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This growing bundle of physics investigations is an exciting addition designed to enhance high school physics and physical science classes. It will help bring complex physics concepts to life. This bundle will continuously expand throughout the year, providing fresh, up-to-date resources to keep your lessons engaging and effective. Not only will your students get to experience difficult concepts in a hands-on way, they will also practice necessary scientific skills such as graphing, analysis,

In this lab, students will explore velocity as measured by a moving observer. Students will study the relative motion effect using a cart track, two constant-speed-carts, and a tape timer. First, they will measure the speed of the first cart moving away from the second cart with the second cart at rest. Then they will measure the speed of the first cart with both carts moving away from each other. With the tape timer, they will be able to measure the position of the first cart with respect to th

In this lab, students will learn how an inertial balance can be used to measure mass. An inertial balance is a device that vibrates back and forth at a rate that depends on the mass contained in the inertial balance pan. Students use ten different known masses to prepare a calibration graph that relates the period of vibration of the inertial balance to known gravitational mass. Finally, students will measure the period of the inertial balance associated with three unknown masses, determine the

In this lab, students explore the relationship between inertial mass and gravitational mass. Students will carry out a pendulum experiment similar to one performed by Isaac Newton to show that equal gravitational masses have equal inertial masses (quantities of matter). Materials Needed: Balance Hook Hook collarMeter stickProtractorRight-angle support clampStringTwo support rodsSample cup with handle Material samples for sample cupStopwatch Skills Used: Observe and inferCompare and contrastThink

In this lab, students explore three of the variables involved in uniform circular motion: centripetal force, radius of the circular path, and speed. Students use an apparatus that requires active involvement to maintain one of the three variables constant while controlling the variation of another. Students will measure the effect of varying speed while maintaining a constant radius. Students will also measure the effect of varying the radius while maintaining constant force. Finally, students w

In this lab, students demonstrate how the angle of a slope affects the acceleration of an object along that slope. Students use a tilted air track, a photogate, and a timer to measure the time required for a glider to travel a fixed distance down the track. Students collect data for three different angles of slope and use these time and distance data to calculate acceleration. Finally, students compare the experimental acceleration values to those predicted by Newton’s second law.  Skills used C

In this lab, students explore the acceleration of a system caused by a combination of two forces. Students use an air track and a hanging mass system to measure the acceleration of a glider, first with one force and then with a different force. Students then find the resultant vector to determine the force that would result when the first two forces act on the system at the same time and perpendicular to each other. Finally, using the calculated magnitude of the sum of the two perpendicular forc

In this lab, students experiment with a system of connected cars, like those in a train. The cars are of equal mass and are connected by a spring scale between each pair of cars. The train of cars is connected by another spring scale and a string and to a hanging mass and pulley system. Students add mass to the hanging system until the cars start to accelerate, and then record the force on each scale with multiple runs. Finally, students are asked to reconcile the differing forces by analyzing t

In this lab, students will investigate the acceleration of a ball rolling down an inclined plane by measuring the amount of time the ball takes to travel ten different distances. Students then graph distance traveled versus the square of the time to determine the relationship between these variables during acceleration Finally, students use the same data to see the relationship between velocity and time during acceleration. Skills used: Scientific explanationsMeasure in SIUse variables and const

Quick velocity lab that will allow opportunities for students to practice the following skills. Measure in SIHypothesizeUse variables and constantsCollect and organize dataExperimentAnalyze dataMake and use tablesMaterials needed for lab: ClampsConstant-speed vehicleMeter stickMasking tapePhotogate timers Stopwatch Product includes an answer key, and has print, and digital formats available. All files are Google Documents.

Quick density lab that will allow opportunities for students to practice the following skills. Density calculationVolume calculations for various shapesAverage calculationGraphing practice and analysisUse of a Vernier caliper and balanceMaterials needed for lab: Vernier caliperbalanceSolid metal blockSolid wooden blockSolid metal cylinderSolid wooden cylinderSolid metal sphereSolid wooden sphereProduct includes an answer key, and has print, and digital formats available. All files are in the fo

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