Summary
This lesson is an investigation of the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration (F=ma). It's a classic investigation then determining conclusions kind of lesson, so multiple abilities of students can access the information.
Essential Question(s)
How do mass and speed effect each other?
Snapshot
Engage
Students will watch a video about a child lifting a car.
Explore
Students will run an experiment over the relationship between mass and final speed & acceleration.
Explain
Students will create a research poster over their findings.
Extend
Students will construct the mathematical formula for mass, acceleration, and force.
Evaluate
Students will use their formula to validate their experimental findings.
Materials
Projector and speakers
Carts or cars
Weights of some kind
Yardsticks
Timers
Ramps
Lab handouts, one for each student
Sticky easel pad paper
Markers (Mr. Sketch, Sharpie, etc.)
Engage
Start by playing this video about a son that had to use a jack to lift a car off his dad. After the video, ask the students what they found most interesting about the video.
Explore
Put the students in groups of 2-3 (preferably, if you have the supplies), and pass out the lab supplies (specifically the cars, weights, timers, and rulers/yardsticks, store bought or homemade ramps). Also pass out either the guided inquiry or the full inquiry lab sheet to each student.
Explain
After the groups are done with their lab conclusions, have the students create a Research Poster over their findings.
After the posters are complete, display them around the room, and have each group share their main findings/conclusions.
Extend
At this point, students may or may not (probably not, honestly) have came up with a mathematical equation to illustrate the correlation between mass and acceleration (or speed changes and time, if that's what they measured instead of some derivative of acceleration). So, now is the time to prompt them to derive that equation and apply it to their experiment.
This is done in a modified Create The Problem strategy, where students look at their data and trends and determine the equation from the trends.
When they have come to the point of determining a mathematical relationship, tell the students that the mathematical correlation determines the amount of force exerted upon an object.
Evaluate
Have students take their formula that they made in Extend back to their data from Explore. Have them plug their data into their formula to determine the amount of force exerted in each trial. If students can determine trends from that, allow them to, and add onto their research posters.
Resources
Lab Inspiration (Explore): https://betterlesson.com/lesson/resource/3173363/f-ma-lab-write-up
Research Poster (Explain): https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/1643efb18793d632c1f6f6639d0068ed
Create The Problem (Extend): https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/d9908066f654727934df7bf4f506ae04
Youtube video (Engage): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiUUMnqnNXk