15

Lesson 15 of 84 ยท Motion and Forces

Experimentโญ 30 XPโšก Spark Lab

Speed, Velocity, and Acceleration

๐ŸงชLab Brief #15

Motion and Forces.

๐ŸŽฏ Your mission

Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).

โšก The twist

Energy never disappears โ€” it just hides somewhere else.

๐Ÿคฏ

Mind = Blown

โšก Static electricity is the same physics as lightning, just smaller.

๐Ÿ”ฎ

Make a hypothesis first

Before you start: which will move faster, and why?

What You'll Learn

Speed measures how fast an object moves (distance divided by time). Velocity includes both speed and direction. An object changing direction is accelerating even at constant speed.

Key Words

  • kinetic
  • potential

Materials Needed

  • ruler
  • cardboard
  • marbles
  • paper clips
  • rubber bands

Safety First

  • Tie back long hair before starting the experiment.

Steps

Step 1 โ€” Read

Study the diagram and label the parts you recognize.

Step 2 โ€” Do

Create a Rube Goldberg machine with at least 5 steps that demonstrates energy transfer from one form to another.

Step 3 โ€” Observe

Observe what happens and describe it in detail.

Step 4 โ€” Record

Record your observations in your science journal with measurements and descriptions.

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 3

What is velocity?

๐ŸŒ

Where you see this in real life

This is why airplanes can fly and why rockets reach space.

๐Ÿ†

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.

๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ‘ง

For the dinner table

โ€œShow me something at home that uses this kind of energy.โ€

๐ŸŽฏ

Next Smart Experiment

We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.

๐Ÿ”ฌShare card

Share this experiment

Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.

๐Ÿ–จ๏ธ

Checkout complete lesson on Motion and Forces for 8th Grade

Get the full Motion and Forces track as a printable PDF โ€” all lessons, worksheets, and answer keys.

View in Shop

Your Cart (0)

Your cart is empty

Browse our shop to find activities your kids will love

Speed, Velocity, and Acceleration โ€” Motion and Forces | 8th Grade Science | LittleActivity | LittleActivity