Lesson 64 of 84 · Forces and Motion
Experiment⭐ 30 XP⚡ Spark LabNewton's Second Law: Force and Acceleration (Part 3)
Forces and Motion.
🎯 Your mission
Set it up. Test it. Be amazed.
⚡ The twist
Speed isn't the same as force. Don't mix them up.
Mind = Blown
🔥 A bolt of lightning is 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun.
Make a hypothesis first
Guess: where does the energy go?
What You'll Learn
Newton's second law says that force equals mass times acceleration (F = ma). A heavier object needs more force to accelerate at the same rate as a lighter one.
Key Words
- gravity
- friction
Materials Needed
- weights
- tape
- ruler
Safety First
- Handle glass items carefully to avoid breakage.
- Do not mix unknown chemicals together.
- Tie back long hair before starting the experiment.
Steps
Look at the vocabulary words and write a definition for each in your own words.
Test friction: pull a weighted box across 4 surfaces (carpet, tile, sandpaper, foil). Use a spring scale to measure the force needed for each.
Watch carefully for any changes and note the time.
Create a data table to organize your measurements.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What unit is force measured in?
Where you see this in real life
This is why airplanes can fly and why rockets reach space.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
This week, find one thing in your house that turns one kind of energy into another.
For the dinner table
“Show me something at home that uses this kind of energy.”
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