In this activity, students are introduced to static equilibrium by learning how forces and torques are balanced in a well-designed engineering structure. A tower crane is presented as a simplified two-dimensional case. Using Popsicle sticks and hot glue, student teams design, build and test a simple tower crane model according to these principles, ending with a team competition.

In this activity, students will analyze a video featuring an airplane on a string. The tension in the string can be read from an on-screen scale, timing measurements can be made from the frame-counter, and the angle of the string can be determined from an overlaid protractor. While this doesn't seem like enough information, it's actually enough to allow students to calculate the angular and linear velocity of the plane, the mass of the plane, the radius of its circular path, and the length of the string. It is an engaging problem that forces students to think clearly about some concepts that they frequently find confusing, like tension, circular motion, and centripetal acceleration.

In this activity, students will collect data using a Force Plate and accelerometer and then download the data to the computer for further analysis. They will be asked to draw Free Body Diagrams at different points in the motion, calculate forces and compare this to the data retrieved from their computer graphs.

In this interactive building experience, students will design and construct a complex machine to do a fairly simple task. Students will calculate several kinetic quantities of different parts of their machine. Students will create an engineering manual that provides a step-by-step method of building the machine and also calculates costs associated with the machine's production. Students will brainstorm ideas to increase the effectiveness of their machine while decreasing the costs of its production.

In this lesson, student teams compete to construct the fastest car, using their knowledge of physics.

In this lab activity, students build a container to safely deliver 2 eggs from the top of the school to the pavement below. Students will use the mass of the container and the time it takes to fall to calculate average velocity, acceleration, momentum, and force as it hits the ground.

Students observe and understand motion of a projectile launched horizontally. They will apply kinematics equations to data to determine the time of flight, velocity with which the ball leaves the table, and the acceleration on the ramp.

In this activity, students will use experimental data to determine the mathematical equation which relates force, mass, and acceleration. At the conclusion of the activity, students will complete a formal write-up summarizing the lab. NOTE:This lab requires a computer-interfaced force probe and motion detector.

The goal of this lesson is to assist students to relate the forces acting upon particular objects and the unseen resolution of those forces. The video begins with a story line involving Adam, who helps his father in the garden by disposing of a garbage bag of leaves the very act that involves resolution of forces.

Students will learn about the four forces which include weight, lift, thrust, and drag. These four forces affect things that fly.

In this project-based unit, students build a working catapult and prepare an extensive lab report explaining the physics behind its design and implementation.

In this physics interactive lecture demonstration, students will observe the constancy of gravity in a variety of different situations. They will predict what will happen if a plastic bottle, filled with water and having a hole near the bottom, is dropped. Will the bottle fall at the same rate as the water inside the bottle?

In this activity, students investigate the question: "How does the strength of the tension force on a bucket when at the top of a vertical loop compare to the strength of the tension force when at the bottom of the loop?" After completion of the lab, students will complete a formal lab write-up.

A PBL project that allows high school physics and math students exercise voice & choice in the design of a new maker space.

In this unit, students will learn what a force is and analyze systems of forces. Students will distinguish between contact forces and action at a distance forces. Students will also learn how to draw free body diagrams and how to determine the net force on an object. Lessons in this unit include: The Meaning of Force; Types of Forces; Drawing Free Body Diagrams; and Determining Net Force.

This unit of study reviews concepts of Newton's First Law of Motion (The Law of Inertia). This resource includes videos and animations that demonstrate concepts on inertia and mass, state of motion, and balanced and unbalanced forces. At the end of each section students can check for understanding of concepts by answering questions about each concept covered.

In this unit, students will explore the behavior of objects for which all forces are not balanced. Lessons in this unit include: Newton's Second Law; The Big Misconception; Finding Acceleration; Finding Individual Forces; Free Fall and Air Resistance; and Double Trouble. This unit includes videos, animations, and mini quizzes to check for understanding and facilitate learning.

In this lab activity, students investigate the motion of different skateboarders pulled with various values of constant force. Using skateboarders of different masses and a variety of constant force values, students produce distance-time graphs for a number of trials. Students will then analyze the data using Newton's second law and discuss differences between trials, the effects of friction, and possible sources of error in the experiment.

In this activity, students investigate the effects of changing force in the acceleration of a cart. Students set up a lab cart that can travel over a pulley by changing the mass on the opposite end of a string. After collecting data, they will use Microsoft Excel to create a velocity-time graph from their data and then find the slope (acceleration). Students should be able to use simple algebraic equations to calculate velocity (v = d/t) and should be familiar with Excel or another computer graphing program. A second graph of acceleration versus force is created to see if Newton's second law is supported by the experiment.

In this lab activity, students investigate the effects of different sizes of spools on the effect of torque and moment of inertia. The spools' acceleration is measured. The spools are pulled in different situations, but in all situations, they are slid across the surface. Students submit a lab report with a detailed drawing.