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IP 614
Recognizing Interactions
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Adapted from Minds on Physics: Inquiry Activity #41
Goal:
 In this activity you will learn to recognize when two objects are interacting and
when they are not.
Types of Interactions:
 Sometimes the motions of two interacting objects are changed in some way.
 Sometimes the shapes of one or more interacting objects are changed in some
way.
 Most often, when two objects interact, both their motion and their shapes are
changed.
Part A: Recognizing the Interaction between Two Objects
1. A water balloon is set on a spring.
Consider the water balloon and the spring.
a.) Are the water balloon and the spring interacting?
Yes
No
b.) What type of interaction?
Motion
Shape
Both
2. A child stands on a wooden board.
The board is resting on two large boulders on opposite sides of a river.
Consider the child and the wooden board.
a.) Are the child and the wooden board interacting?
Yes
No
b.) What type of interaction?
Motion
Shape
3. A block sits at rest on a table.
Consider the block and the table.
a.) Are the block and the table interacting?
Yes
No
b.) What type of interaction?
Both
Motion
Shape
Both
Follow Up Questions:
1.) Is the child interacting with the rocks? Is the wooden board interacting with the
rocks? Explain.
2.) In what ways are the spring, the wooden board, and the table the same?
3.) In what ways are the spring, the wooden board, and the table different?
Part B: Exploring an Interaction at Different Times
A baseball is thrown by the pitcher and then hit by the batter.
1. Consider the time when the ball has left the pitcher’s hand, but has not yet arrived at
the batter.
a.) Are the ball and the bat interacting?
Yes
No
b.) How do you know? Circle all that apply.
 The ball is changing the bat’s motion.
 The bat is changing the ball’s motion.
 The ball is changing the bat’s shape.
 The bat is changing the ball’s shape.
 None of the above.
2. Consider the time when the ball is in contact with the bat.
a.) Are the ball and the bat interacting?
Yes
No
b.) How do you know? Circle all that apply.
 The ball is changing the bat’s motion.
 The bat is changing the ball’s motion.
 The ball is changing the bat’s shape.
 The bat is changing the ball’s shape.
 None of the above.
3. Consider the time when the ball is in the air and heading straight toward the outfield.
a.) Are the ball and the bat interacting?
Yes
No
b.) How do you know? Circle all that apply.
 The ball is changing the bat’s motion.
 The bat is changing the ball’s motion.
 The ball is changing the bat’s shape.
 The bat is changing the ball’s shape.
 None of the above.
Follow-Up Questions
1.) Do the bat and the ball need to be touching each other (in contact) to be
interacting?
2.) Can you think of any examples of situations where two objects can interact
without touching?
3.) Is it possible for one object to influence another object’s interactions with a third
object? Explain.