Chapter 1 – Physics in Action |
| Activity Summaries |
Physics Principles |
Activity 1: A Running Start
Students measure the motion of a ball rolling down and up the sides of a bowl and find the ratio of the “running start” to the vertical distance. From this they are introduced to the concept of inertia.
| - Acceleration
- Gravity
- Galileo’s Principle of Inertia
- Newton’s First Law of Motion
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Activity 2: Push or Pull
Students construct, calibrate, and use a simple force meter to explore the variables involved in throwing a shot put. They then connect their observations and data to a study of the laws of motion.
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- Newton’s Second Law of Motion
- Relationship of Mass and Force to Acceleration
- Gravity
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Activity 3: Center of Mass
By finding the balancing points on objects with a variety of shapes, students are introduced to the effects of motion the athlete’s center of mass has on the balance and performance.
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Activity 4: Defy Gravity
Students learn to measure hang time and analyze vertical jumps of athletes using slow-motion videos. This introduces the concept that work when jumping is force applied against gravity.
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- Gravity
- Potential and Kinetic Energy
- Work
- Vertical Accelerated Motion
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Activity 5: Run and Jump
Thinking about the direction in which they apply force to move in a desired way introduces students to the concept that a force has an equal and opposite force. They test this concept, then apply it to a variety of motions observed in sports.
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- Force Vectors
- Weight and Gravity of Forces
- Newton’s Third Law of Motion
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Activity 6: The Mu of the Shoe
Students measure the amount of force necessary to slide athletic shoes on a variety of surfaces. From this and the weight of the shoe, they learn to calculate friction coefficients. They then consider the effects of friction on the athlete’s performance.
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- Gravity
- Frictional Force
- Normal Force
- Coefficient of Sliding Friction
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Activity 7: Concentrating on Collisions
Students investigate the effects of a ball’s velocity on its motion after a collision. They then apply these observations and what they now know about opposing forces in motion to describe collisions of balls and athletes in sporting events.
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- Newton’s Third Law of Motion
- Mass
- Velocity
- Momentum
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Activity 8: Conservation of Momentum
Additional collisions between objects allow students to investigate what happens when the objects stay together or “stick” after
the collision.
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- Newton’s Third Law of Motion
- Momentum = Mass x Velocity
- Law of Conservation
of Momentum
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Activity 9: Circular Motion
Students use an accelerometer to test the direction of acceleration when spinning in a chair. From this, they investigate the forces involved in the movement of turning objects and athletes.
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- Inertia
- Centripetal Acceleration
- Centripetal Force
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