When studying inertia, most of us have a sense of how objects tend to resist motion. It's tougher to study how they tend to stay in motion. By using simple bull's eye levels, students can track forces that are usually invisible. This activity is set up like a lab, but would work just as well as a station. The directions are written directly to the students so you don't have to introduce them. This is a great addition to a study of Newton's laws of motion.
Concepts Addressed
- Objects in motion tend to remain in motion.
- Objects at rest tend to remain at rest.
- Unbalanced or outside forces produce acceleration (a change in motion).
Materials Needed per setup: 1 Pull-back car, putty, 1 bulls-eye level, 1 battery-powered car,
Prep Needed Gather supplies
Teaching Time 20-30 min
Related Labs Motion and Newton's Laws