Subject – Conceptual Physics
Unit of Study: Newton’s Laws of Motion
Second Grading Period – Weeks 1 & 2 (10 days) CURRICULUM OVERVIEW
Big Idea / Unit RationaleForces cause the motion of objects and this motion can be determined and described by 3 laws defined by Isaac Newton. These laws of motion apply to all objects on the Earth, in space or on other planets. / For students to understand, predict and calculate the motion of an object acted on by a force requires that they first understand the physical laws that govern that motion and how to apply them.
TEKS / TEKS Specificity - Intended Outcome
Concepts / Physics TEKS 4 The student knows the laws governing motion. The student is expected to (A) develop and interpret a free body diagram for force analysis and (C) demonstrate the effects of forces on the motion of objects
IPC TEKS 4 The student knows concepts of force and motion evident in everyday life. The student is expected to (B) investigate and describe applications of Newton’s laws such as in vehicle restraints, sports activities, geological processes, and satellite orbits / I can: ” I CAN” statements highlighted in yellow should be displayed for students.
· draw an object and all the forces working on that object when the object is still or moving. From that drawing I can determine what is happening to the object as a result of the force (4A).
· describe how Newton’s laws apply to a passenger in a car who uses a seat belt and one who does not (IPC 4B). / · describe why the moon or a satellite remains in orbit around the Earth (4B)
· calculate the acceleration of an object with a certain mass if I know how much force is applied to the object (4C)
· describe how Newton’s laws determine the speed of a kick ball or a ball hit with a baseball bat (4C)
Skills / TEKS 2 The student uses scientific methods during field and laboratory investigations. (A) The student is expected to plan and implement experimental procedures including asking questions, formulating testable hypotheses, and selecting equipment and technology
TEKS 3 The student uses critical thinking and problem solving skills to make informed decisions. (B) The student is expected to express laws symbolically and employ mathematical procedures including vector addition and right-triangle geometry to solve physical problems / · design and conduct an investigation into the effect of mass on an object’s acceleration (2A).
· determine the relationship between mass, force and acceleration for various objects and predict their motion (3B).
· manipulate equations to solve for any variable needed (3B). / · apply technology (such as a force sensor) to explore the forces acting on an object and the effect of those forces on the motion of the object (2A).
Evidence of Learning
1. Given an object and the forces acting on the object, students can draw and label a free body diagram and describe the resulting motion of the object at least 80% of the time correctly.
2. Given 2 of the variables in the equation F = ma, students can manipulate the equation if necessary, substitute the correct given values, and solve for the remaining variable at least 80% of the time correctly.
3. Given materials and equipment, students can design and conduct an experiment to gather data and graph the relationship between force and acceleration for objects of different mass.
Subject – Conceptual Physics
Unit of Study: Newton’s Laws of Motion
Week 1 – Lesson 1 – 1st Law of Motion (Forces and Inertia) (4 days) CURRICULUM GUIDE
Essential Questions / Essential Pre-requisite Skills· Why does it take so much force to stop a fully loaded train or truck as opposed to a small car?
· Why do satellites in circular orbit maintain the same speed at all times?
· How does a seat belt keep a passenger from being injured in a car crash?
· Why do objects on the front seat of a car continue moving when you stop suddenly?
· How does the mass of an object affect its inertia? / The student can:
· demonstrate than an object will remain at rest or in straight line motion if not subject to an unbalanced force (7th grade science 7.6A)
· describe how unbalanced forces cause changes in the speed or direction of an object (8th grade science 8.7A)
· investigate and describe applications of Newton’s Laws (IPC 4B)
The Teaching Plan
Instructional Model & Teacher Directions
The teacher will… / So students can demonstrate competency
5 E Model of Instruction
1. Engage
· Review the concept of Force as a “push or pull” on an object and that forces are measured in Newtons (N) named after Sir Isaac Newton whose laws of motion you will be exploring. Does a magnet push or pull? Does the gravity of the Earth push or pull? (4A).
· Show how several different forces can act on an object at the same time, for example an airplane has lift (up) and weight (down) and thrust (forward) and drag (backward) and that all the forces determine the motion of the airplane. What are all the forces acting on someone sitting in a chair? (4A).
· Model the concept of inertia (Newton’s 1st law of motion) by rapidly pulling a tablecloth from underneath plates and bowls, or show the video clip Tablecloth Trick. Why did the objects stay on the table? What would have happened if the tablecloth was pulled slowly? (4B).
2. Explore
· Have students explore the relationship between mass and inertia by using coins, index cards and a paper cup. How does mass impact the inertia of an object? Does a nickel have more inertial than a penny? (2A, 4B).
· Or have students explore the relationship between force and mass using “Active Physics – Sports”, p. S61 Does the amount of mass an object has affect its inertia? (2A, 4B).
· Or explore inertia using the lab activity “Going Nuts” in the lab manual (2A, 4B).
· Show the video clip Demonstrations of Inertia;.. What are some other examples of inertia in real life? (4B)
· Have students draw a free body diagram of the coin (all the forces acting / · Have students list in their science journals the forces they experience everyday (4A)
· How can more than one force act on an object at the same time?
· Have students describe in their own words the concept of inertia and give examples from real life in their science journals.
· Provide students with newspaper articles that include examples of the 1st law of motion in real world situations and have them identify how the law is demonstrated.
· Work in cooperative groups to explore the concept of inertia
· Use Marzano’s 6 steps for vocabulary acquisition for the vocabulary associated with Newton’s Laws of Motion
· Have students compare and describe the difference between mass and weight and the units used for each measurement.
· on it) when it is lying on the index card. How many forces are acting on the coin? (4A)
· Discuss balanced and unbalanced forces and how to find the net force on an object by drawing all the forces and their directions. Can the net force on an object be zero if only one force is acting on the object? (4A)
3. Explain
· Have students explain Newton’s 1st law of motion and how inertia affects the motion of objects. Show the video clip Inertia of Moving Objects. When do objects at rest stay at rest? What do we know about the forces acting on such an object? (4B).
· Demonstrate inertia and seat belts using the lab activity “Buckle Up” in the lab manual (2A, 4B).
· Emphasize the relationship between mass and inertia. For example, an object on the moon would have less weight but would have the same mass and inertia. How would your mass and weight change or be the same on the planet Jupiter? What would happen to your inertia? (4B).
3. Elaborate
· How does inertia apply to real world situations? For example, which is harder to start moving, a bus or a small car? (4B)
· Which is harder to stop, a train or a baseball? If you accelerate a car quickly, what happens to the passenger’s head in the front seat? What happens when you stop quickly? Use the web site Newton’s First Law and Seat Belts to discuss the importance of wearing seat blets.(4B)
· Show the video clip Newton’s First law and Seat Belts; (4B)
4. Evaluate
· Have students describe and give examples of Newton’s 1st law of motion in various real world situations in their science journals. Have them read in “Active Physics – Sports” the article on “Inertia”, p. S58 and summarize this article in their science journals. / · List objects with lots of mass and lots of inertia (like a train, or bus). Is it hard to start and stop these objects with lots of mass?
· Provide students with pictures of various objects and require them to label all the forces acting on the objects. Calculate the net force that results from adding all the forces.
· Think-pair-share about all the ways inertia can be demonstrated in a car that starts up, slows down, goes around a curve, and comes to a stop.
Vocabulary:
· force
· mass
· unbalanced forces
· net force
· inertia
· equilibrium / Resources
Conceptual Physics
Chapter 4 (pp. 43-52)
· Sections 4.1-4.7
Laboratories:
Active Physics
- Sports, p. S61
Lab Manual
#8, “Going Nuts”, p. 29#9, “Buckle Up”, p. 31
Textbook Questions
p. 24, 50, 51
Key Formulas:
· Net Force = sum of all forces acting on an object
Evidence of Learning
Differentiation / Interims/TAKS/Benchmarks / College-Readiness
Anticipated Skills for SAT/ACT/College Board/Career/Life
What do you do for students who need additional support?
Use the web site Newton’s 1st Law of Motion to readdress the concept and provide examples. Give students objects of different mass and have them explore the inertia that each object has when they try to move it.
What do you do for students who master the learning quickly?
Have students list various real world objects in their science journal, then place them in order form highest to lowest based upon inertia and then explain why that order is appropriate. Would the order of the objects be the same in space or on the Moon? /
Interim Assessment Sample Question
You are sitting in the passenger seat of a car that is stopped. The driver pushes hard on the gas pedal and the car accelerates quickly, while your head snaps backward. The driver then stops by pushing hard on the brake and your head snaps forward. The movements of your head in both of these instances are examples of Newton'sA. 1st Law of Motion (Inertia)
B. 2nd Law of Motion (F= ma)
C. 3rd Law of Motion (Action/Reaction)
D. Universal Law of Gravitation
Answer A
TAKS Released Question
2006 11th grade – Answer D
Additional TAKS Questions /
Example Problem from College Board
While driving a car around a left had turn in the road, your items placed on the front seat slide toward the passengers door (toward the outside of the curve). This action results fromA. Centrifigual force
B. Graviational force
C. Inertia
D. Fricition forces
Answer C
Subject – Conceptual Physics
Unit of Study: Newton’s Laws of Motion
Week 1 – Lesson 2 – 2nd Law of Motion (F =ma) (2 days) CURRICULUM GUIDE
Essential Questions /Essential Pre-requisite Skills
· How force, mass and acceleration related and how can you make a racecar accelerate more rapidly?· How does a seat belt keep a passenger from being injured in a car crash?
· Why does a bus need a larger, more powerful engine than a small car to have the same acceleration?
· If I reduce the mass of my automobile, will it take more or less force from the engine to accelerate the car? / Student can:
· demonstrate than an object will remain at rest or in straight line motion if not subject to an unbalanced force (7th grade science 7.6A)
· describe how unbalanced forces cause changes in the speed or direction of an object (8th grade science 8.7A)
· investigate and describe applications of Newton’s Laws (IPC 4B)
· Manipulate algebraic expressions to solve for a specific variable (Algebra 1)
The Teaching Plan
Instructional Model & Teacher Directions
The teacher will… / So students can demonstrate competency
5 E Model of Instruction
1. Engage
· Model Newton’s second law of motion by pushing on a bowling ball and pushing on a tennis ball with the same force. Which object accelerated the most? Why were the accelerations different? How much force would be required to make the bowling ball accelerate at the same rate as the tennis ball? Does this concept apply to other objects, like cars and buses? (4B)
2. Explore
· Have students explore the relationship between force, mass and acceleration using objects of different masses, for example, using motion carts with different mass and measuring the applied force with spring scales. (4C)
· Or explore the relationship between force and mass using the lab activity “Getting Pushy” in the lab manual (2A, 4C)
· Or using “Constant Force and Changing Mass” (2A, 4C)
3. Explain
· Have students explain Newton’s 2nd law of motion and how force and mass affect the acceleration of objects. For example, why does a bus need a more powerful motor than a small car? (4B, 4C)
· What is the “net force” and why is it important to use the “net force” when calculating the acieration of an object? What happens when the net force is zero? (4C)
· Have students read “Physics Talk” on page S64 and S65 of “Active Physics – Sports” and summarize in their journals using their own words the meaning of Newton’s 2nd Law. How is weight related to Newton’s 2nd Law? (2A, 4B).