Curated OER
Unit IV: Worksheet 3 - Free Particle
On this homework assignment, physics novices draw force diagrams and compute the tension in various situations. Drawings help learners visualize each of six scenarios. This is terrific practice in solving problems with forces.
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Unit VII Energy: WS 3a Energy Transfer and Storage
Here is a nifty activity on energy transfer. Physics fanatics analyze a diagram and state whether or not friction is involved. They sketch bar graphs and draw energy flow diagrams for each system as well. Circular motion, movement up and...
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Typical Conceptual Questions for Physics I - Waves, Electricity, and Magnetism
This wave and electromagnetism assignment is so thorough, it could be used as a unit exam. The first section of it covers wave concepts. The next section addresses static electricity. There is a section that deals with electric circuits....
Teach Engineering
Stop the Stretching
Stretch your teaching repertoire with an experiment on the elongation (stretching) and failure (break) of several materials. The point of the experiment is to design a composite material for chair webbing.
Teach Engineering
Glue Sticks Bend and Twist
Stick this resource in the "Use" column. In the second installment of a six-part series, learners use glue sticks to demonstrate forces. Using glue sticks, instructors can demonstrate tension, compression, and torsion.
Teach Engineering
Bridging the Gaps
The London Bridge should not have fallen down. And here's why. After a brief history of bridges and the three main types, class members are introduce to the concepts of tension and compression, the two main forces acting upon bridges.
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Strong as the Weakest Link
Learners recognize that compression and tension forces are important considerations in building structures. They construct their own building structure using marshmellows and spaghetti to see which structure can hold the most weight.
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Typical Numeric Questions for Physics I - Work and Energy
A total of 29 word problems furnish practice in solving for work, energy, and force. A few of the questions display diagrams to help learners visualize the systems, and all of them list five choices from which they select the correct...
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Wind Effects on Model Building: Pre-Lab for Truss Design and Testing
Emerging engineers perform pre-lab calculations in this first of a three-part lesson on model building. They determine the forces of tension and compression in a truss. After completion of the worksheet, pupils will draw a draft of their...
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Freestanding Structures: A Tech Museum Floor Activity
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...
Curated OER
Paper Suspension Bridges: You Want Me To Go Up There?
A few class periods will be required to complete this physics investigation with your high schoolers. There is an unavailable video written into the lesson plan, but there is plenty of material here to bridge the gap. Two terrific...
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Activity: Leaning Tower of Pasta
A well-laid-out lesson plan, this can be used in an engineering, STEM, or physical science course. Laboratory groups design a structure using pasta and marshmallows, measure its height and weight, and then discover the load that it can...
Teach Engineering
Exploring the Forces of Tension
Let the resource stretch the minds of your young scientists with a lesson about tensile strength and stiffness of materials. Groups consider how easily materials stretch and relate this property to engineering design.
Teach Engineering
Fairly Fundamental Facts About Forces and Structures
Don't twist and turn looking for a resource. The first installment of a six-part series teaches young engineers about the five fundamental forces of compression, tension, shear, bending, and torsion. These forces help explain different...
Curated OER
Forces
Words, words, words! Each of these slides gives a wordy definition of a particular force, along with an example or diagram detailing that force. No photos or diagrams are shown, so make sure to demonstrate each concept for the class as...
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Suspension Bridges
Students explain the concepts of tension and compression, and then state the purpose of suspension bridges. They also study some of the most famous suspension bridges in North America.
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Crazy Chemistry Lesson Plan
Students study water molecules, cohesion and surface tension. In this molecule cohesion lesson students create chemical reactions that cause a balloon to inflate and another one that results in soap suds.
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Stable and Unstable Structures
Middle schoolers research three major bridge collapses. For this Physical Science lesson plan, students will sketch a bridge design for their area after their research. All bridge designs will be presented to the class to discuss...
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Build and Test a Paper Bridge
Students investigate making strong structures from paper. In this paper bridge instructional activity, students experiment making bridges out of paper. Students fold paper many different ways to test its strength. Students discuss what...
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Bridge Building, Tension, and Compression
Students demonstrate tension and compression using real world examples. For this forces lesson, students demonstrate tension on a suspension bridge. They demonstrate compression on different roof designs.
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Strong as the Weakest Link
Students apply knowledge of stresses and forces by building model structures. In this force activity, students consider skyscrapers and bridges in the world around them and the stresses that these structures endure. They use their...
Physics LAB
Freebody Diagrams #4
In this freebody diagram worksheet, students solve fourteen problems using given graphs of mass-less and friction-less pulleys. Students find the tension in the strings on the pulley, the velocity of the objects, the coefficients of...
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Bridge Building lab
Students investigate the 4 types of bridges and their strengths and weaknesses at an Internet Website. They describe one type of bridge that they have seen. Students pair off and face each other with their palms touching and feet flat...
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Be a Structural Engineer!
Students investigate how to design and build items with a focus on structural strength as an engineer would. They complete a truss-building project as a final assessment.