Baby energy is not what it sounds like, it's better. Using a baby playing at the park as his model, this young man describes, provides solid examples, and works through a series of equations that show energy. Potential and kinetic...

"One of nature's boldest predators," the peregrine falcon, has the fastest raw speed amongst any creature on the planet. Follow these researchers as they study how the falcon lives and moves.

Physics fanatics time five cars as they pass on the highway. They use the times and a 20-yard distance to calculate velocity. They also graph distance vs. time. A page of student pre-lab questions is provided in addition to the activity...

Give every type of learner in your physics class an opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned throughout the year. From analyzing tables and graphs, to evaluating diagrams and solving problems, there is an outstanding variety of...

Twelve pages of mostly multiple-choice questions comprise this comprehensive New York Regents physics exam. It covers an entire year's worth of physics curriculum and requires about three hours for completion. Review the questions to...

Physics apprentices analyze the impact of NASA's Impactor as it collided with the comet Tempel 1 in July of 2005. They calculate the mass and speed of the comet, along with the distance it might drift off of its orbit over time. This...

Twelfth graders examine the physics of rocket flight. They build and launch model rockets to measure their performances.

In this lesson, learners, Analyze the relationship between velocity and acceleration * Calculate an object's average acceleration * Collect data and interpret it* Create and analyze a graph showing acceleration.Students also work in...

Lift—it is about the wing's attack. Using a virtual wind tunnel, pupils investigate wing shape and angle of attack. Learners use worksheets to record their observations and to convert verbal relationships into mathematical equations in...

High school physical scientists collide with motion. They work in pairs to design a paper car that will protect a raw egg during a head-on collision. Measurements of distance traveled, time of run, vehicle specs, and photo gate flags are...

A well-developed lab sheet guides physical science learners through an investigation of kinetic and potential energy. In small groups, collaborators discover whether or not the ramp height or mass of an object has an effect on the...

Become a pinball wizard by understanding acceleration. Mia and Sam define acceleration for the audience and touch on the property of inertia. Get your physical science class up to speed by showing this little video, reviewing the...

What a fun demonstration! Show the video, or better yet, have your physics learners construct this hex nut pendulum and test it themselves. Then have them discuss in groups why the single hex nut wraps around the finger. See if they can...

A very interesting demonstration on angular momentum and velocity. If you've ever wondered why ice skaters are able to spin so quickly during their routines, this video explains it in scientific terms. By bringing one's arms in to the...

What a fun demonstration! Show the video, or better yet, have your physics learners construct this hex nut pendulum and test it themselves. Then have them discuss in groups why the single hex nut wraps around the finger. See if they can...

A very interesting demonstration on angular momentum and velocity. If you've ever wondered why ice skaters are able to spin so quickly during their routines, this video explains it in scientific terms. By bringing one's arms in to the...

During the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812, only 25% of the bombs and rockets fired at Fort McHenry actually reached their target. Using an interactive online simulation, combine your historical study with physics and discover why...

Computer-interfaced motion detectors are required to carry out this inquiry. It is a new twist on exploring motion with plunger carts: they are set back-to-back and then propelled away from each other. Their velocities are measured, and...

In collaborative groups, physics learners design and create a web portfolio of internet resoucres explaining poitive and negative acceleration, zero acceleration, and positive and negative velocity. This is a terrific assignment for...

Those who take this challenge will draw force diagrams and then calculate velocities and displacement. The problems are applicable to any general physics curriculum that covers motion. Add this to your collection of homework selections. 

Future physics majors look at a diagram of a marble rolling across a railing. They sketch motion maps and force diagrams. They determine the horizontal range of the marble as it falls to the floor. Then they double the height and repeat...

Send physics learners into orbit by assigning this seven-problem worksheet. They will calculate the mass of a satellite, construct a force diagram, determine the radius of the orbit, and more. Physics worksheets can become wearisome, but...

Here are nine motion problems for physics fanatics to solve. Topics are pretty typical: rifles firing bullets, freight train cars colliding, astronauts gliding through space, balls being thrown. Pupils compute recoil speed, combined...

On the first of two pages, physics aces graph velocity versus time on sets of axes. On the second page, they look at graphs of position versus time and then draw velocity versus time on graphs right next to them. This is good practice in...