the
process of chemical reaction with the
use of a catalyst. This visual
conceptualization will provide the
students with the opportunity to test
their knowledge and understanding
about the concepts.
This virtual manipulative will help the
students in understanding the concept
of chemical equilibrium which is a
state wherein both reactants and
products are present at concentrations
with no further tendency to change
with time. Students will also observe
that chemical equilibrium does not
mean the chemical reaction has
necessarily stopped occurring but that
the consumption and formation of
substances has reached a balanced
condition.
Learn more about collisions with the
use of a virtual air hockey table.
Investigate simple and complex
collisions in one and two
dimensions.Experiment with the
number of discs, masses and initial
conditions. Vary the elasticity and see
how the total momentum and kinetic
energy changes during collisions.
Some of the sample learning goals can
be:

Collision lab:





Equilibrium Constant:
Draw "Before and After"
pictures of collisions.
Construct momentum vector
representations of "Before and
After" collisions.
Apply law of conservation of
momentum to solve problems
with collisions.
Explain why energy is not
conserved and varies in some
collisions.
Determine the change in
mechanical energy in collisions
of varying "elasticity".
What does "elasticity" mean?
Chemical equilibrium is the condition
which occurs when the concentration
of reactants and products participating
in a chemical reaction exhibit no net
change over time. This simulation
shows a model of an equilibrium
Ethanol Fuel:
Forces:
Gravitational Forces: Brick vs. Feather:
system for a uni-molecular reaction.
The value for the equilibrium constant,
K, can be set in the simulation, to
observe the reaction reaching the
constant.
Why can't you put Ethanol fuel in a
boat motor?
This tutorial provides the learners with
detailed information about forces.
Topics covered include Newton's
Laws, friction, gravity, balanced and
unbalanced forces, vectors, weight,
motion and momentum.
Would a brick or feather fall faster?
What would fall faster on the moon?
Would a brick or feather fall
faster?: What would fall faster on
the moon?
This virtual manipulative will allow
you to visualize the gravitational force
that two objects exert on each other.
By changing the properties of the
objects, you can see how the
gravitational force changes.
Some areas to explore:

Gravity Force Lab:



Ice Accelerating Down an Incline:
Relate gravitational force to
masses of objects and distance
between objects.
Explain Newton's third law for
gravitational forces.
Design experiments that allow
you to derive an equation that
related mass, distance, and
gravitational force.
Use measurements to
determine the universal
gravitational constant.
This video tutorial from the Khan
Academy explains how to calculate the
acceleration of ice down a plane made
of ice.
Ideal Gas Law:
Inclined plane force components:
Maze Game:
Motion in 2D:
Newton's three laws of motion:
PhET Gas Properties:
This is an effective tool to help
learners gain knowledge about all the
aspects of ideal gas law. An ideal gas
law is defined as one in which all
collisions between atoms or molecules
are perfectly elastic and there are no
inter- molecular attractive forces. An
ideal gas can be characterized by three
state variables: absolute pressure (P),
volume(V), and absolute temperature
(T), and their relationship is explained
with the help of kinetic theory.
This video tutorial shows how to figure
out the components of force due to
gravity that are parallel and
perpendicular to the surface of an
inclined plane.
The students will try to move a red ball
into a blue goal without touching the
walls. They will have fun competing
amongst themselves to get the best
time but at the same time they will also
be learning about vectors, velocity, and
acceleration.
The students will drag a red point
across the screen in any direction they
please and, in the process, will be able
to see the forces that are being put on
that point at any given moment.
This website has a short biography
about Sir Isaac Newton. It also reviews
his three laws of motion with
examples, and ends with a short quiz.
This virtual manipulative allows you to
investigate various aspects of gases
through virtual experimentation. From
the site: Pump gas molecules to a box
and see what happens as you change
the volume, add or remove heat,
change gravity, and more (open the
box, change the molecular weight of
the molecule). Measure the
temperature and pressure, and discover
Projectile at an angle:
Projectile Motion:
Projectile Motion:
how the properties of the gas vary in
relation to each other.
This video discusses how to figure out
the horizontal displacement for a
projectile launched at an angle.
This simulation demonstrates the
physics of projectile motion. The user
can fire different objects through a
cannon, set its speed, angle and mass
and observe the resultant motion.
This tutorial is about projectile motion.
This powerpoint lecture discusses the
independence of the vertical and
horizontal motion of projectiles.
Students will be asked to solve
problems involving projectile motion
of both projectiles fired horizontally
and at an angle. This tutorial is geared
for advanced students.
This simulation allows you to explore
forces and motion as you push
household objects up and down a
ramp. Observe how the angle of
inclination affects the parallel forces.
Graphical representation of forces,
energy and work makes it easier to
understand the concept.
Some of the learning goals can be:

Ramp: Forces and Motion:




Predict, qualitatively, how an
external force will affect the
speed and direction of an
object's motion.
Explain the effects with the
help of a free body diagram
Use free body diagrams to
draw position, velocity,
acceleration and force graphs
and vice versa.
Explain how the graphs relate
to one another.
Given a scenario or a graph,
sketch all four graphs.
This virtual manipulative will allow
you to explore what makes a reaction
happen by colliding atoms and
molecules. Design your own
experiments with different reactions,
concentrations, and temperatures.
Recognize what affects the rate of a
reaction.
Areas to Explore:



Reactions Rates:



Reversible Reactions:
Explain why and how a pinball
shooter can be used to help
understand ideas about
reactions.
Describe on a microscopic
level what contributes to a
successful reaction.
Describe how the reaction
coordinate can be used to
predict whether a reaction will
proceed or slow.
Use the potential energy
diagram to determine : The
activation energy for the
forward and reverse reactions;
The difference in energy
between reactants and
products; The relative potential
energies of the molecules at
different positions on a reaction
coordinate.
Draw a potential energy
diagram from the energies of
reactants and products and
activation energy.
Predict how raising or lowering
the temperature will affect a
system in the equilibrium.
This virtual manipulative will allow
you to watch a reaction proceed over
time. You can vary temperature,
barrier height, and potential energies to
note how total energy affects reaction
rate. You will be able to record
concentrations and time in order to
extract rate coefficients.
Additionally you can:








Describe on a microscopic
level, with illustrations, how
reactions occur.
Describe how the motion of
reactant molecules (speed and
direction) contributes to a
reaction happening.
Predict how changes in
temperature, or use of a catalyst
will affect the rate of a reaction.
On the potential energy curve,
identify the activation energy
for forward and reverse
reactions and the energy
change between reactants and
products.
Form a graph of concentrations
as a function of time, students
should be able to identify when
a system has reached
equilibrium.
Calculate a rate coefficient
from concentration and time
data.
Determine how a rate
coefficient changes with
temperature.
Compare graphs of
concentration versus time to
determine which represents the
fastest or slowest rate.
A 4-minute video in which an Olympic
Science of the Olympic Winter Games - Aerial Physics: freestyle skier and a physicist discuss
the physics behind freestyle skiing.
Factors to consider when making
pottery on the wheel are discussed, but
Shaping Pottery with Angular Momentum:
not in a way that would make your
head spin.
This virtual manipulative will the
The Moving Man:
students learn about position, velocity
and acceleration. Acceleration is the
derivative of velocity with respect to
time and the velocity is the derivative
of position with respect to time. With
the elimination of time, the
relationship between the acceleration,
velocity and position can be
represented as x = v2 / 2a. In the
stimulation, students will be able to
move the man back and forth with the
mouse and plot his motion.
Some of the sample learning goals can
be:


Vapor Pressure:
Interpret, predict and draw
charts (position, velocity, and
acceleration) for common
situations.
Provide reasoning used to make
sense of the charts.
This simulation activity will help you
understand the concept of vapor
pressure which is defined as the
pressure of the vapor resulting from
evaporation of a liquid (or solid) above
a sample of the liquid (or solid) in a
closed container. You will also
recognize that the vapor pressure of a
liquid varies with its temperature,
which can be seen with the help of a
graph in the simulation.
Parent Resources
Title
A Hydraulic Lever:
Description
This simulated activity will help
understand and apply Pascal's principle
which states that pressure is
transmitted undiminished in an
enclosed static fluid. This is the
theoretical foundation of hydraulic
levers.
This simulation will provide an insight
into the properties of gases. You can
explore the more advanced features
which enables you to explore three
physical situations: Hot Air Balloon
(rigid open container with its own heat
source), Rigid Sphere (rigid closed
container), and Helium Balloon
(elastic closed container).
Balloons and Buoyancy:
Through this activity you can:


Determine what causes the
balloon, rigid sphere, and
helium balloon to rise up or fall
down in the box.
Predict how changing a
variable among Pressure,
Volume, Temperature and
number influences the motion
of the balloons.
This activity will allow you to make
colorful concentrated and dilute
solutions and explore how much light
they absorb and transmit using a
virtual spectrophotometer.
You can explore concepts in many
ways including:

Beer's Law Lab:



Describe the relationships
between volume and amount of
solute to solution
concentration.
Explain qualitatively the
relationship between solution
color and concentration.
Predict and explain how
solution concentration will
change for adding or removing:
water, solute, and/or solution.
Calculate the concentration of
solutions in units of molarity
(mol/L).





Catalysis:
Chemical Equilibrium:
Design a procedure for creating
a solution of a given
concentration.
Identify when a solution is
saturated and predict how
concentration will change for
adding or removing: water,
solute, and/or solution.
Describe the relationship
between the solution
concentration and the intensity
of light that is
absorbed/transmitted.
Describe the relationship
between absorbance, molar
absorptivity, path length, and
concentration in Beer's Law.
Predict how the intensity of
light absorbed/transmitted will
change with changes in
solution type, solution
concentration, container width,
or light source and explain
why?
This interactive animation presented
here helps in understanding the
concept of catalysis, which is defined
as the process of accelerating the
process of chemical reaction with the
use of a catalyst. This visual
conceptualization will provide the
students with the opportunity to test
their knowledge and understanding
about the concepts.
This virtual manipulative will help the
students in understanding the concept
of chemical equilibrium which is a
state wherein both reactants and
products are present at concentrations
with no further tendency to change
with time. Students will also observe
that chemical equilibrium does not
mean the chemical reaction has
necessarily stopped occurring but that
the consumption and formation of
substances has reached a balanced
condition.
Learn more about collisions with the
use of a virtual air hockey table.
Investigate simple and complex
collisions in one and two
dimensions.Experiment with the
number of discs, masses and initial
conditions. Vary the elasticity and see
how the total momentum and kinetic
energy changes during collisions.
Some of the sample learning goals can
be:

Collision lab:





Coulomb's Law:
Equilibrium Constant:
Draw "Before and After"
pictures of collisions.
Construct momentum vector
representations of "Before and
After" collisions.
Apply law of conservation of
momentum to solve problems
with collisions.
Explain why energy is not
conserved and varies in some
collisions.
Determine the change in
mechanical energy in collisions
of varying "elasticity".
What does "elasticity" mean?
This virtual manipulative will help the
learners understand Coulomb's law
which is the fundamental principle of
electrostatics. It is the force of
attraction or repulsion between two
charged particles which is directly
proportional to the product of the
charges and inversely proportional to
the distance between them.
Chemical equilibrium is the condition
Forces:
which occurs when the concentration
of reactants and products participating
in a chemical reaction exhibit no net
change over time. This simulation
shows a model of an equilibrium
system for a uni-molecular reaction.
The value for the equilibrium constant,
K, can be set in the simulation, to
observe the reaction reaching the
constant.
This tutorial provides the learners with
detailed information about forces.
Topics covered include Newton's
Laws, friction, gravity, balanced and
unbalanced forces, vectors, weight,
motion and momentum.
This virtual manipulative will allow
you to visualize the gravitational force
that two objects exert on each other.
By changing the properties of the
objects, you can see how the
gravitational force changes.
Some areas to explore:

Gravity Force Lab:



Ideal Gas Law:
Relate gravitational force to
masses of objects and distance
between objects.
Explain Newton's third law for
gravitational forces.
Design experiments that allow
you to derive an equation that
related mass, distance, and
gravitational force.
Use measurements to
determine the universal
gravitational constant.
This is an effective tool to help
learners gain knowledge about all the
aspects of ideal gas law. An ideal gas
law is defined as one in which all
collisions between atoms or molecules
are perfectly elastic and there are no
inter- molecular attractive forces. An
ideal gas can be characterized by three
state variables: absolute pressure (P),
volume(V), and absolute temperature
(T), and their relationship is explained
with the help of kinetic theory.
Molarity:
This virtual manipulative will help the
students understand what determines
the concentration of a solution. They
will learn about the relationships
between moles, liters and molarity by
adjusting the amount of solute, and
solution volume. Students can change
solutes to compare different chemical
compounds in water.
Some of the sample learning goals can
be:




PhET Gas Properties:
Ramp: Forces and Motion:
Describe the relationships
between volume and amount of
solute to concentration
Explain how solution color and
concentration are related.
Calculate the concentration of
solutions in units of molarity
(mol/L)
Compare solubility limits
between solutes.
This virtual manipulative allows you to
investigate various aspects of gases
through virtual experimentation. From
the site: Pump gas molecules to a box
and see what happens as you change
the volume, add or remove heat,
change gravity, and more (open the
box, change the molecular weight of
the molecule). Measure the
temperature and pressure, and discover
how the properties of the gas vary in
relation to each other.
This simulation allows you to explore
forces and motion as you push
household objects up and down a
ramp. Observe how the angle of
inclination affects the parallel forces.
Graphical representation of forces,
energy and work makes it easier to
understand the concept.
Some of the learning goals can be:





Predict, qualitatively, how an
external force will affect the
speed and direction of an
object's motion.
Explain the effects with the
help of a free body diagram
Use free body diagrams to
draw position, velocity,
acceleration and force graphs
and vice versa.
Explain how the graphs relate
to one another.
Given a scenario or a graph,
sketch all four graphs.
This virtual manipulative will allow
you to explore what makes a reaction
happen by colliding atoms and
molecules. Design your own
experiments with different reactions,
concentrations, and temperatures.
Recognize what affects the rate of a
reaction.
Areas to Explore:
Reactions Rates:




Explain why and how a pinball
shooter can be used to help
understand ideas about
reactions.
Describe on a microscopic
level what contributes to a
successful reaction.
Describe how the reaction
coordinate can be used to
predict whether a reaction will
proceed or slow.
Use the potential energy
diagram to determine : The


activation energy for the
forward and reverse reactions;
The difference in energy
between reactants and
products; The relative potential
energies of the molecules at
different positions on a reaction
coordinate.
Draw a potential energy
diagram from the energies of
reactants and products and
activation energy.
Predict how raising or lowering
the temperature will affect a
system in the equilibrium.
This virtual manipulative will allow
you to watch a reaction proceed over
time. You can vary temperature,
barrier height, and potential energies to
note how total energy affects reaction
rate. You will be able to record
concentrations and time in order to
extract rate coefficients.
Additionally you can:


Reversible Reactions:



Describe on a microscopic
level, with illustrations, how
reactions occur.
Describe how the motion of
reactant molecules (speed and
direction) contributes to a
reaction happening.
Predict how changes in
temperature, or use of a catalyst
will affect the rate of a reaction.
On the potential energy curve,
identify the activation energy
for forward and reverse
reactions and the energy
change between reactants and
products.
Form a graph of concentrations
as a function of time, students
should be able to identify when



a system has reached
equilibrium.
Calculate a rate coefficient
from concentration and time
data.
Determine how a rate
coefficient changes with
temperature.
Compare graphs of
concentration versus time to
determine which represents the
fastest or slowest rate.
A 4-minute video in which an Olympic
Science of the Olympic Winter Games - Aerial Physics: freestyle skier and a physicist discuss
the physics behind freestyle skiing.
Factors to consider when making
pottery on the wheel are discussed, but
Shaping Pottery with Angular Momentum:
not in a way that would make your
head spin.
Step Growth Polymerization:
The Collision theory of Chemical Reaction:
This activity will help the students
learn about the polymerization. The
process of polymerization can be
classified into two categories: Chain
growth polymerization and step growth
polymerization. In this activity
students will understand the process of
step growth polymerization in which
bi-functional or multi-functional
monomers react to form polymers.
This virtual manipulative will help the
students to understand that in order for
a chemical reaction to take place the
reactants must collide. The collision
between the molecules must provide
the amount of kinetic energy needed to
break the molecular bonds and form
new ones. Students can control the
speed of the simulation to observe the
collision and can also reset the initial
energy settings to high or low to show
that some chemical reactions will not
occur in low energy (or low
temperature) settings.
The Moving Man:
This virtual manipulative will the
students learn about position, velocity
and acceleration. Acceleration is the
derivative of velocity with respect to
time and the velocity is the derivative
of position with respect to time. With
the elimination of time, the
relationship between the acceleration,
velocity and position can be
represented as x = v2 / 2a. In the
stimulation, students will be able to
move the man back and forth with the
mouse and plot his motion.
Some of the sample learning goals can
be:


Vapor Pressure:
Interpret, predict and draw
charts (position, velocity, and
acceleration) for common
situations.
Provide reasoning used to make
sense of the charts.
This simulation activity will help you
understand the concept of vapor
pressure which is defined as the
pressure of the vapor resulting from
evaporation of a liquid (or solid) above
a sample of the liquid (or solid) in a
closed container. You will also
recognize that the vapor pressure of a
liquid varies with its temperature,
which can be seen with the help of a
graph in the simulation.