Physics Classroom
Universal Gravitation
Are you feeling weighed down by your current gravitation presentation? Assign a hands-on interactive instead! Physics scholars work through a series of progressively harder questions about mass, distance, and gravity using an online...
Physics Classroom
Getting a Handle on Torque
Do your young physicists get a little unbalanced when it comes to talking about torque? Scholars examine the effects of weight and distance on a balanced system with a simple interactive from the Rotation and Balance series. The resource...
Physics Classroom
Law Enforcement - Hit-and-Stick Collisions
How do police determine the speed of a car that has hit a stopped vehicle? Scholars determine the momentum of the car system both before and after a collision. They identify instances where the law of conservation of momentum appears to...
Physics Classroom
Case Studies: Impulse and Force
Why are gym walls padded and cars required to have air bags? Scholars observe two similar situations, such as those listed above, with only one variable altered. They identify the different variable and determine how the variation...
Physics Classroom
Being Impulsive About Momentum Change
Scholars quantitatively apply their knowledge relating impulse, force, and time in the collision of objects. Three progressive levels challenge pupils with different ways of analyzing these problems. They identify multiple collision...
Physics Classroom
Law Enforcement - Explosions
How do law enforcement officers determine the strength of an explosion based on the movement of objects around the point of origin? Scholars inspect the relative mass and velocities of two cars before and after an explosion. They perform...
Physics Classroom
Newton's Second Law
Physics formulas provide more interest than simple math equations thanks to an informative installment from the series on Newton's laws of motion. The formulas guide pupils' thinking about how varying a quantity affects the rest of the...
Physics Classroom
Match That Free-Body Diagram
Pupils read a description of a physical situation and select the free-body diagram that best matches. As part of a series on applying Newton's Laws of Motion, scholars reinforce their skills applying forces and considering their relative...
Physics Classroom
Recognizing Forces
A common complaint among physics scholars studying Newton's laws of motion concerns drawing free-body diagrams. To practice the required pre-requisite skills for free-body diagrams, individuals identify which forces act in specific...
Physics Classroom
Change of State
Free-body diagrams display all forces acting on an object, helping scientists represent Newton's Laws of Motion. Scholars read a short description of motion and view the free-body diagram to begin the installment of a larger series on...
Physics Classroom
Force and Motion
Scholars focus on associating balanced forces with at rest or constant velocity motion and unbalanced forces with acceleration or deceleration. Practice problems with immediate feedback allow for quick success in an installment of the...
Physics Classroom
Balanced vs. Unbalanced Forces
Scientists use many different kinematic representations of motion. Review each of them with the help of an engaging interactive that is part of a larger series on Newton's laws of motion. The resource provides three levels of challenge...
Physics Classroom
Charge and Charging
Does your class understand how things become charged? Are you positive? Before negative grades emerge, assign a fun interactive! The first in the five-part Static Electricity series contains three levels of charge-related questions and...
Physics Classroom
Parallel Circuits - ∆V = I•R Calculations
Parallel circuits often provide less of a challenge for teens than parallel parking. An installment of a series on parallel electric circuits requires learners to solve increasingly difficult levels of calculations. Each level provides...
Physics Classroom
Series Circuits: ∆V=I•R Calculations
Better than some television series, parallel series circuits provide practice for calculations. Scholars work through a series of problems, each progressively more difficult. They apply knowledge of voltage calculations, resistors, and...
Physics Classroom
Ohm's Law: Voltage-Current-Resistance Relationship
Join the resistance—Ohm! Scholars apply Ohm's Law to problems of increasing difficulty as part of a series on electric circuits. The lesson begins with simply doubling and tripling voltage or resistance. It ends with having pupils solve...
Physics Classroom
Know Your Potential
Never underestimate potential—electric or your own. Scholars apply a color scheme based on the changes in electric potential as part of a series on electric circuits. They consider splitting wires, light bulb placement, and voltage as...
Physics Classroom
Resistance Ranking Tasks
Resistance is not futile ... it is voltage divided by current. Scholars apply their knowledge to a series of ranking puzzles. First, they consider wires of varying lengths and then wires of varying cross-sectional areas. Finally, they...
Physics Classroom
Electric Current
Pupils focus on the flow of electricity as they work through three sections of questions as part of a series of lessons on electric circuits. The activities cover the fundamentals, case studies, and law breakers. Learners use conceptual...
Physics Classroom
Light Bulb Anatomy
Scholars apply their understanding of circuits and electric pathways to many simulations. They move through three different activities and 18 questions, receiving immediate feedback after each answer. The lesson is part of a larger...
Physics Classroom
Dots and Graphs
Scholars demonstrate understanding of kinematic graphs through matching dot graphs to position time graphs, dot graphs to velocity graphs, and a mixture of the two. If users feel stuck or confused, a Help Me! button offers an explanation...
Physics Classroom
Position-Time Graphs
Three sections review the key skills covered in a series on dimensional kinematics. The first covers the difference between distance and displacement. The second addresses the relationship between velocity and slope. The third includes...
Physics Classroom
Position-Time Graphs - Conceptual Analysis
Increasingly, colleges and employers want applicants with strong conceptual analysis skills, so give them some practice! Applying these skills to position-time graphs encourages synthesis of knowledge. To complete an installment of a...
Physics Classroom
Match That Graph
Matchy-matchy no longer exclusively applies to fashion. Scholars work through three levels of practice matching position and velocity graphs. Part of a series covering dimensional kinematics, each question provides immediate feedback and...