CALCULATING SPEED: 

SPEED = DISTANCE / TIME

The first concept we looked at is SPEED.  Our challenge was to find the average SPEED of a Can of Tomato Paste rolling down a ramp.

We devised a plan which involved measuring  the distance the can traveled and also timing its journey (the time the Tomato Paste Can took to travel the distance.)

Below is an example of our results.

LOOKING AT ACCELERATION:
The second concept we looked at is ACCELERATION.  Our challenge was to find evidence that as objects fall they ACCELERATE.  Once again we used the Can of Tomato Paste rolling down a ramp. Below is how we found evidence that gravity causes objects to accelerate.

Step One:  Measure the ramp (leave room for can)
Step Two:  Find the midline (total distance of ramp divided by 2)
Step Three:
Step Four:
Step Five:
Step Six:

The can had a faster time in the second half.
In fact, the can was going faster and faster as it moved down the ramp.

ACCELERATION IS A CHANGE IN VELOCITY

FALLING GOLF BALLS
Challenge:  If you drop a golf ball from a low height and then dropped golf ball from a greater height which will land with more FORCE?

Watch the video below to see how we demonstrated Newton’s second law in action.

Acceleration is caused by gravity.  The golf ball dropped from the lower height had less acceleration. The distance was so short that the apple did not accelerate to a high enough velocity to make a big splash of flour. Less acceleration = less force.
The golf ball dropped from a higher height landed with more force. The higher golf ball landed with greater velocity and therefore landed with more force. It had a big splash of flour demonstrating it landed with more force.

First part of Newton’s Second Law of Motion
THE GREATER THE ACCELERATION THE GREATER THE FORCE 
 More force is needed to increase acceleration.

FALLING STYROFOAM BALL
Challenge:  Drop a styrofoam ball from any height…what do you observe?
The styrofoam ball of the golf ball dropped from a low height or high height did not land with the same force as the ping pong ball.  The styrofoam ball and the ping pong ball had less mass than the golf and did not land with enough force to make a big splash of flour.

Second part of Newton’s Second Law of Motion
THE GREATER THE MASS THE GREATER THE FORCE
 More force is needed to move an object with more mass.