Lesson K1: Racing

Main activities

K1b Steady speed

For each group:

  • air track (with blower)
  • 2 light gates (with centisecond timers)
  • vehicle (to push along air track)
  • card (about 10 cm deep, positioned to pass through light gates)
  • metre rule
  • 2 clamp stands (to support light gates)

Lesson K2: Measuring speed

Starter activities

Problem solving

Brainstorming

  • £10 note
  • 50 or 100cm rule

Main activities

K2a Measuring the speed of sound

Direct method

  • measuring wheel
  • large wooden clapper
  • stopwatch measuring to hundredths of a second

This method requires an open distance of at least 300 m to get a reasonable result.

Echo method

  • measuring wheel
  • stopwatch measuring to hundredths of a second
  • large plane wall with 60–100 m free space in front of it

Lesson K3: Changing speed

Starter activities

Brainstorming

  • calculator

Main activities

K3a Travelling at speed

  • dynamics trolley

K3b Speeding trolleys

For each group:

  • computer
  • 2 light gates
  • spreadsheet software
  • trolley or toy car
  • card (10cm depth, positioned to pass through light gates)
  • metre rule
  • interface
  • datalogging software
  • printer (optional)
  • ramp, e.g. PVC guttering
  • Plasticine (to attach card to car)
  • books (to support ramp)
  • clampstands (to hold light gates)
  • weights to increase mass of trolley (Extension only)

Plenary activities

Looking ahead

  • two balls of different sizes, such as a tennis ball and a golf ball (a ping-pong ball has too low a mass to be unaffected by air resistance if dropped 1 m)
  • sheet of A4 paper
  • metre rule

Lesson K4: Faster!

Starter activities

Problem solving

  • glass tube about 1m long fitted with arubber bung at one end and a rubber bung

with a central hole for a narrow glass tube at the other

  • a small ball;
  • a feather;
  • avacuum pump with a means of connectingto the narrow glass tube

Main activities

K4a Streamlined shapes

For each group:

  • Plasticine
  • tall measuring cylinder
  • wallpaper paste
  • 2 light gates
  • datalogger
  • computer

K4b How do forces affect speed?

For each group:

  • linear air track with elastic band at one end
  • blower
  • vehicle with card of known length attached
  • two light gates connected to a datalogger and computer
  • forcemeter (or clamped pulley/short glass rod and hanging weights)

Extension only:

  • balance
  • Plasticine or weights (to change mass of vehicle)

Plenary activities

Looking ahead

  • toy car or trolley
  • various surfaces (e.g.wood, carpet, cork, glass/Perspex)
  • metrerule
  • raised ramp

Lesson K5: Slow down

Starter activities

Problem solving

  • two strings of equal length (50–100cm) attached to two similar bobs or weights
  • two pieces of card (15cm × 10cm approx.), one attached to each bob using plasticine or sticky tape
  • two clamp stands

Main activities

K5a Making parachutes

For each group:

  • a selection of suitable materials for the parachute, such as thin sheets of polythene, tissue paper, silky or fine nylon fabric
  • thin string or thread
  • scissors
  • hole punch
  • Plasticine or small weights
  • paper and pencil

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This list is in Microsoft Word, so it can be customised to fit each school’s requirements.