Elastic Force Teacher Resources

Teaching elastic forces in your physics class is a snap with this resource! Scholars compare the stretch of rubber bands with differing width, then measure the stretch of a spring and calculate force. In a whole-class experiment, wire is...

Third graders predict and experiment to discover the amount of force exerted by a stretched elastic band. They construct a spreadsheet and make a bar graph showing the results of their experiment.

Bouncing balls and rockets taking off provide ammunition for your physics arsenal. Your class will solve mulit-step problems for velocity, momentum, and force. This is an ideal homework assignment for practice solving motion problems.

Hands-on is the best way to play. Learners read a graph that shows the force needed to stretch a rubber band. They do this and then participate in a simple experiment where they create coiled springs with wire. They work to determine how...

Students attempt to design the tallest structure that they can with the given materials which are wooden dowels and rubber bands. They discuss the physics of their structure and how they would improve it the next time they built a...

Make the connection between Hooke's law and elasticity with an activity that introduces the class to the behavior of elastic materials. The resource defines stress and strain to calculate the modules of elasticity of...

Students study the physical force of linear momentum by investigating collisions. They analyze the difference between elastic and inelastic collisions. They calculate linear momentum.

Is the transfer of energy different in bumper cars with stable versus bouncy bumpers? One of the variables explored in the simulation is bumper type; other variables are the mass and velocity of each car. This allows pupils to see the...

A trampoline and a spring both produce gravitational potential energy. Use Hooke's Law to quantify the amount of force needed to create the desired outcome. 

High schoolers discuss the oil crisis and a future world without oil. In this oil instructional activity, students watch videos online based on the reduced oil supply. They discuss how their regional community depends on oil and what...

Where does the energy of an arrow come from? Is it from the person, the bow, or somewhere else? A simulation allows scholars to adjust the stretch distance and the elastic constant in order to understand where the energy comes from, what...

Dangle a spring to experiment with vibration and discover if period is dependent on amplitude. Strum a guitar and adjust the strings to compare displacement and sound. Use a Slinky® and guitar strings on a ring stand to uncover the...

Provide a Hooke for a lesson on elasticity with an activity that has groups investigate a set of springs. They use a set procedure to collect data to calculate the spring constant for each spring using Hooke's Law. The groups...

Learners won't have to squirm when asked the facts after completing an intriguing lab investigation! Hook young scholars on science by challenging them to verify Hooke's Law using a gummy worm. Measuring the length of the worm as they...

Planning a physics unit on energy can take a lot of work, luckily this instructional presentation is here to help. Covering everything from work and energy to elastic collisions and the conservation of momentum, this comprehensive...

For this linear momentum worksheet, students calculate force, impulse and momentum to answer 50 multiple choice questions. They identify elastic and inelastic collision.

Students create a polymer out of glue, water, and borax. They discuss the resulting substance and perform several experiments with it.

Generally, scholars struggle on the free response portion of the AP Physics 1 exam more than the multiple-choice section. Scholars benefit from additional practice with the help of previous test questions, including questions on forces,...

A little too much strain could cause a lot of stress. Groups conduct a strength test on clay. Using books as weights, pupils measure the compression of clay columns and calculate the associated strain and stress. Teams record their...

Students participate in a lab to verify Boyle's Law using applied force (weight) to do work on a closed isolated system of air. "Elasticity of Gases Apparatus, BASIX" from Sargent-Welch is the syringe apparatus used to measure volume...

Angry Birds prepared them, but now pupils must prove their skills with projectiles! Scholars test different variables to determine which ones impact the distance the projectile flies. The experiment provides connections to kinetic and...

The tension of the 236 strings in a grand piano exert a combined force of 20 tons on the cast iron frame. The presentation includes topics such as work, forms of energy, conservation of energy, gravitational and elastic potential energy,...