Newton's Laws Of Motion

1. Newton's Laws Of Motion By: Juana Butanda and Christopher Sanchez

2. First Activity A Body at Rest • Materials • You will need the following items for this experiment: • • one book cover or large piece of smooth paper • • one book with a hard, glossy cover • • one book with a rough or non-glossy cover • • objects to place on the book cover • Procedure • 1. Place the book cover (or piece of paper) on a flat, smooth surface. • 2. Put the book with the glossy cover on top of the book cover. • 3. Quickly (and in one smooth motion) yank the book cover out from under the book. • 4. Write down what happens. • 5. Do the experiment again, this time putting other objects on top of the book cover. Observe what happens and write your answers to the following questions in your Newton’s Law book: Does mass (weight) have any effect on the experiment? Does the type of object you add have any effect? If so, in what way and why? • 6. Try the experiment again using a book with a rough or non-glossy cover. What do you notice? Can you explain how this experiment relates to Newton’s First Law of Motion?

3. Second Activity A Body in Motion Materials you will need the following items for this experiment:• one tennis ball • clearly-marked target(s), i.e., notebook paper, a chalk mark, or tap Procedure 1. Place a target about 10-15 meters away from a starting line. Mark the starting line with chalk or tape. Girl running towards ball 2. Hold the tennis ball and do not let your elbow leave your side as you run and drop the ball. Do not throw the ball. You should hold the ball from its sides so that you can release your grip as you let it drop. Remember 3. Have three students stand alongside (but slightly back from) the running path to act as observers. One should stand before the target, one at the target, and one just after the target. Their objective is to determine exactly where the runner released the ball and where the ground. 4. Ask the runner to sprint toward the target as fast as she or he can and try to drop the ball so that it lands on the target. 5. Next, have the observers make a diagram in their Newton’s . 6. Use the information in Step 5 to predict what would happen if a student ran at a slower speed. 7. Repeat Steps 4-5, using a different runner sprinting at a slower speed. 8. Use the information in the previous trials to predict what would happen at a walking speed. 9. For the last trial, ask a student to walk toward the target. Repeat Steps 4-5. 10. Write a summary of your results in your Newton’s Law book. Form conclusions based on the speed of each runner, the location of each ball’s release, and the exact point where each ball landed.

4. ACTIVITY 2

5. Activity #3: And They’re Off! • MaterialsYou will need the following items for this experiment: • • two identical jars with lids (either plastic or glass jars) • • flour or sand to fill one of the jars • • iron filings or small lead pellets to fill one of the jars • • two identical, empty three-ring binders (at least 2.5” in width) • • a measuring tape • Procedure • Two different three ring binders acting as inclined planes • 1. Fill one jar with flour or sand. Pack it tightly. • 2. Fill the other jar with iron filings or small lead pellets. Again, fill it tightly. • 3. Put lids on both of the jars. Lids should be on tight. • 4. Place both three-ring binders next to each other on a wooden or tile floor. Place each jar on • its side and release both from the top of the “ramps” at exactly the same time. • 5. In the Table below, record how far each jar rolled. Do not measure the binder itself, just the • distance from the end of the binder to where each jar actually stopped. • 6. Repeat Steps 3-4 for each of the surfaces listed on the Table. • 7. Fill in the Table with your results for each race.

6. Activity #3

7. Activity #4: Rock and Roll? • Materials • You will need the following items for this experiment: • • one LP record (or cut foam board or cardboard in a circle with a 12” diameter) • • one of the following: wooden matchstick, pencil, or headless nail • • string • Procedure • 1. Tie one end of the string to the middle of a matchstick, pencil, or finishing nail. • 2. Pull the other end of the string through the hole of the LP record (or foam board or cardboard). The matchstick, pencil, or headless nail should be centered underneath the LP. • 3. Swing the record back and forth like a pendulum. Try to achieve smooth, even movements. Describe what happens in your Newton’s Law book. • A record is attached to a string and being swung like a pendulum • 4. Now give the record a spin so it rotates on top of the matchstick, pencil, or headless nail. • 5. While it is still spinning, try to swing the record again like a pendulum. Make a note in • your Newton’s law book about what you observe the ground as it swings along its pendulum arc?

8. Activity 4

9. Activity 5 : A Day at the Races • Materials • You will need the following items for this experiment: • • balloons (one for each team) • • plastic straws (one for each team) • • tape (cellophane or masking) • • fishing line, 10 meters in length • • a stopwatch • • a measuring tape balloon rocket • Procedure • This is a race. The race will be timed and a winner determined. • 1. Divide into groups of at least five students. • 2. Attach one end of the fishing line to the blackboard with tape. Have one teammate hold the • other end of the fishing line so that it is taut and roughly horizontal. The line must be held • steady and may not be moved up or down during the experiment. • 3. Have one teammate blow up a balloon and hold it shut with his or her fingers. Have another • teammate tape the straw along the side of the balloon. Thread the fishing line through the • straw and hold the balloon at the far end of the line. • 4. Assign one teammate to time the event. The balloon should be let go when the time keeper • yells “Go!” Observe how your rocket moves toward the blackboard.

10. Activity 5 • . Have another teammate stand right next to the blackboard and yell “Stop!” when the rocket • hits its target. If the balloon does not make it all the way to the blackboard, “Stop!” should be • called when the balloon stops moving. The timekeeper should record the flight time. • 6. Measure the exact distance the rocket traveled. Calculate the average speed at which the • balloon traveled. To do this, divide the distance traveled by the time the balloon was “in • flight.” Fill in your results for Trial 1 in the Table below. • 7. Each team should conduct two more races and complete the sections in the Table for • Trials 2 and 3. Then calculate the average speed for the three trials to determine your team

11. : A Day at the Races

12. Activity 6 Collision on the Tracks • Materials • You will need the following items for this experiment: • • two identical ball bearings • • two marbles with different masses (similar sizes), each with less mass than the ball bearings • • two tracks, 1 meter each • • a ruler • • a stopwatch • • a balance or scale • Procedure

13. Activity 6 • 2. Set up a ramp, 1 meter in length. Use books or a board to incline the ramp at an angle • of 5 to 10 degrees. • 3.Starting from the top of the ramp, put marks along the track at 30 and 60 centimeters. • 4. Place the other track at the end of the incline. Make sure there’s a smooth transition where the • tracks are joined. Put a book at the end of the last track. • 5. Put one of the ball bearings at the bottom of the inclined track, where it becomes level. • 1. Put the marble with the smallest mass at the top of the inclined track. Use a ruler to hold • the ball steady. • 2. Before you release the marble, predict what will happen when the marble hits the ball bearing. • 3. Remove the ruler and let the marble roll down the track. Observe what happens when the • marble hits the ball bearing. Was it what you expected? Why or why not? Record your • notes in your Newton’s Law book. • 4. Repeat the experiment, using a stopwatch to measure how long it takes the marble to roll • down the track and hit the target ball bearing. Use this information, along with your • calculations of the marble’s mass, to calculate the acceleration of the marble. Enter your data • and calculations in the Table below. • 5. Repeat the experiment twice more. First, start the marble at the 30 cm mark. Second, start • it at the 60 cm mark. Record your data and calculate the acceleration of the marble

14. Activity 6