Cool Tools for
Force & Motion
Buzz Putnam
Whitesboro High School, NY
buzzputnam@gmail.com
Who is Arbor Scientific?
This Should Do It!
Educational research
has shown that
“pounding” concepts
into students’ heads
through lecture only
does not result in
positive student
learning and longterm retention of the
concepts
Variety of Methods
Many concepts in
science are not wellunderstood so a
variety of teaching
methods are
encouraged by
educational
researchers.
Demonstrations
It has been shown
that using
Demonstrations in
the science
classroom helps
students retain
concepts, energizes
the science
classroom and is
more fun!
Why Study Force and Motion?
The study of Force and Motion is fundamental to
student understanding of the world around us
All Motion is “Relative”
You MUST have a
Frame of Reference !
*Are the boy &
the girl at rest OR
in motion?
Constant Velocity Car
This little battery-operated car moves with a
constant velocity
How does it work?
The car moves at a constant velocity when a switch is activated.
When reaching a barrier, the car will “flip over” and move in the
opposite direction!
You can also make the car go “in reverse” by switching the poles on
the batteries
Demonstrations & Experiments
1. Using stopwatches & meter sticks, teachers can investigate the
concepts of Speed vs. Velocity.
• Lay down two meter sticks at Rt. Angles to each other & use the
Constant Velocity Car to follow the meter sticks’ path.
Have the students calculate Average Speed vs.
Average Velocity.
1m
1m
Demonstrations & Experiments
2. Students can measure the distance the car moves with each
second and plot distance vs. time using meter sticks &
stopwatches, an electronic spark timer or by using a “Go! Motion
Sensor”
The slope is the velocity of the car; great intro to graphing!
d
t
Challenge Question!
If the cat is moving with a Constant Speed from
Position I to Position III, is he accelerating?
Pull-Back Car
This pull-back car moves with nearly Constant
Acceleration
How does it work?
The pull-back car houses a spring mechanism that will accelerate
when wound. Students will observe a Constant Acceleration as well
as Constant Deceleration after the car has reached its top speed.
Acceleration is “how fast you
speed up or slow down” or “the
speed of the speed”
Demonstrations & Experiments
1. Students can measure the distance the car moves with
each second and plot distance vs. time using meter sticks
& stopwatches, an electronic spark timer or by using a
“Go! Motion Sensor”.
 You can create graphs of d/t and v/t. The slope of the
graph is the Acceleration of the car. A great intro to
graphing!
2. Attach Ticker Tape to the truck & use a spark timer.
Students can determine the acceleration!
.. . .
.
.
.
Challenge Question!
2.
The
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
Galileo Museum is located in…
Florence, Italy
Rome, Italy
Pisa, Italy
Padua, Italy
Venice, Italy
Paris, France
3.
As you enter the Galileo museum, the 1st exhibit
you encounter is…
A. Galileo’s Original Inclined Plane
B. A stone statue of Galileo
C. Galileo’s Original Telescope
D. Galileo
4
Galileo was able to experiment & actually calculate
acceleration for a rolling ball down his inclined plane by
using…
A. A spring-driven watch
B. A “dripping” water clock mechanism
C. A swinging pendulum with bells
D. An hourglass
Galileo performed his famous
ball drop in Pisa, Italy from
the Leaning Tower.
Galileo’s Famous Experiment
Galileo’s famous experiment is still
difficult for students to grasp today;
“How can a heavy object strike the
ground at the same time as a lighter
object?” & “How can the Acceleration be
the same value?”
Challenge Question!
1. As a person falls to the Earth, (..in a vacuum) their
Acceleration due to Gravity (“g”)
... Increases, Decreases, Remains the Same
2. Galileo first dropped balls of different mass from
the Leaning Tower of Pisa to show that all objects fall
with the same “g”. His experiment was confirmed
many years later with a feather and hammer where?
g Ball
The g Ball has an imbedded
stopwatch with a touch sensor
incorporated within the device to
stop the time when dropped on a
surface.
A button on the g Ball begins the
stopwatch upon its release & will
stop when the g Ball reaches the
surface, resulting in a time of fall
that is well within reasonable
limits.
How Does It Work?
One of the all-time favorite experiments with
the g-Ball is to show students that “g” is the
same for any dropped height. Dropping the g
Ball from 3 meters, 2 meters, 1 meter, and
from 50cm in height results in ~ 10 m/s2
every time!
Galileo would be proud!
Finally, a way for students to understand
what Free Fall is and the difficult concept of
Acceleration due to Gravity in a qualitative
way, without probes or computers!
Challenge Question!
At the same time that a high speed bullet is fired horizontally from a rifle, another
bullet is simply dropped from the same height. What happens?
a. The fired bullet hits the
ground 1st
b. The dropped bullet hits
the ground 1st
c. They hit the ground at
the same time
d. It depends on how fast
the bullet is fired
Vertical Acceleration Demonstrator
Answers the question:
“Which lands first – a ball dropped straight down
or a ball thrown out horizontally?”
How does it work?
Place two identical balls in the Vertical Acceleration
Demonstrator. One ball is projected horizontally & one ball
is simply dropped.
Demonstrations & Experiments
When the device is fired,
students should listen &
observe both ball’s motions.
The time that it takes a
HORIZONTALLY-LAUNCHED
projectile to hit the ground is
= to a VERTICALLY-DROPPED
projectile to hit the ground
as long as they begin from
the same height!
Galileo’s Original sketches of
Horizontal Projectile Motion
Ballistic Car
The Ballistics Car launches a
ball vertically while the car
undergoes a Constant
Velocity due to its nearly
friction-free wheels
How Does It Work?
• Vertical Motion is INDEPENDENT (unaffected by) of
Horizontal Motion
• The flight of the ball horizontally is a constant velocity
• The Vertical motion is ruled by gravity forces
Demonstrations & Experiments
Use the Ballistics Car on a level surface & demonstrate the
independence of Horizontal/Vertical Velocities
 Repeat the demo by
accelerating & decelerating
the car AFTER the ball is
launched AND
 Launching while the car is
moving down OR up a ramp…
Surprising results!
Relate the Ballistics Car to the dropping of packages from airplanes.
Great example of independence of Horizontal/Vertical Velocities!
Demonstrations & Experiments
Use the Ballistics Car on a level surface & demonstrate the
independence of Horizontal/Vertical Velocities
 Repeat the demo by
accelerating & decelerating
the car AFTER the ball is
launched AND
 Launching while the car is
moving down OR up a ramp…
Surprising results!
Challenge Question!
A very smart monkey hangs from a tree. The
hunter aims his gun directly at the monkey &
the monkey lets go at the SAME time the
hunter pulls the trigger. What happens?
A. The hunter kills the monkey
B. The bullet misses above the monkey
C. The bullet misses below the monkey
Monkey & Hunter Demo
Bring the classic scenario to life!
Illustrates the independence of
Vertical & Horizontal motion!
How Does It Work?
The Monkey-Hunter works through a series circuit/electromagnet
setup. The monkey (disk) is placed at any angle & hung
(electromagnet) from a ringstand. By LASER sighting the “gun’,
the hunter will hit the monkey every time!
Demonstrations & Experiments
Demonstrate the independence of Vertical and Horizontal
velocities at ANY angle & ANY speed; even a horizontallyprojected ball!
Air-Powered Projectile
The Air-Powered, chemical-free rocket is…
•
•
•
•
•
Controllable
Reusable
Reliable
100% Safe
EASY!
Repeatable and
Predictable!
How Does It Work?
Each rocket comes with four different
thrust washers - Low, Medium, High,
and Super - so you can vary launch
speeds
Pressurize the launch
chamber with an ordinary
bicycle pump!
Demonstrations & Experiments
Finding Initial Velocity
•
•
•
•
Launch the projectile
vertically
Time its flight
Divide by two to find its time
up
Using g = -10m/s2, if it took 3
seconds to stop, it must have
started at 30 m/s!
Demonstrations & Experiments
Finding the Range
1.
2.
3.
4.
Use the launch angle to find the horizontal & vertical components of the launch
velocity
Vy= 30 m/s (sin 60°) = 26 m/s vertically
Vx= 30 m/s (cos 60°) = 15 m/s horizontally
The 1st half of flight time is calculated using… a=Dv/t or 2.6 seconds
Doubling the time results in a full flight time of 5.2 seconds
Using dh = vhth or d = 15 x 5.2 one can find a range of ~78 meters. (…assuming a
vacuum & NO friction)
Challenge Question!
In the movie “Speed”, a bus jumps a 50-Foot gap in an unfinished bridge. If the
bus JUST makes it and it was moving at 68 mph when it leaves the ramp, were the
movie makers accurate?
Your students WILL solve the Hollywood
mystery in lab!
v
50’
20o
Stunt Car Lab
Calculate the correct launch variables to clear the ring of fire!
Create an exciting indoor projectile investigation with this complete
lab, inspired by the movie Speed. Calculate the car’s landing spot and
then test it!
How Does It Work?
1. Using a reliable & repeatable Friction pull-car that travels at the
same top speed every time, students will calculate the horizontal &
vertical height of the car jump
2. The ramp adjusts to three angles (10o, 20o, & 30o) with complete
lessons included
Challenge Question!
In 1971, using a smuggled six-iron (45o loft) & the same launch velocity as
on Earth (70 m/s), how far horizontally did Astronaut Alan Shepard drive the
golf ball on the Moon?
[Hint… to find the time of flight, use g = 1.6 m/s 2 for the Moon.]
70 m/s
45o
Elasti-Launcher
A great way for students to
test the variables of projectile
motion indoors
How Does It Work?
Rubber bands with 10
different launch
settings & 7 launch
angles provide
numerous variables for
student lab groups
Demonstrations & Experiments
• Middle school students can use
the Elasti-Launcher in
discovering angles vs. range
and height
• High school students can
calculate the range and height
of the launched rockets using…
d=vit + ½at2
• Have students make their own
rockets w/ their unique tailfin
designs!
Challenge Question
The following questions refer to the diagram of a
“Blue planet” revolving around a “Red Sun” in a
horizontal circle at a constant speed.
1. T or F The Planet is
ACCELERATING.
2. If the Gravity (Centripetal
Force) was “turned off” at
Point “A” in its orbit the Blue
Planet would fly off in
direction 1, 2, 3 or 4?
3
4
A
1
2
Flying Pig
The Flying Pig is a
battery-operated toys
that students hang
from the ceiling and
will move in a circular
path with a Constant
Velocity
How Does It Work?
Comes with a ceiling/string/hook set-up that students will
use to secure the Pig
When its switch is
turned on & its wings
extended, the Flying
Pig will move in a
circular path at a
constant velocity.
Demonstrations & Experiments
Use a stopwatch & meter stick to find the Flying Pig’s
Tangential Velocity!
v = 2pr
T
Spillnot
What keeps an object traveling in its Circular path?
Whether it’s a satellite, a football player, a skier, roller coaster or just
swinging a bucket of water over your head, the force required to keep
all those objects moving in a circular path is the CENTRIPETAL FORCE.
Spillnot
The same force which holds a rider on a rollercoaster upside down
loop or swinging a bucket of water over your head is demonstrated
by the Spillnot.
Any movement of the Spillnot is of a circular nature and the forces
on the cup and its liquid are directed toward the center (strap) of
the circle which
Use the Spill-Not for your lesson on
Centripetal Force or just use it as a cup
holder in your classroom to “stir” your
coffee!
BLUE VECTOR-Velocity
RED-Centripetal Force
GREEN-Centripetal Acceleration
Challenge Question!
#1 Which has more inertia?
1. A 1000 kg Rhinocerous moving at 3 mph
2. A 50 kg cheetah moving at 60 mph
3. A 3000 kg stationary elephant
4. All have the same inertia
#2 Which has MORE inertia?
1. A bowling ball on Earth
2. A bowling ball on the Moon
3. A bowling ball in deep space
4. The inertia is the same
B
Newton’s 1st Law
An object will remain at rest or continue to move
with a Constant Velocity in the Same Direction
unless acted upon by an Unbalanced Force.
Inertia Apparatus
The Inertial Apparatus &
Air Puck system are a
great way to show
Newton’s 1st Law…
The Law of Inertia
How Does It Work?
The Inertia Apparatus simulates the classic notion of
Inertia in that all objects will remain at rest unless an
unbalanced force act on them.
Just as the coin & cup
demo…
or
…the tablecloth/dishes
“trick”.
Demonstrations & Experiments
The Air Puck System can
demonstrate the other aspect of
the Law of Inertia where an object
will continue at a constant velocity
unless an unbalanced force acts
on it.
Challenge Question!
1.If a 1 Newton apple is brought up to the
International Space Station, its weight is…
a. Almost the same as on the Earth’s surface.
b. About ½ as much as on the Earth’s surface.
c. Almost zero (microgravity).
d. Zero
B
Newton’s Apple
• Finally a great toy for students
to remember what 1 Newton
feels like!
• Made of styrofoam, it weighs
exactly 1 Newton
Human Dynamics Cart
The Human Dynamics Cart is
designed for students to
experience Newton’s 2nd Law
real-time!
When a CONSTANT UNBALANCED Force acts on a mass,
the mass will accelerate…
How Does It Work?
• Human Dynamics Cart is designed
to allow students to experience
Forces, Newton’s Laws and
Momentum/Impulse concepts
kinesthetically
• The cart is large enough for football
players and roomy enough for
additional experiments on-board
• The wheels are nearly friction-free
for accurate Laboratory
calculations of F = ma
Demonstrations & Experiments
• Students can determine
THEIR mass indirectly by
using the Arbor Metric Bath
Scale & push with a
constant Force over a given
distance.
• Using F=ma, they find their
acceleration & read the
Metric Scale for the Force
reading.
With Unbalanced forces,
Acceleration occurs
With Balanced forces, no
acceleration is possible
Demonstrations & Experiments
Use the Metric Bath Scale to illustrate Newton’s 3rd Law
• Use TWO scales Back-to-Back & have a student push you while
stationary. Read both scales…
• Use TWO scales Back-to-Back & you push the student while they
are stationary. Read both scales…
• Use TWO scales Back-to-Back & BOTH push at the same time.
Read both scales…
Balloon Helicopter
• Since all Forces Come in Pairs
that are Equal in Strength,
Opposite in Direction and Act on
the Other Object
• The Balloon Helicopter Kit is a
cheap and easy way for students
to see Newton’s 3rd Law in
action!
See Packet for
your free sample
How Does It Work?
• Use a class set of Balloon Helicopters and take your class to the
gym or outdoors
• Experiment with the copters to see which ones fly higher, quicker
or stay up the longest. A great outdoor activity for your students!
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Contact info for Demo ideas,
PowerPoints, Workshops, etc.
Buzz Putnam
Science Workshops for Teachers
& Student groups/assemblies
Making Science Phun Again!
315-761-5062
buzzputnam@gmail.com
“The
Fizziks
Wizard”
http://buzzputnam.wix.com/fizzikswizard
Thank You!
www.arborsci.com
mail@arborsci.com
(800) 367-6695