Begin by visiting Beyond Books and logging in. Once logged in, select “Introduction to
Physics Concepts.” Then do the following:

Click the link for Section 4a, “Newton’s First Law” and read through that page.
Explore the interactive simulations and keep in mind what they show regarding
Newton’s First Law of Motion.

Next select section 4d, “Newton’s Second Law,” and read through that selection.
As you read, reflect on how our calculations of force tie in to Newton’s Second
Law of Motion.

Finally, select section 4f, “The Third Law: Forces in Pairs,” and read through the
page. Consider how this law connects to the other laws you’ve just read about.
After reading these sections choose three of the following four mini-assignments to
complete and type up your responses on a separate sheet:
1. In Section 4a, click on the link for “Do it Yourself”
(http://www.sciencemonster.com/lunarlander/index.html) on the left-hand side.
Read the directions for piloting your lunar lander, and experiment with the lander
on the moon, Earth, and Jupiter. Then, identify the number of points you were
able to achieve for each of the three settings before you either crashed or gave up,
and describe how this game and the three environments given relate to Newton’s
First Law.
2. In Section 4d, click on the link for “Do it Yourself”
(http://www.ic.arizona.edu/~nats101/n2.html) on the left-hand side. Read through
the short information on Newton’s second law, and then pick and apply four
different forces to push the rhino on rollerskates (you can enter your force in the
little box above the “push” button). Before you click the “push” button, use the
force formula to calculate your acceleration (show your work. . . you may write
out your work by hand). Then click the “push” button and compare your results
with those determined by the computer. After running all four trials, describe two
other situations where Newton’s second law might arise.
3. Visit the following site: http://www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics/bumpercars/
Using your knowledge of Newton’s Laws (the third in particular), complete the
“Colliding Cars” activity. Read through the beginning information and then click
on the arrow to go to the scenarios. Read through the scenarios and choose the
best option. At the end, describe which scenarios you got right/wrong and why
you think this occurred. Then, identify two other activities that would be
examples of Newton’s Third Law in action.
(turn over for the fourth option)
4. Draw three short cartoons, each displaying a scene involving one of Newton’s
Laws. Each cartoon must display a different law. Your cartoons may be as
creative as you like, however they must accurately depict Newton’s three laws.