Force Balance - Introduction to Force & Gravity
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ActiveLearningLabs
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Lab Description
Force Balance - Introduction to Force & Gravity is a single-player lab in which every student in the classroom will run a simulated lab independently to learn about the concept of Force and Gravity. Students are given a fictitious job offer by Apex Cranes company and are hired as Application Engineers. The company is going to automate its cranes by creating new software. The software team needs to know the forces acting on the crane and a formula to find the position of the crane's counterweight that can balance the crane while lifting any load. The Team Lead has requested the students to learn about forces and the forces acting on a crane.
Students will run simulations and experiments to balance a lever and use the experiment data to create a generalized formula.
Students will be able to:
- Define force
- Categorize push and pull forces
- Balanced and Unbalanced forces
- Run simulations to balance three different levers
- Gather simulation results and analyze
- Write a mathematical formula to compute the balancing force
- Prepare a final written report for the Team Lead
This lab is suitable for classrooms and homework.
NGSS -
Patterns
Graphs, charts, and images can be used to identify patterns in data.
NGSS -
Developing Possible Solutions
Models of all kinds are important for testing solutions.
NGSS -
Conservation of Energy & Energy Transfer
When the motion energy of an object changes, there is inevitably some other change in energy at the same time.
NGSS -
Definitions of Energy
A system of objects may also contain stored (potential) energy, depending on their relative positions.
NGSS -
Definitions of Energy
Motion energy is properly called kinetic energy; it is proportional to the mass of the moving object and grows with the square of its speed.
NGSS -
Definitions of Energy
The faster a given object is moving, the more energy it possesses.
NGSS -
Types of Interactions
Gravitational forces are always attractive. There is a gravitational force between any two masses, but it is very small except when one or both of the objects have large mass (e.g., Earth and the Sun).
NGSS -
Types of Interactions
Objects in contact exert forces on each other.
NGSS -
Forces & Motion
All positions of objects and the directions of forces and motions must be described in an arbitrarily chosen reference frame and arbitrarily chosen units of size. In order to share information with other people, these choices must also be shared.
NGSS -
Forces & Motion
The motion of an object is determined by the sum of the forces acting on it; if the total force on the object is not zero, its motion will change. The greater the mass of the object, the greater the force needed to achieve the same change in motion. For any given object, a larger force causes a larger change in motion.
NGSS -
Forces & Motion
Each force acts on one particular object and has both strength and a direction. An object at rest typically has multiple forces acting on it, but they add to give zero net force on the object. Forces that do not sum to zero can cause changes in the object�s speed or direction of motion. (Boundary: Qualitative and conceptual, but not quantitative addition of forces are used at this level.)
NGSS -
Obtaining, Evaluating, & Communicating Information
Communicate scientific and/or technical information (e.g., about a proposed object, tool, process, system) in writing and/or through oral presentations.
NGSS -
Obtaining, Evaluating, & Communicating Information
Critically read scientific texts adapted for classroom use to determine the central ideas and/or obtain scientific and/or technical information to describe patterns in and/or evidence about the natural and designed world(s).
NGSS -
Constructing Explanations & Designing Solutions
Apply scientific ideas or principles to design, construct, and/or test a design of an object, tool, process or system.
NGSS -
Constructing Explanations & Designing Solutions
Construct an explanation using models or representations.
NGSS -
Using Mathematics & Computational Thinking
Use mathematical representations to describe and/or support scientific conclusions and design solutions.
NGSS -
Analyzing Data
Construct, analyze, and/or interpret graphical displays of data and/or large data sets to identify linear and nonlinear relationships.
NGSS -
Planning & Carrying out Investigations
Conduct an investigation and/or evaluate and/or revise the experimental design to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence that meet the goals of the investigation.
NGSS -
Developing & Using Models
Evaluate limitations of a model for a proposed object or tool.
NGSS -
Ask Questions & Define Problems
Ask questions that arise from careful observation of phenomena, models, or unexpected results, to clarify and/or seek additional information.
Common Core Math -
Expressions & Equations
Use variables to represent quantities in a real-world or mathematical problem, and construct simple equations and inequalities to solve problems by reasoning about the quantities.
Common Core Math -
Expressions & Equations
Write, read, and evaluate expressions in which letters stand for numbers.
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