31

Lesson 31 of 84 ยท Motion and Forces

Experimentโญ 30 XPโšก Spark Lab

Wedges and Screws in Everyday Life

๐ŸงชLab Brief #31

Motion and Forces.

๐ŸŽฏ Your mission

Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.

โšก The twist

The opposite of what you expect is often what happens.

๐Ÿคฏ

Mind = Blown

๐ŸŽข You feel weightless on a roller coaster because you and the seat are falling at the same speed.

๐Ÿ”ฎ

Make a hypothesis first

Predict: what happens if you double the force?

What You'll Learn

A force is a push or pull that can change an object's motion, shape, or direction. Forces are measured in Newtons and can act through contact or at a distance.

Key Words

  • wheel and axle
  • gravity
  • friction

Materials Needed

  • rubber bands
  • blocks
  • spring scale
  • stopwatch
  • pencils
  • toy cars

Safety First

  • Do not taste any materials.
  • Wear safety goggles when mixing liquids.

Steps

Step 1 โ€” Read

Read about Motion and Forces and write down three key facts.

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

Use your senses (except taste) to describe what you notice.

Step 4 โ€” Record

Write a summary of your findings in 3-5 sentences.

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 3

Which is NOT a simple machine?

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.

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Wedges and Screws in Everyday Life โ€” Motion and Forces | 8th Grade Science | LittleActivity | LittleActivity