FORCE & MOTION PROJECT

NEWTON SCOOTER

April 1st, 2013

Dear Parent/Guardians,

Students are required to complete and turn in a science project that demonstrates their knowledge of Force & Motion and Newton’s Laws of Motion.

Student presentations must include diagrams of theirdevice that illustrate the forces that act upon it.Students should be able to explain any modifications made to theirdevice to improve its performance. The project device must travel 1.5 meters, additionally the students must explain the action & reaction forces of their device in a force diagram of their Newton Scooter. Attached are the project expectations and grading scale. Please review and discuss them with your child. The project is due no later than April 22nd. Students will work on the projects in-class, and are expected to bring in their own supplies. Projects turned in late may lose up to 5 points per day. Students will present their projects to the class starting on the due date. Please sign and return. Thank you for your support.

Respectfully,

______Mr. Nelson

8th Grade Science Teacher, BJHS

Student Name

Student SignatureParent/Guardian SignatureDate

Name ______

Forces and Motion Project (100 Points)

Purpose Question: Build a device that will travel a distance of 1.5 meters and completely cross the finish line, within a 1 meter wide space using Newton's 3rd Law of Motion.You will have to demonstrate device and explain its features to the class. You must also explain which friction forces affect your scooter and how the friction forces and gravity affect your scooter, and how this demonstrates Newton’s Third Law of Motion.

Rules:

  1. Device must be teacher-approved before construction begins.
  2. Device must use Newton’s third law of motion to move forward; it must move forward by pushing backward on the floor, another object or the air.
  3. Device must be built from scrap materials. No pre-made devices or "kits" allowed.
  4. You cannot interfere with your device once it leaves the starting line. You cannot give it a push as you launch it, and you cannot make adjustments after it is launched.
  5. You may not power your device with any form of electricity, fire, explosions, burning fuel or gravity.
  6. You may use a "track" to keep your device within the 1 meter wide area. You must supply the track yourself, and can use pre-made parts, like toy car track, toy train track, or make your own.
  7. Your device does not have to move on the ground. It may travel through the air. A string or fishing line stretched between 2 chairs could be used as an air "track."
  8. Your class presentation must include diagrams of your device that illustrate the forces that act upon it. You should be able to explain any modifications that you made to yourdevice to improve its performance.

MATERIALS:

Try to use recycled materials from home. You may also take parts from pre-made items, but you cannot use a pre-made device or power source. Ideas include film cans, toilet or paper towel tubes, springs, balloons, straws, fishing line, empty cans or plastic bottles, spools, rubber bands, etc.

Project Time Line:

  1. Return signed project package
  2. 3device ideas/3 power sources
  3. Materials list you can use from home
  4. Rough sketches (3 ideas)
  5. Forcesof friction & gravity added to 3 sketches
  6. One sketch chosen for teacher approval
  7. Primary construction of project device completed (not checked in class)
  8. All improvements and modifications completed (not checked in class)
  9. Bring project device & support materials to class, give class presentation
  10. Lab Report

Lab Write-Up:

Your Lab Write-Up is Due Friday April 26th.

  1. Title- Be sure to give your lab write-up a title that applies to your project.
  2. Hypothesis- Should correspond with the purpose question of this project (on previous page).
  3. Materials- List anything that would be needed for this experiment.
  4. Procedures- List the steps without using pronouns on how to construct a vehicle like the scooter you created.
  5. Data- Include a force diagram of your vehicle showing all forces acting on it.
  6. Questions- Answer the purpose question in your lab. You must use complete sentences and a thorough explanation.
  7. Did your vehicle move forward by pushing back on something? Explain your answer.
  8. Was your vehicle powered by Newton’s Third Law of Motion and not by any form of electricity or gravity? Explain your answer.
  9. Did your vehicle travel 1.5 meters? Why or why not? (I should see words like mass, acceleration, inertia, Force, in this explanation)
  10. Conclusion- Remember! Your first sentence of your conclusion should connect with your hypothesis. Your explanation should explain how you know that your hypothesis is true.

Rubric:

Assignment / Exceeds / Meets / Developing / Minimal
4/16 Signed Agreement / Turned in (4 points) / Not turned in (0 Points)
4/16
Rough Sketches Ideas / All sketches are detailed having three different power sources and materials listed (12 points) / Sketches show the basic construction and have at least 2 different power sources and materials listed(9 points) / Sketches are sloppy and hard to understand, also has some missing materials. (6 points) / Only one power source or none. Materials are either missing or missing several parts.( 3-0 points)
4/17
Final Sketch of Approval / Final Sketch is approved by the teacher and has a force diagram demonstrating all the forces acting on it. (4 points) / Final sketch is approved, but is missing one or more forces to the diagram.(3 points) / Final sketch is approved, but with no force diagram.(2 points) / Final sketch is not approved by the teacher.(0 points)
Classroom Time Management / Students were prepared every day for car construction. Students were on task at all times
(10 points) / Students either had a day were they did not have materials or were directed to remain on task. (6 points) / Students did not bring in supplies and had to barrow from other groups. Students were disruptive in class. (0 points)
4/22
Car Construction / Car travels in 1.5 meters in 3 trails or less. Car can travel without the use of any outside force (20 points) / Car travels, but cannot reach 1.5 meters in 3 trials or less. Car can travel without the use of any outside force(10 points) / Car is not complete for test date.
(0 Points)

Lab Write-up:

  1. Title: ______/ 2 points
  2. Hypothesis:______/ 4points
  3. Materials: ______/4 points
  4. Procedures: ______/10 points
  5. Data: ______/10 points
  6. Questions (a), (b),and (c): ______/12 points
  7. Conclusion: ______/ 8 points

NOTE: Building either of these basic designs can earn you a maximum of a “B”, additional research and building a different design of you own can earn you a “A”.

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Modfied from Mr. Jackson 6th Grade Science Teacher WWISModified 3-08-13