ForcesGlider Engineering Challenge

Starting from the end and backwards planning…

Start with the PE

Forcesactivities

Conceptual development

* *

Mystery Stations Qualitative Students rotate around stations

Observe Explain Guess at what they all have in common

Newton’s 1st Law–Inertia

Carts & Masses Quantitative investigation Design and execute an experiment to

determine how the motion depends on applied force

Represent findings through a graph Newton’s 2nd Law Fnet = ma

Force Meters Introduce force due to gravity Create home-made force meter Fgrav = mg Fspring = -kx

Tug-of-War Quantitative Use force meters

to investigate action-reaction

Newton’s 3rd Law Fa,b = –Fb,a

a.

b.

c.

d.

Force Stations Qualitative Quantitative Students rotate around stations

“Draw the forces” Free-Body Diagrams

The Glider Engineering Challenge

Design and build a working glider Conduct an experiment to optimize the

design Design Report I

Analysis & FBDs Launch Competition Design Report II

Analysis of Launch & Reflection

The Glider Engineering Challenge

Build a working glider Must slide freely in track Must have notch at nose for string

attachment Conduct an experiment to optimize one

aspect of the design Launch Competition

m = 5.70 kg