Forces are pushes and pulls that govern everything in the universe. They can cause things to move, speed up, slow down, change direction, or even change the shape of things. The following activities will help students grasp force and motion so they can better understand the world around them.
Modeling allows us to make our own sense of what and why something is happening. Conceptual models are shared and explicit representations or analogies of phenomena and are used by scientists to help them understand the world around us. Engage students with premade activities at Storyboard That.
Force Diagrams | Help students understand force with examples!
Storyboard Text
A rocket accelerating upwards
Thrust
A boat floating in the water
Upthrust
At the bottom of a bungee jump where the person is stationary
Force from the Bungee Cord
A person rappelling down the wall of a building with a rope
Pull of the Rope
Push from the Wall
Friction
The forces are unbalanced as the rocket is accelerating upwards. The thrust must be larger than the weight and the drag. The resultant forces have an upwards direction.
The boat is stationary, so the forces are balanced. The upthrust and the weight of the boat must be equal in magnitude, but opposite in direction.
Weight
The person at this point is stationary, so the forces must be balanced. This means the person's weight and the force from the rope must be equal in size, but opposite in direction.
Weight
The forces are balanced, as the person is not moving. The vertical component of the pull of the rope and the friction are equal and opposite to the person's weight. The horizontal component of the pull of the rope is equal and opposite to the push from the wall.