May the Force Be With You: Drag

Friction and gravity are always at odds! Learners complete a set of activities to explore the relationship between friction and gravity. Groups make conclusions about the factors that affect the amount and type of friction between surfaces.

Define six common forces: propulsion, air resistance, water resistance, friction, gravity, and upthrust. A picture of a Smart Car is displayed with arrows showing all of the forces acting on it when it is motion. A picture of a rubber...

Each of the slides here gives a definition, equation, or calculation example for a component of force and motion. This large collection covers topics from momentum and Newton's laws to centripetal forces and simple machines. Animations...

Set youngsters in motion when studying forces. This quick animated film stars Sam and Mia, two intelligent but cool kids who talk about forces and motion on the soccer field. Consider using this resource when preparing junior-high...

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...

How does an airplane control its take off and descent? Scholars explore the forces acting on an airplane and control the angle of attack, wing profile, thrust, and airplane size. They learn about lift, drag, thrust, gravity, and the...

Physics plays a role in most sports, and curling is no exception! A video explains how a curling team controls the friction between the stone and the ice to modify its movement.

How do you help your pupils understand the relationship between energy and forces? The video tackles standard PS3C using a concept map and demonstrations. The narrator also provides key vocabulary scholars should master at each grade level.

Get the class up and going with a lesson that discusses how airplane wings provide lift. Pupils use their knowledge of Bernoulli's Principle to develop an explanation of how it creates lift on airplane wings.

Get on the right track! Young scholars learn about the importance of momentum and friction during a bobsled ride. A video lesson speaks to a bobsled designer to explain how he considers the physics during the design process.