Can a horse pull more than its weight? A simple simulation answers this question and more. Pupils adjust the mass in a cart, the mass of the horse, the acceleration of the horse, and the angle of the tension rope between the horse and cart. Challenge scholars to pull the largest amount of weight with the smallest horse, move a specific weight the fastest, or find the best combination that allows a horse to pull its own weight.

Concepts

newton's third law of motion, force, acceleration, normal force

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Perform a simple experiment in class pulling a weight with a rope at various angles to observe the difference

Classroom Considerations

• Requires a free CK-12 account to access the interactive
• Assumes prior knowledge of normal force and angle measurements

Pros

• Shows free body diagrams for each interaction
• Offers a tutorial for those unsure of how to control the simulator

Cons

• None

Common Core

RST.6-8.4 RST.9-10.4 RST.11-12.4