Name: _______________________________
Date: ____________________
Period: _________
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Physics Field Trip
The Natural History Museum has a tremendous collection of species on display. But what does this have to do
with physics? Every species has adaptations that take advantage of physics.
Examples:
The Animal
Mountain Lion
The Adaptation
Sharp Pointy Teeth
Bald Eagle
Large wings with long feathers
Kangaroo
The Physics
Small surface area at the tip of a
tooth enables the lion to pierce
meaty prey with less pressure.
Pressure=Force/Area
Long wings with light bones let
eagles take advantage of
Newton’s Second Law of
Motion. The lighter the bird, the
less force it needs to accelerate
upward into the air.
F=MA
Kangaroos have long legs, a long
tail, and a long torso. This
balance keeps the kangaroo’s
center of gravity near the middle
of the animal. Without a long
tail the kangaroo would topple
over and not have its incredibly
balanced leaping ability.
Low center of gravity
You get the idea. Other ideas to look for: energy storage (potential energy stored as fat), methods of travel
(Newton’s Laws of Motion), methods of communication (sound generation and hearing adaptations), vision
(how light interacts with an animals eyes), and physical structure (how an animals feet/wings interact with its
surroundings, etc). Be creative and explain the physics behind the adaptation.
Some suggestions:
Species
Megamouth (Coelacanths) Grizzly Bear
White Pelican
Great Indian Hornbill
Chaparral
Trumpeter Swan
California Condor
Columbiformes
Ivory-billed Woodpecker
Great Auk
Charadriiformes Short-legged rhinoceros
Carolina Parakeet
Apodiformes
Narwhal skull
Passenger Pigeon
Spenisciformes
Galapagos tortoise
Pacific Oarfish
Etc
Etc
Complete your assignment on the back.
Animal Name: ____________________________
Scientific Name:____________________________
Description:________________________________________________________________________________
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Adaptation:________________________________________________________________________________
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Sketch:
The physics:_______________________________________________________________________________
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