Curated OER
Space Ship Pilot
Students visualize the relationship between acceleration and velocity as they maneuver a model spaceship in a 2-dimensional applet.
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Calculating & Graphing Using a Spreadsheet
Students use the lab apparatus to calculate the average velocity and average acceleration at several points and record the data. They use the spreadsheets to plot distance vs. time, velocity vs. time and acceleration vs. time graphs.
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May The Fastest Toy Win
Middle schoolers determine which wind-up toy is the fastest. However, they can NOT race the toys. They must find another way. On the first day of the activity, students work in pairs or small groups to develop and write a plan.
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Kepler's Second Law
Pupils explore orbital velocities and how they vary along each orbit, according to Kepler's Second Law.
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Battery Operated Model Car Experiments
Students time battery operated cars over a set track and determine the velocity of each type of car. They use the cars as manipulatives to demonstrate word problems involving velocity.
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How Fast Is that Rocket?
Eighth graders calculate the speed of a falling object using measurements from a falling rocket. They report data from their data sheet to the teacher to record on the board or on the overhead transparency and discuss the results with...
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Can You Calculate the Speed of Your Pet?
Students analyze the formula for speed and velocity. They explore and demonstrate how to calculate the speed of wind up toy pets, average the speeds and identify the correct units of measure of speed.
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Siphon Pump
Learners determine the basic types of pumps and how they work in terms of pressure, velocity, and elevation differences. They build two examples of gravity-driven water pumps.
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Flying With Mathematics!
Third graders fly miniature airplanes to discover characteristics related to velocity and average speed. After measuring the time and distance of their flights, 3rd graders calculate the average velocity of their planes.
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Acceleration
Learners develop an understanding of velocity and to distinguish it from speed. To determine the difference between a scalar and a vector quantity. To explore how acceleration is derived from velocity and time.
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Bernoulli Effect
High schoolers explore the relationship between velocity and pressure of a fluid. After a lecture/demo, students engage in an experiment which demonstrate the Bernoulli Effect and enhance their understanding.
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Pitot Tube Problem Set
Students read a NASA Web-based text and use its information to complete an activity which uses a pitot tube to calculate the speed of an airplane.
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Wind Tunnel Aerodynamics Problem Set
Students, after reading an explanation from a NASA Web-based textbook, demonstrate an understanding of the text by applying it to the calculation of area, velocity, and pressure in a wind tunnel.
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Lift/Velocity Relationship Problem Set
High schoolers, after reading an explanation from a NASA Web-based textbook, demonstrate their ability to use, graph (using a graphing calculator), and interpret a text equation.