by aurora lipper · 2 days ago · lesson 6: force-full cereal did you know that your cereal may be...
TRANSCRIPT
by Aurora Lipper
© Supercharged Science www.SuperchargedScience.com Page 2
Table of Contents
Unit 1: Mechanics - Module 1: Force Lesson 1: Detecting the Gravitational Field .................................................................................................. 6
Lesson 2: Detecting the Magnetic Field ........................................................................................................ 7
Lesson 3: The Electromagnetic Field ............................................................................................................. 8
Lesson 4: Detecting the Electromagnetic Field ............................................................................................. 9
Lesson 5: Flying Paper Clip .......................................................................................................................... 10
Lesson 6: Force-full Cereal .......................................................................................................................... 11
Lesson 7: Net Forces ................................................................................................................................... 12
Lesson 8: Building Bridges ........................................................................................................................... 13
Lesson 9: Barrel Roof .................................................................................................................................. 14
Unit 1: Mechanics - Module 2: Gravity Lesson 1: A Weighty Issue ........................................................................................................................... 15
Lesson 2: Forever Falling ............................................................................................................................. 16
Lesson 3: Fast Ball ....................................................................................................................................... 17
Unit 1: Mechanics - Module 3: Friction Lesson 1: Simple Hovercraft ....................................................................................................................... 18
Lesson 2: Tracking Your Treads ................................................................................................................... 19
Lesson 3: What a Drag! ............................................................................................................................... 20
Lesson 4: Stick & Slip ................................................................................................................................... 21
Lesson 5: Exponential Friction .................................................................................................................... 22
Lesson 6: Bearings ....................................................................................................................................... 23
Lesson 7: Hovercraft ................................................................................................................................... 24
© Supercharged Science www.SuperchargedScience.com Page 3
How to Use this Workbook
I put this workbook together for you to use as you work through the program. There’s a lot of
whitespace with every experiment, so you have a space to write down your ideas and
experiment set up plans as we go through the instructional videos together.
There are also downloadable student worksheets under a number of the experiment videos.
They contain additional information, reading, data tables, and exercises for you to use. If you’re
doing those as well, print those out and insert them in the appropriate section as you go along.
If you hole-punch this workbook and any worksheets you download and stick all of it in a three-
ring binder, you’ll have an amazing science notebook that journals your entire year of science,
all done for you!
Enjoy your science adventure!
© Supercharged Science www.SuperchargedScience.com Page 4
Master Materials List for Unit #1: Mechanics
Force Experiments: Balloon (7-9″ Latex works great) Ping Pong Ball Tissue paper or newspaper Handful of packing peanuts or paper confetti Bubble juice (12c cold water + 1 c dish soap) Ball (any size) Compass Paper clips (10-15) Magnet String or yarn (about 2 feet long) O-shaped cereal (any brand is fine) Milk (or water) Spoon and bowl Rope (about 3′ long) Paper Two pencils or sticks Index cards Blocks Straws Clay Disposable cups OPTIONAL: Fluorescent bulb Wool sweater Plastic bag (the kind from the grocery store) Additional Items for Grades 9-12: Index card or scrap of cardboard 2 small mirrors 2 rare earth magnets Fishing line or thread 4 rare earth magnets Laser pointer (any kind will work) Water glass (or cleaned out pickle jar) Wooden spring-type clothespin Hot glue gun
Gravity Experiments: Ball (any size) Stopwatch or timer Pencil Paper Ruler 2 quarters Ping Pong Ball and Golf Ball OPTIONAL: Hovercraft Project 1 wood skewer 1 wood popsicle stick 1 straw Two 3VDC motors 2 propellers 9V battery clip with wires 9V battery 1 SPST switch 16 oz. styrofoam cup (the kind used for sodas) 1 foam hamburger container 1 foam meat tray (approx. 10″x12″x1″) Friction Experiments: Paper Pencil or pen Shoes (any shoes with treads will work fine) Yarn or string (about 2’ long) Rubber band Ruler Heavy book 2 magnets (preferably the flimsy business-card style) Rope (3’ or longer) Dowels or round pencils Handful of marbles 2 cookie sheets A board (about 2 feet by 12 inches) or propped up table protractor
IMPORTANT!! PLEASE READ! Before you go out and purchase a lot of items, please use what you already have available!
Part of being a great scientist is using the resources already around you. In the online
curriculum, there are step-by-step instructional videos where I will be demonstrating how to
build something, design something, create something… and if you don’t have the exact same
materials, it’s usually okay! Part of being a good scientist is getting resourceful and using what
you have access to.
For example, if we’re making a catapult, and you don’t have popsicle sticks, but you do have
chopsticks and paper towel tubes, then use those! If we’re making a hovercraft, and you don’t
have motors (this one actually did happen) but you did find an old computer fan, try it and see
if it works (one girl did just that – and it worked beautifully!) Re-use and re-purpose discarded
or broken items for your projects.
The instructional videos are just “Step One”… just to get you started so you see what we’re
going for and how the thing is supposed to work. After building your experiment, then your
next step is to make it even better. Can you make that rocket go even higher? That airplane go
faster? That circuit work in the dark also? We’re all about creativity, wonder, exploration, and
innovation. Try it and see how it goes!
ABOUT CHEMISTRY: The MAIN exception for this is when it comes to chemistry. We do NOT
want you mixing random chemicals or substituting other chemicals to “see what happens”. It is
dangerous and not scientific at all. I will have exact and specific instructions for all chemistry
experiments. More on this in the actual chemistry section on the website.
© Supercharged Science www.SuperchargedScience.com Page 6
Unit 1: Mechanics - Module 1: Force
Lesson 1: Detecting the Gravitational Field Ok, sort of a silly experiment I admit. But here’s what we’re going for – there is an invisible force acting
on you and the ball. As you will see in later lessons, things don’t change the way they are moving unless
a force acts on them. When you jump, the force that we call gravity pulled you back to Earth. When you
throw a ball, something invisible acted on the ball forcing it to slow down, turn around, and come back
down. Without that force field, you and your ball would be heading out to space right now!
Here’s what you need:
you
the Earth (or any planet that’s convenient)
a ball
© Supercharged Science www.SuperchargedScience.com Page 7
Unit 1: Mechanics - Module 1: Force
Lesson 2: Detecting the Magnetic Field Remember, there are four different kinds of forces: strong nuclear force, electromagnetism,
weak nuclear force, and gravity. There are also four basic force fields that you come into
contact with all the time. They are the gravitational field, the electric field, the magnetic field,
and the electromagnetic field. Notice that those four force fields really only use two of the four
different kinds of force: electromagnetism and gravity. Let’s take a quick look at what causes
these four fields and what kind of objects they can affect, starting with the magnetic field.
Here’s what you need:
you
a compass
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Unit 1: Mechanics - Module 1: Force
Lesson 3: The Electromagnetic Field The electromagnetic field is a bit strange. It is caused by either a magnetic field or an electric
field moving. If a magnetic field moves, it creates an electric field. If an electric field moves, it
creates a magnetic field.
Materials
Index card or scrap of cardboard
2 small mirrors
2 rare earth magnets
Nylon filament (thin nylon thread works, too)
4 doughnut magnets
Laser pointer (any kind will work – even the cheap key-chain type)
Clean glass jar (pickle, jam, mayo, etc… any kind of jar that’s heavy so it won’t knock
over easily)
Wooden spring-type clothespin
Hot glue gun, scissors and tape
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Unit 1: Mechanics - Module 1: Force
Lesson 4: Detecting the Electromagnetic Field You are actually fairly familiar with electric fields too, but you may not know it. Have you ever
rubbed your feet against the floor and then shocked your brother or sister? Have you ever
zipped down a plastic slide and noticed that your hair is sticking straight up when you get to the
bottom? Both phenomena are caused by electric fields and they are everywhere!
Here’s a simple experiment you can do that only needs four simple items:
head of hair
balloon
yardstick or meterstick
large spoon
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Unit 1: Mechanics - Module 1: Force
Lesson 5: Flying Paper Clip Have you ever been close to something that smells bad? Have you noticed that the farther you get from that something, the less it smells, and the closer you get, the more it smells? Well forces sort of work in the same way.
Here’s a simple experiment you can do that only needs four simple items:
magnet
paper clip
string
tape
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Unit 1: Mechanics - Module 1: Force
Lesson 6: Force-full Cereal Did you know that your cereal may be magnetic? Depending on the brand of cereal you enjoy in
the morning, you’ll be able to see the magnetic effects right in your bowl. You don’t have to eat
this experiment when you’re done, but you may if you want to (this is one of the ONLY times
I’m going to allow you do eat what you experiment with!) For a variation, pull out all the
different boxes of cereal in your cupboard and see which has the greatest magnetic attraction.
Materials:
a bowl of cereal with milk
spoon
© Supercharged Science www.SuperchargedScience.com Page 12
Unit 1: Mechanics - Module 1: Force
Lesson 7: Net Forces It is very rare, especially on Earth, to have an object that is experiencing force from only one
direction. A bicycle rider has the force of air friction pushing against him. He has to fight against
the friction between the gears and the wheels. He has gravity pulling down on him. His muscles
are pushing and pulling inside him and so on and so on.
Here's what you need:
a rope (at least 3 feet long is good)
a friend
a sense of caution
(Be careful with this. Don’t pull too hard and please don’t let go of the rope. This is fun but you
can get hurt if you get silly.)
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Unit 1: Mechanics - Module 1: Force
Lesson 8: Building Bridges What keeps building from toppling over in the wind? Why are some earthquake-proof and
others not? We’re going to look at how engineers design buildings and bridges while making
our own.
Here's what you need:
Index cards
Blocks
Straws
Clay
Disposable cups
© Supercharged Science www.SuperchargedScience.com Page 14
Unit 1: Mechanics - Module 1: Force
Lesson 9: Barrel Roof This roof can support over 400 times its own weight, and you don’t need tape! One of the great
things about net forces is that although the objects can be under tremendous force, nothing
moves! For every push, there’s an equal and opposite pull (or set of pulls) that cancel each
other out.
Here's what you need:
Print out this template.
Scissors
2 pencils
Thread
Flat book or light clipboard
Extra paper to load the roof
© Supercharged Science www.SuperchargedScience.com Page 15
Unit 1: Mechanics - Module 2: Gravity
Lesson 1: A Weighty Issue This lesson may give you a sinking sensation but don’t worry about it. It’s only because we’re
talking about gravity. You can’t go anywhere without gravity. Even though we deal with gravity
on a constant basis, there are several misconceptions about it. Let’s get to an experiment right
away and I’ll show you what I mean.
Here's what you need:
ping pong ball
golf ball
you
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Unit 1: Mechanics - Module 2: Gravity
Lesson 2: Forever Falling If I toss a ball horizontally at the exact same instant that I drop another one from my other
hand, which one reaches the ground first?
For this experiment, you need:
2 rulers or paint sticks. Anything wide and flat
2 coins or poker chips
A sharp eye and ear
A partner is good for this one too
© Supercharged Science www.SuperchargedScience.com Page 17
Unit 1: Mechanics - Module 2: Gravity
Lesson 3: Fast Ball You have just taken in a nice bunch of information about the wild world of gravity. This next
section is for advanced students, who want to go even deeper. There’s a lot of great stuff here
but there’s a lot of math as well. If you’re not a math person, feel free to pass this up. You’ll still
have a nice understanding of the concept. However, I’d recommend giving it a try. There are
some fun things to do and if you’re not careful, you might just end up enjoying it!
Here's what you need:
ball
pencil, paper
stopwatch
yardstick or tape measure
© Supercharged Science www.SuperchargedScience.com Page 18
Unit 1: Mechanics - Module 3: Friction
Lesson 1: Simple Hovercraft Hovercraft transport people and their stuff across ice, grass, swamp, water, and land. Also
known as the Air Cushioned Vehicle (ACV), these machines use air to greatly reduce the sliding
friction between the bottom of the vehicle (the skirt) and the ground. This is a great example of
how lubrication works – most people think of oil as the only way to reduce sliding friction, but
gases work well if done right.
Here's what you need:
7-9″ balloon
water bottle with a sport-top (see video for a visual – you can also use the top from
liquid dish soap)
old CD
paper cup (or index card)
thumbtack
hot glue gun
razor with adult help
© Supercharged Science www.SuperchargedScience.com Page 19
Unit 1: Mechanics - Module 3: Friction
Lesson 2: Tracking Your Treads Now let’s talk about the other ever present force on this Earth, and that’s friction. Friction is the
force between one object rubbing against another object. Friction is what makes things slow
down.
Here’s what you need:
About 5 different shoes
A board, or a tray, or a large book at least 15 inches long and no more then 2 feet long.
A ruler
Paper
Pencil
A partner
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Unit 1: Mechanics - Module 3: Friction
Lesson 3: What a Drag! There’s a couple of misconceptions that I’d like to make sure get cleared up here a bit. I don’t
want to go into too much detail but I want to make sure to mention these as they may be
important as you go deeper into your physics education.
Here’s what you need:
A 6 inch long piece of 2 x 4 wood, or a heavy book
A string
A spring scale or a rubber band and a ruler.
Paper
Pen
5 or so different surfaces, table tops, carpet, chairs, etc.
© Supercharged Science www.SuperchargedScience.com Page 21
Unit 1: Mechanics - Module 3: Friction
Lesson 4: Stick & Slip Friction is everywhere! Imagine what the world would be like without friction! Everything you
do, from catching baseballs to eating hamburgers, to putting on shoes, friction is a part of it. If
you take a quick look at friction, it is quite a simple concept of two things rubbing together.
Here’s what you need:
2 Business card magnets (those thin flat magnets that are the size of business cards)
Fingers
© Supercharged Science www.SuperchargedScience.com Page 22
Unit 1: Mechanics - Module 3: Friction
Lesson 5: Exponential Friction Find a smooth, cylindrical support column, such as those used to support open-air roofs for
breezeways and outdoor hallways (check your local public school or local church). Wind a
length of rope one time around the column, and pull on one end while three friends pull on the
other in a tug-of-war fashion.
Here’s what you need:
nylon long rope (10 feet or longer)
column or pillar (as talked about in the video)
at least two people, but more is better
© Supercharged Science www.SuperchargedScience.com Page 23
Unit 1: Mechanics - Module 3: Friction
Lesson 6: Bearings Stand on a cookie sheet or cutting board which is placed on the floor (find a smooth floor with
no carpet). Ask someone to gently push you across the floor. Notice how much friction they feel
as they try to push you.
Here’s what you need:
two boards (about 12″ x 12″, or whatever you have handy)
4-10 dowels (or round, not hexagonal, pencils)
handful of marbles
© Supercharged Science www.SuperchargedScience.com Page 24
Unit 1: Mechanics - Module 3: Friction
Lesson 7: Hovercraft Hovercraft transport people and their stuff across ice, grass, swamp, water, and land. Also
known as the Air Cushioned Vehicle (ACV), these machines use air to greatly reduce the sliding
friction between the bottom of the vehicle (the skirt) and the ground. This is a great example of
how lubrication works – most people think of oil as the only way to reduce sliding friction, but
gases work well if done right.
You will need:
1 wood skewer
1 wood popsicle stick
1 straw
16 oz. styrofoam cup (the kind used for sodas). Note that waxed paper cups will not
work!
1 foam hamburger container (the one in the video is 5.5″ square and 3″ high when
closed)
1 foam meat tray (the one in the video is approx. 10″x12″x1″ – it does not need to be
these exact dimensions – try a few different sizes out to see what happens! You can get
them for free if you ask for a clean one from your butcher.
2 3V DC motors (one smaller, one larger)
2 propellers (the ones in the video are 3″ diameter, so check your local hobby store and
get a variety to test out) – read comments below for ideas on where to get props!
9V battery clip with wires
9V battery (get a good kind, like Duracell or Energizer)
9V battery holder (looks like a “C”) OR use tape to attach the battery to your hovercraft
a couple of extra wires (speaker wire, alligator clips, etc.)
1 SPST switch