Force & Motion
Session 1: Motion
Motion is easily felt, yet it is difficult to describe, especially in science-y ways. To talk about motion requires being able to say precisely where an object is located, how far it has gone, and how fast it’s moving, and in what direction. Surprisingly, that’s not always easy! This session clarifies the tricky differences between speed and velocity, distance and displacement, and position and reference point. Session 2: Change in Motion
The word acceleration is part of our everyday vocabulary, but like many terms we use day-to-day, it’s a slippery one. When you hear it, you are likely to think of something speeding up, like a swanky car going from zero to 60 in 6 seconds. As you will discover in this session, acceleration is much, much more. Session 3: Acceleration & Force
Newton’s First Law of motion sounds simple — any acceleration requires a force, and unbalanced forces result in acceleration — but the truth is in the details, and the truth is it’s not always straight forward. This session explores what it means to apply a constant force versus an impulse force, and how balanced and unbalanced forces do and do not affect an objects motion. Session 4: Force
Forces exist everywhere and affect nearly everything we do, but they are often easy to forget and hard to identify. The term force itself, is difficult to define. This session tackles Newton’s Third Law of Motion — for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction — and solidifies the concept of force interactions. Session 5: Acceleration & Mass
We intuitively know that heavy objects are harder to push than light objects. But does a bowling ball fall faster than a baseball? Or the other way around? Or neither? Newtons Second Law of Motion — the amount of acceleration depends on the mass of the object and the net force(s) action on the object — sounds easy enough, but this session explores the complex relationship between acceleration and mass. |