PhET Teacher Activities: Projectile Motion-Gravity & Air Resistance

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Detail Page

published by the PhET
written by Steve Reeves

This is a context-rich activity developed specifically to accompany the PhET simulation Projectile Motion. Students view NASA's "Feather Drop" video as a context for exploring the effects of air resistance (or lack of it). Afterward, they use the simulation to explore projectile motion with and without air resistance. The lesson plan provides explicit instructions for using the simulation and suggestions for data recording. The purpose of the lesson is for students to think deeply about how gravity and air resistance affect the motion of a projectile.

See Related Materials for a link to the Projectile Motion simulation, which must be running to complete this activity.

Editor's Note: This activity was developed for high school, but can also be adapted for Grades 7-8.

https://phet.colorado.edu/en/contributions/view/2836

Subjects	Levels	Resource Types
Classical Mechanics - Applications of Newton's Laws - Motion in Two Dimensions = Projectile Motion - Newton's Second Law = Force, Acceleration Education Practices - Active Learning = Problem Solving - Instructional Material Design = Simulation	- High School - Middle School	- Instructional Material = Activity = Problem/Problem Set = Student Guide

Appropriate Courses	Categories	Ratings
- Physical Science - Physics First - Conceptual Physics	- Activity - New teachers	Currently 0.0/5 Want to rate this material? Login here!

Intended Users:: Learner
Educator
Format:: application/ms-word
Access Rights:: Free access
Restriction:: © 2005 PHET; University of Colorado
Additional information is available.
Keywords:: 2d motion, acceleration, air resistance, ballistic motion, drag, drag coefficient, gravity, interactive multimedia, kinematics, projectile motion
Record Cloner:: Metadata instance created September 14, 2012 by Caroline Hall
Record Updated:: August 18, 2016 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update when Cataloged:: January 5, 2009

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AAAS Benchmark Alignments (2008 Version)

4. The Physical Setting

4F. Motion

6-8: 4F/M3a. An unbalanced force acting on an object changes its speed or direction of motion, or both.

11. Common Themes

11B. Models

6-8: 11B/M1. Models are often used to think about processes that happen too slowly, too quickly, or on too small a scale to observe directly. They are also used for processes that are too vast, too complex, or too dangerous to study.
6-8: 11B/M4. Simulations are often useful in modeling events and processes.
9-12: 11B/H1a. A mathematical model uses rules and relationships to describe and predict objects and events in the real world.
9-12: 11B/H3. The usefulness of a model can be tested by comparing its predictions to actual observations in the real world. But a close match does not necessarily mean that other models would not work equally well or better.

Common Core State Standards for Mathematics Alignments

Standards for Mathematical Practice (K-12)

MP.1 Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

Common Core State Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects 6—12

Text Types and Purposes (6-12)

1. Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content. (WHST.6-8.1)

Production and Distribution of Writing (6-12)

WHST.6-8.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

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Record Link

<a href="https://www.compadre.org/precollege/items/detail.cfm?ID=12410">Reeves, Steve. PhET Teacher Activities: Projectile Motion-Gravity & Air Resistance. Boulder: PhET, January 5, 2009.</a>

AIP Format

S. Reeves, (PhET, Boulder, 2005), WWW Document, (https://phet.colorado.edu/en/contributions/view/2836).

AJP/PRST-PER

S. Reeves, PhET Teacher Activities: Projectile Motion-Gravity & Air Resistance (PhET, Boulder, 2005), <https://phet.colorado.edu/en/contributions/view/2836>.

APA Format

Reeves, S. (2009, January 5). PhET Teacher Activities: Projectile Motion-Gravity & Air Resistance. Retrieved October 3, 2024, from PhET: https://phet.colorado.edu/en/contributions/view/2836

Chicago Format

Reeves, Steve. PhET Teacher Activities: Projectile Motion-Gravity & Air Resistance. Boulder: PhET, January 5, 2009. https://phet.colorado.edu/en/contributions/view/2836 (accessed 3 October 2024).

MLA Format

Reeves, Steve. PhET Teacher Activities: Projectile Motion-Gravity & Air Resistance. Boulder: PhET, 2005. 5 Jan. 2009. 3 Oct. 2024 <https://phet.colorado.edu/en/contributions/view/2836>.

BibTeX Export Format

@misc{ Author = "Steve Reeves", Title = {PhET Teacher Activities: Projectile Motion-Gravity & Air Resistance}, Publisher = {PhET}, Volume = {2024}, Number = {3 October 2024}, Month = {January 5, 2009}, Year = {2005} }

Refer Export Format

%A Steve Reeves %T PhET Teacher Activities: Projectile Motion-Gravity & Air Resistance %D January 5, 2009 %I PhET %C Boulder %U https://phet.colorado.edu/en/contributions/view/2836 %O application/ms-word

EndNote Export Format

%0 Electronic Source %A Reeves, Steve %D January 5, 2009 %T PhET Teacher Activities: Projectile Motion-Gravity & Air Resistance %I PhET %V 2024 %N 3 October 2024 %8 January 5, 2009 %9 application/ms-word %U https://phet.colorado.edu/en/contributions/view/2836

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The AIP Style presented is based on information from the AIP Style Manual.

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