Planning Guide
Unit 1: Energy & Motion
Contents
How PhysicsEndeavor Works
Shopping List
Activities & Experiments
. Module 1
. Module 2
. Module 3
. Module 4
Projects
Lessons, Labs
& Projects
The PhysicsEndeavor program consisting of 15 two-week modules.
Each module contains four theory lessons, four practical classes,
a suggested project and a test. Lessons are typically between 40
and 60 minutes in duration and can be scheduled for each day of
the academic week.
Each video-based theory lesson involves four steps:
The lesson starts with an engaging short (5 to 10-minute) movie
that explains the concepts of the lesson using interesting real-world
examples and careful discussion.
Each lesson contains two suggested hands-on activities that illustrate the concepts at a practical level.
Read through the lesson notes. The notes reinforce concepts already introduced in the video presentation, and strengthen these with worked examples and illustrations.
Work through a set of questions
and exercises and then compare your answers with solutions
provided.
What is measured improves - Each two-week module contains a short set of questions to consolidate and test your knowledge.
SHOPPING LIST
The following items will be required for the activities and
experiments in the first unit of the program. A variety of
common, household items will also be required. These are listed
in the brief descriptions of the Physics Labs and Hands-On
Activities further below.
The first 6 items can be obtained from online suppliers such as
Home Training Tools (www.hometrainingtools.com) or Frey
Scientific (www.freyscientific.com). The remaining items can be
purchased from budget or hardware stores.
Spring Scale . . . . . . Single Pulley . . . . ...... . Pulley with table clamp
Suggested
Additional Items
The following items can be purchased for roughly $25 each:
Week 1
Day 1
Lesson 1.1: Energy
& Mechanics
Topics:
Energy, Forms of Energy, Work, Power and Heat.
Activity#1.1.1
Pendulum
Show how the energy of a pendulum bob is converted between
gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy.
Materials:
Twine or string. (Roughly 1 meter long.)
A small metal weight. (The mass of the weight should be large
compared to the mass of string.)
Nail, hook or screw to fix string to wall, roof or board
Activity#1.1.2
Match Rockets (Optional)
Show how chemical energy can be used to propel a small rocket.
Materials:
Safety glasses
2 matches
Small square of aluminum foil
Paper clip
Safety pin
Day 2
Lab 1.1:
Pendulums
1) Illustrate the conversion of gravitational potential
energy to kinetic energy in a pendulum.
2) Estimate the speed of a pendulum bob as it passes it's lowest
point.
3) Build a simple stroboscope and use this to
measure the speed of rotation of a fan.
Experiment
1.1.1 Pendulums
Materials
& Equipment
A piece of string. (Roughly 1 meter long)
A small metal weight. (The mass of the weight should be large
compared to the mass of string.)
Nail, hook or screw to fix string to wall, roof or board
Experiment
1.1.2 Pendulum Speeds
Estimate the speed of
a pendulum bob as it passes it's lowest point.
Materials & Equipment
A piece of string. (Roughly 1 meter long)
A small metal weight. (The mass of the weight should be large
compared to the mass of string.)
Nail, hook or screw to fix string to wall, roof or board
Optional
Experiment 1.1.3 Solar Radiation
Use a thermometer, a glass jar and a light bulb to estimate the
amount of solar radiation reaching the earth’s surface.
Materials
& Equipment
Thermometer
Glass jar
Black paint
Aluminum sheet (or empty aluminum can)
Scissors
Tape measure / ruler
Light bulb and holder
Day 3
Lesson 1.2:
Forms of Energy & Conservation of Energy
Topics: Elastic potential energy, chemical
potential energy, internal energy, radiation & conservation
of energy.
Activity #1.2.1 Oscillating Spring
Demonstrate the conversion of elastic potential energy to
kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy.
Materials:
A coiled spring (this can be made by winding about 8 meters of
wire on a suitable form such as a piece of plastic pipe.)
A metal object with a mass of 100 to 200 grams. This is the bob.
A board with a suitable bracket for mounting the upper end of the
spring
White paper attached to the board used to mark the upper and
lower positions of the metal object as it oscillates on the end
of the spring.
Activity#1.2.2
Mini Roller Coaster
Illustrate the use and conversion of energy in a roller coaster.
Materials:
Safety glasses
~8ft of flexible foam pipe insulation.
Small metal ball or glass marble
Duct tape
Day 4
Lab 1.2: Balloon
Rocket Races
Experiment 1.2.1 Balloon Rockets
Materials & Equipment
30 to 50 meters of nylon fishing line or light twine.
Drinking straws
Balloons
Adhesive tape
Stopwatches – 2
Tape measure
Optional
Lab: Record and analyze video footage of accelerating balloon
rocket
Plot graphs showing
the distance, velocity and rate of change of velocity with time.
Materials & Equipment
Video camera
Software to produce a series of stills showing the position of
the object at regular intervals of time.
Day
5
Project 1: Projectile
Launcher
Build a machine that
uses gravitational potential energy to launch a projectile.
Materials
& Equipment
2x 8' lengths of 7/8" PVC pipe
~ 1 meter of 2"x4"
Soda bottle
Miscellaneous pipe connectors, screws, nuts and bolts
Week 2
Day 1
Lesson 1.3: Forces
Topics: Action, tension,
friction, gravity, magnetic forces & electrostatic forces.
Activity 1.3.1: Electrostatic Forces
Demonstrate the forces of attraction and repulsion between
electrically charged objects
Materials
& Equipment
Plastic sheet (overhead
transparency or piece of clear pvc)
Foam peanuts or foam chips
Clean woolen cloth
Activity
1.3.2: Magnets
Demonstrate forces of attraction and forces of repulsion between
different magnetic poles.
Materials
& Equipment
2 or 3 magnets
Activity
1.3.3: Electric Motors
Show how magnetic forces are used to drive electric motors.
Materials
& Equipment
Small (low voltage) electric
motor.
Day
2
Lab 1.3:
Forces & Friction
1. Measure static and dynamic friction between two surfaces
2. Measure the elastic potential energy stored in an archers’
bow
Experiment 1.3.1
Friction Forces
Materials
& Equipment
Two blocks of wood, one with a hook at the end
Pulley
Twine
Spring scale
Experiment
1.3.2 Integrated Forces
Measure the force
applied over small distances while the string of a bow is pulled
away from the bow. Multiply each small distance by the average
force used to move that distance. The sum of these quantities
represents the energy stored in the bow.
Materials & Equipment
Safety glasses
Small archer's bow (No arrows)
Spring scale (2 - 5 kg scale)
Tape measure
Day 3
Lesson 1.4:
Acceleration
Topics: Average speed, instantaneous speed,
velocity, Newton's first law, centripetal force, acceleration due
to gravity, graphs of motion.
Activity 1.4.1: Centripetal Acceleration
Show that a force is needed to keep an object moving in a
circular path.
Materials
& Equipment
Glass tube or rigid plastic
tube about 15 cm long with diameter of about 0.5 cm.
Piece of string about 1 m long.
Small lead weight
Paper clip
5 - 10 metal washers
Activity 1.4.2:
Use a falling weight to accelerate a laboratory cart
Use a heavy object attached by a length of twine (via a pulley)
to a laboratory cart to accelerate the cart. Show how the mass of
the laboratory cart influences the rate of acceleration.
Materials & Equipment
Laboratory cart, skateboard or
toy car.
Pulley to be mounted on the edge of a table
About 4 meters of strong twine or nylon line
Weight (about 250g to 500g)
Day 4
Lab 1.4:
Graphs of Motion
Experiment
1.4.1 Graphs of Motion: Acceleration of a falling object
Estimate the rate of acceleration of a falling weight from a
sequence of pictures.
Use the photographs provided to estimate the position of a
falling weight with time and generate a set of graphs of motion.
Materials and Equipment:
Day
5
Class
Test: Energy,
Forces & Power
Lesson 1.5: Inertia
Activity 1.5.1: Inertia Ball
Break a piece of string above or below a heavy object by pulling
firmly or rapidly on the lower piece of string.
Materials & Equipment
An inertia ball or a heavy object with a piece of wire
looped around it so that two pieces of twine or string can be
attached to opposite ends of the heavy object.
Activity 1.5.2:
Marble Launcher
Use an elastic band to launch different sized marbles across
a carpet. See how mass affects the distance covered by the marble.
Materials & Equipment
A board about 30cm x 30 cm with a V cut into it and two
nails hammered into the board near the upper ends of the V.
Stretch a piece of elastic or a large elastic band between the
two nails.
Lab 1.5
Acceleration: Ticker Tape Timer
Use a ticker tape timer to measure the rate of acceleration of a
laboratory cart or skateboard
Materials and Equipment
Laboratory tape-timer (This can be purchased from a laboratory
supply company )
Laboratory cart, toy car or skateboard
Battery powered toy car that travels at a constant speed
Stopwatch – or watch with stopwatch function
Pulley that can be mounted on the edge of a table
Weight (500g)
String (5 meters)
Ruler or tape measure – with mm scale.
Lesson 1.6: Vectors
Activity 1.6.1: Relative Positions: (3 + 4 = 5)
Show how Pythagoras’ theorem can be used to determine
displacement.
Item required:
Tape measure
Activity 1.6.2:
Paper Darts and Fan
Try to hit a target
with a paper dart while a fan is blowing across the path of the
dart.
Items required:
A piece of paper and a fan
Lab 1.6: The Scientific Method & Pendulums
Theory: The scientific method, period, frequency
& the pendulum equation
Experiment 1.3.1 Time & Pendulums
Use a stopwatch to
measure the period of a pendulum and compare this with the period
predicted by the pendulum equation.
Materials
& Equipment
Stopwatch
Tape measure
String (1 to 2 meters)
Metal weight to act as a bob at the end of the pendulum
Suitable structure from which to suspend the pendulum.
Lesson 1.7: Components of Vectors
Activity 1.6.1: Motor Vehicle Mover
Items required:
Strong rope, motor vehicle and tree.
Lab 1.7 Vector
Frog Racing
Vector frogs use components of forces and friction to control
their movement. The purpose of this lab is to investigate the use
of force vectors and to identify the factors that affect the rate
at which vector frogs can be propelled along a floor.
Materials & Equipment:
A vector frog consists of a piece of plywood (or board) cut to the shape of a frog and with a hole drilled through it slightly above its center of gravity. To make such a frog, make an enlarged copy of the diagram provided. (The height of the frog should be between 12’’ and 14") Use this to make a template to mark the outline of the frog on a piece of plywood. Cut out the shape, mark it and paint it in such a way that it resembles a frog. Drill a ¼" hole through the frog in the position indicated on the diagram. Make a number of these frogs as required.
Tie a piece of twine or string (roughly 5 meters - or 15 ft) long to a wall or post behind the frog, thread the string through the hole in the frog.
Lesson 1.8: Pressure
Activity 1.8.1: Collapse Can
Show how atmospheric
pressure can collapse an empty can.
Items required:
Metal can with screw-on cap and gas cooker.
Activity 1.6.1:
Drop Can
Drop a can with a hole
near the bottom while filled with water. Show that gravity
affects the pressure of a liquid.
Item required: Metal can.
Lab 1.8 Pressure
Manometer: Show how a manometer is used to measure pressure.
Items required:
About 3 meters of clear ¼" PVC tubing
Backing board (Roughly 1 ft x 3 ft.)
Balloon
Tape measure
Module 3: Friction, Projectiles, Reaction & Momentum
Lesson 1.9: Friction
Activity 1.9.1:
Static & Dynamic Friction
Use a block of wood attached to a spring scale to illustrate
the difference between static friction and dynamic friction.
Items required: Block of wood,
pulley, string and spring scale.
Activity 1.9.2:
Sand Shaker
Show how friction between sand particles causes the
temperature of the sand to increase.
Items required:
Glass or plastic jar, thermometer and sand.
Lab 1.9 Friction
Inclined Plane: Use an inclined plane to measure coefficients
of friction.
Materials and Equipment
Spring balance – 500 g
2 boards, each roughly 0.5 m x 0.2 m
1 board, roughly 0.5 m x 0.5 m
Duct tape or a hinge
A wooden block – mass roughly 300g
Samples of materials to be tested.
A protractor
Paper
Lesson 1.10: Projectiles
Activity 1.10.1: Falling Monkey Sand
Aim a projectile
launcher (such as a Nerf gun) directly at a toy monkey. Show that
the projectile and the monkey will always collide if they are
released at the same time.
Items required:
Projectile launcher, toy monkey (or any other object).
Activity 1.10.2:
Water Pistol Trajectories
Determine the angle at which a water pistol must be aimed in
order to achieve its maximum range.
Item required: Water
pistol
Lab 1.10 Projectiles
Pendulum Projectiles: Estimate the horizontal velocity of a
marble from the point where it lands on the floor after being
launched by a pendulum at the edge of a table.
Materials and Equipment
Table
A large glass marble
A pendulum consisting of a small metal cradle held by two pieces
of string.
The cradle should be shaped to hold the glass marble while it
swings. A slight indentation in the metal assists in keeping the
marble in position. A protruding section below the cradle tips
the cradle as it hits a barrier at the bottom of its swing.
A tape measure
A sheet of carbon paper & a large sheet of white paper
Lesson 1.11: Reaction
Activity 1.11.1: Newton Car: Use an elastic band to launch a weight horizontally
from a laboratory cart.
Items required: Laboratory cart or
skateboard, metal weight, string, nails and an elastic band.
Activity 1.12.2:
Balloon Rocket Car: Show
how air leaving a balloon can cause a toy car attached to the
balloon to accelerate.
Items required: Toy car or small
skateboard, balloon and duct tape.
Lab 1.11 Soda
Bottle Rocket
Use a suitable launching
device to launch a soda bottle rocket. Vary the amount of water
used each time the rocket is launched (keeping the air pressure
the same) and determine the effect of the amount of water on the
altitude reached by the rocket.
Materials and Equipment
Empty 2-liter polyester soda bottle
Soda Bottle Rocket Kit (Available from scientific supply company.)
OR: Stopper and clamp. Plastic tubing Tire valve
Pump
3 dowels or strips of wood
Lesson 1.12: Impulse & Momentum
Activity 1.12.1: Match Projectiles: Use a drinking straw as a blowpipe for matches. Show
how reducing the length of the straw reduces the range of the
blowpipe.
Items required: Drinking straws and
matches.
Activity 1.12.2:
Nerf Gun: Use a very
basic "Nerf"-type dart launcher to show that the range
depends on the length of the dart and the associated impulse.
Items required: Toy dart launcher
and hollow foam darts. (This type of launcher uses hollow foam
darts and uses an elastic band to move a plunger that compresses
air into the hollow section of the dart.)
Activity 1.12.1:
Potato Gun: Make a
very simple potato gun using a pump and a pvc pipe barrel. Mike
different barrels and show how the length of the barrel affects
the maximum range of the gun.
Items required: 7/8" pvc pipe,
air pump, pvc end cap and tire valve.
Lab 1.12 Trebuchet
Performance
The purpose of this lab is to observe the operation of a model
trebuchet and to identify the factors that affect the distance
that a tennis ball can be thrown by the trebuchet.
Materials & Equipment
Model trebuchet – built as project
Tape measure – 50ft to 100ft.
Tennis balls
Module 4: Collisions, Stability, Rotation
& Machines
Lesson 1.13: Collisions
Activity 1.13.1: Marble Collisions - Show how momentum is conserved when marbles
collide in a track
Items required: Marbles
and a piece of pipe insulation.
Activity 1.13.2:
Bean Bag Collisions - Illustrate
inelastic collisions using bean bags or flour-filled balloons.
Items required:
String, cloth bags or balloons, flour or beans.
Activity 1.13.2:
Ball Energy Transfer - Drop
a golf ball with a ping pong ball.
Items required: Golf ball and ping pong ball.
Lab 1.13 Trebuchet
Improvements
Having identified some of the factors that affect the performance
of a trebuchet, modify the trebuchet and determine the extent to
which the modifications have improved it’s performance.
Materials & Equipment
Model trebuchet
Miscellaneous items needed for improvements.
Tennis balls
Lesson 1.14: Leaning Towers & Stability
Activity 1.14.1: Equilibrium - Use funnel or cone to illustrate stable, unstable
& neutral equilibrium.
Items required: Plastic funnel or
similar conical object.
Activity 1.14.2: Human center of Gravity - Stand on toes against a wall.
Activity 1.14.3:
Balancing Act - Use a
piece of wire and a weight to balance a pen on its point.
Items required: Pen, piece of wire
and small lead weight.
Lab 1.14 Collisions
Marble Chute & Collisions: Show how momentum is conserved
when marbles collide.
Items required:
2 or more similar marbles
Chute (This can be made using a short piece of pipe insulation
cut down the center)
Large piece of white paper
2 or 3 pieces of carbon paper
Tape measure
Lesson 1.15: Rotation
Activity 1.15.1:
Angular Momentum - Show
how an object moving in a circular path tends to speed up if the
radius of movement is reduced.
Items required: Thin
stick or dowel, string, small lead weight.
Activity 1.15.2:
CD Spinner - Make a CD
spinner.
Items required: CD
and piece of twine or string. (drill to make holes in CD)
Activity 1.15.3:
Moving Spool - Pull a
wooden spool forwards or backwards using a piece of string
wrapped around the spool.
Items required:
Wooden spool and string.
Lab 1.15 Machines
Pulley Systems: Show how mechanical advantage is affected by
the number of movable pulleys in a system.
Items required:
String
Backing board (Roughly 1 ft x 3 ft.)
4 Single 48mm Pulleys. (See shopping list)
Lesson 1.16: Machines & Mechanical Advantage
Activity 1.16.1: Levers - Show how a lever can be used to achieve mechanical advantage.
Activity 1.16.2:
Pulleys - Show how
mechanical advantage is only gained when a pulley moves.
Items required: Two or three
pulleys and some string.
Activity 1.16.3:
Inclined Planes - Show
how screw based jacks use inclined planes to gain mechanical
advantage.
Item required: Screw-type jack.
Lab 1.16 Torque
Wrench
Use a spring scale and a pipe to measure the torque needed to
tighten or loosen a bolt..
Materials & Equipment
Wrench
Tape measure
Aluminum pipe (about 2 meters long and 1" in diameter.)
Spring scale (Range 0 to 2000 grams)
Projects
Project 1 Perpetual Motion Machines
Perpetual Motion Machines
Throughout the ages, people have tried to invent a machine that would keep moving forever without any help. With apparent disregard to the failure of all their predecessors, inventors and scientists are still coming up with new designs for such machines. Using an encyclopedia or the Internet, research Perpetual Motion. Find at least three designs for aperpetual motion machines. Once you have your 3 favorite designs, answer the following questions.
OPTION: DESIGN AND BUILD A MODEL OF A CLASSIC PERPETUAL MOTION MACHINE
Even Leonardo Davinci had drawings of a perpetual motion machine. Some people claim that his drawings were used to explain why a machine of this type could not work. Many museums have models of perpetual motions machines that are used to show that they don’t work. Presumably these are to show would-be inventors that their ideas have been tried before.
Design and build a model of a classical perpetual motion machine.
Soda Bottle Rockets
Options:
WARNING:
Use extreme caution when launching rockets.
Launch the rocket only in a vertical position and use a system to aim the rocket correctly during launch.
Any person standing within 3 meters of the launcher should wear eye protection.
Rockets should only be launched in an open field – the rocket could land anywhere within 20 meters of the launching point.
If you decide to attach tail fins or a nosecone to the rocket, note that it will land with a far greater impact than it would without these enhancements. Wearing head protection is advised.
OPTION 1: INTERNET RESEARCH
Search the Internet to gather information on water rockets. Write an article on the different types of water rockets. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the different designs.
OPTION 2: DESIGN AND BUILD A SODA-BOTTLE ROCKET
Search the Internet to gather information on various designs for soda-bottle rockets. Design and build your own rocket launcher.
Have fun!
Soda Bottle Rocket Launcher
There are a number of different types of soda bottle rocket launchers. A simple mechanism consists of a rubber stopper with a hole in it, a clamping device and a tube to connect the stopper to a hand pump. A valve is needed in the tube to prevent water and air escaping from the bottle before the rocket is launched.
The release pin (firing pin) is a u-shaped piece of steel wire. The release pin slides into the holes at the top of the two upper bars and holds the bottle in position by clamping on the ridge on the bottle’s neck.
A piece of string is used to pull the u-shaped pin out of the holes and release the rocket.
Another Design
Other types of launchers are based on the fact that common 7/8" pvc pipe fits snugly in the opening of a soda bottle.
The following diagram shows a design using pvc pipe:
The bottle fits over the post. The diagram does not show the clamping device or how the seal is provided to prevent leakage of water and air from the rocket while the pump is operating. Some systems use a groove in the pipe and a rubber "O"-ring to provide a seal. The right amount of plumber’s tape wound round the pipe may also work.
Siege Machines
The study of physics is almost always aimed at making things or controlling things.
Very often, people have wanted to make things that would help them to stay alive or to live longer by defending themselves or to exert power over other people.
History has in some respects been shaped very much by the machines and devices that have been used for military purposes. (David’s use of a sling represented quite a departure from the traditional method of dealing with giants and changing the course of History.)
Some of the early machines such as catapults and trebuchets are of particular interest and are still used for entertainment. Someone in the UK has recently built a large trebuchet that has been used to fling dead pigs, dead cows, pianos and even small motor cars over large distances. The annual "Punkin Chunkin" competition in the USA draws a number of contestants with some wonderful projectile launching devices.
Early machines used two systems of storing and releasing energy: Gravitational systems and elastic potential systems.
Using the Internet as a source of information,
Trebuchet
DESIGN AND BUILD A MODEL TREBUCHET
Design and build a trebuchet that is capable of hurling tennis balls, water balloons or snowballs over a distance of more that 30 feet.
Using the Internet as a source, identify two or three possible designs for model trebuchets
Provide or obtain diagrams /sketches of these designs.
Select one of these (or your own design) that you would like to build.
Give some of the main reasons for your choice of design.
Provide a list of the components that will be needed and a sketch of the proposed trebuchet.
Note: Throwing a water balloon is not as easy as throwing a tennis ball. Apart from being more fragile, water balloons tend to change shape as they are accelerated. They tend to "spill" out of the pouch that holds the projectile during launch. A specially designed pouch will be needed for water balloons.
WARNING:
If you decide to build a model trebuchet, use extreme caution when loading or launching projectiles from the device.
Any person standing within 20 meters of the launcher should wear eye protection.
The trebuchet should only be used in an open field – the projectile could land anywhere within 50 meters of the trebuchet – often behind the machine. Use a remote trigger – such as a pin at the end of a 2-meter piece of string. Stand at least 2 meters away from the trebuchet when launching projectiles.
Model Ram Pump
Build a Model Ram Pump
The purpose of this project is to show how the kinetic energy of a liquid can be converted to pressure energy.
By using a low pressure to accelerate a relatively large volume of liquid, the kinetic energy of this volume of liquid can be transferred to a smaller volume of liquid. This energy is then converted to pressure energy that allows the smaller volume of liquid to be pumped to a height greater than the initial level of the liquid.
A simple model involves using a soda bottle from which the bottom has been removed.
Connect a one-hole stopper and tubing to the bottle as shown below.
Pinch the tube at the end while filling the bottle with water. Open the tube. Let water flow from this end and stop the flow suddenly. Observe the height to which water travels from the upward-facing nozzle.
Materials & Equipment
Soda bottle
PVC Pipe (about 2 ft of 7/8" outside diameter white PVC pipe.)
PVC fittings: 90º bend and T-piece
¼" polyethylene or clear pvc tube (about 18" long)
Glue
Plumbers tape.
Stand to hold bottle and tube in position.
