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Forces

Work in Progress: additional resources to be added and grouped.

TopicResources
Nature of forceYes ( , )
Newton’s Laws of motion
Force diagrams and components
Weight and mass
Contact forces

Websites with in-depth resources across topics

The Physics Classroom: Complete Tool Kits

This Physics Classroom site has Teacher Tool kits on several topics. Each tool kit features background readings, interactive simulations with worksheets, videos and animations, educational research, practical activities including experiments and demonstrations, interactive question modules, problem solving exercises and common misconceptions. There are tool kits on the following topics: kinematics, Newton’s Laws of Motion, terminal velocity, vectors, projectile motion, impulse and momentum, work and energy, circular motion, roller coaster physics, universal gravitation and satellite motion.

Teaching Advanced Physics: Mechanics

‘Teaching Advanced Physics’ is a UK resource for teachers new to teaching physics. It assumes only a limited access to equipment, resources, and advice from experienced colleagues. The section on Fields covers: statics; kinematics, including projectile motion; drag forces; Newton’s laws; work, energy and power; momentum; circular motion and materials. It consists of 29 episodes, each of which is for one or two 60 min lessons. Content of each episode is a lesson plan with a description of the content covered, with points to emphasise in discussion, along with activity or question sheets for the students.

Practical Physics: Forces and Motion

This Institute of Physics (UK) website on practical physics covers the whole of physics. This particular webpage on Forces and Motion has seven practical activities as an introduction to forces, eight on stretching, twelve on friction and turning, six on kinematics, six on Newton’s 1st law, thirteen on acceleration, seven on projectile motion, nine on Newton’s 2nd law, five on gravitational force, three on Newton’s 3rd law, twenty one on momentum and twelve on circular motion. Each has a list of equipment, health & safety and technical notes, procedure and teaching notes and articles on related matters. There does not seem to a download option, but they are easy to copy and paste.

Physclips

‘Physclips’ is a multilevel multimedia resource prepared by the School of Physics at the University of New South Wales. It is an introductory resources package for university students but should useful with secondary students.  There are several sections of relevance: Introduction, Constant acceleration, Projectiles, Circular motion, Newton’s Laws of Motion, Weight and Contact forces, Energy and Power, and Momentum.  Each section has a film, and linked animations and graphics which are all very well designed.  The derivation of equations uses differentiation or integration, but most of sections focus on conceptual understanding rather than the formulae. 

Nature of Force: Context

Nature of Force: Activities

Nature of Force: Assessment

Nature of Force: Websites

Newton’s Laws: Context

Newton’s 3rd law of Motion 34.1 MB MPG

An ASPEN video showing a stoppered and tilted test tube of ether on an air track glider. The ether is warmed by a small burner. The pressure increases, then pushes the stopper from the tube, the glider goes backwards. Motion, Newton’s 3rd Law, rockets. 1:50 min mpeg file. ASPEN is the Asian Physics Education Network, a group which operates under the auspices of UNESCO to promote and communicate developments in university physics education in the Asian region.

Flying Boomerang in free fall in a spacecraft 742 kB mp4

Inside an orbiting spacecraft a boomerang is thrown and returns. Motion, flight, lift. 19 sec mp4 file.

Momentum and Impulse: Context

Egg and fitted sheet 8.01 MB avi

Students throw a raw egg at a fitted sheet hung from the ceiling. Motion, air bag, impulse. 23 sec avi file.

Momentum and Impulse: Activities

Momentum and Impulse: Assessment

Momentum and Impulse: Websites

Forces and Collisions 196 kB (Middle)

A workbook of practical activities with a teacher’s guide of equipment needs and suggested answers.

Higher Order Thinking – HOT Playground Physics for Primary Students

HOT Playground Physics is a set of 6 activities written for upper primary students focusing on the higher order thinking skills of Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analysing, Evaluating and Creating. These files are worksheets on “Playground Physics” produced with support of the Department of Education, Science and Training as part of the Einstein International Year of Physics in 2005. The worksheets are available as Word files in a Landscape A4 format. For use they should be enlarged to be a double sided A3 worksheet that can be folded in the middle for ease of use.