Student Exploration: Forces, Friction, and Fan Carts



Name: Date: Per:

Student Exploration: Force and Fan Carts

Language Goal: force, friction, position, speed, normal force, gravity, newton’s laws of motion, tension, applied force

Gizmo Warm-up

1. In the Gizmo™, turn the fan Off. Click Play ([pic]). Did the cart move?

2. Click Reset ([pic]). Press the Low fan speed button to turn on the fan. Click Play. What did you observe happened?

3. A force is something that causes change in motion. What provided the force that made the cart speed up? What evidence did you observe to support this statement?

4. The speedometer shows the cart’s speed, or how fast it moves. A speed of 30 cm per second means the cart moves 30 cm every second. What was the final speed of the cart? Speed = Distance/time (don’t forget your correct units)

5. Friction is a force that works against motion as surfaces rub each other. Click Reset. Select the No Friction surface. Click Play. What was the final speed this time?

|Activity A: |Get the Gizmo ready: |[pic] |

| |Click Reset. | |

|Force and motion |Change the Surface to Wood. | |

| |Be sure there are no objects on the cart. | |

| |The Fan speed should be set to Low. | |

Scientific Question: How does force affect motion?

1. Run Gizmo: Press Play. What was the final speed of the cart?

2. Predict/Hypothesize: Would the cart’s final speed increase or decrease if the fan were set to Medium instead of Low, explain why you think this will happen.

3. Experiment: Click Reset. Change Fan speed to Medium. Click Play.

What was the cart’s final speed? Did this match your prediction? Why or why not?

4. Draw conclusion: Did the cart speed up more quickly with the fan on Low or Medium? Use your knowledge of Newton’s Laws of motion and forces to explain what you observed.

5. Predict: Select the Data tab. Choose Bar graph or Line graph. This graph shows the speed of the cart over time. How would this graph be different if the fan were on High? Why?

6. Test: Check your prediction with the Gizmo. What do you observe?

7. Extend: Design an experiment to test the following scientific question. How does the mass on the cart effect the force you need to get the cart moving? Make sure your experiment is controlled and only the variables in the question are being changed. In the space provided below copy the data (graph – print screen then past below) you collected from your experiment and write a conclusion based on the data you collected that answers the scientific question.

|Activity B: |Get the Gizmo ready: |[pic] |

| | | |

|Running out of steam? |Click Reset. | |

Question: Why do objects slow down when there is nothing pushing them?

1. Observe: Use the Gizmo to explore the question above. Try different objects and surfaces. Each time, turn the fan Off while the cart is moving. (You may find it helpful to pause the Gizmo with the Pause ([pic]) button, turn the fan off, and then click Play to restart.)

2. Form hypothesis: What causes an object to slow down after no longer being pushed?

3. Predict: Set Fan speed to High. Based on your hypothesis, BOLD all surfaces that will cause a moving cart to slow down after the fan is turned off. (You may circle more than one.)

No Friction Metal Cement Wood

4. Test: Run the trials using the Gizmo. Which surface(s) caused the cart to slow down?

No Friction Metal Cement Wood

5. Draw conclusion: What causes objects to slow down when they are no longer pushed? Use evidence from your observations to support your conclusion.

6. Think about it: Imagine the track in the Gizmo went on forever. If there were no friction, how long would it take the cart to stop after you turned off the fan? Explain why you think this.

7. Analyze: Which surface in the Gizmo has the most friction? Use evidence (data) from the gizmo to support your answer. Use the gizmo to collect data, print screen then paste your data below. In your written answer use evidence from the data to support your findings that answer the question.

8. Explain what causes an object to change its motion in our world. Support your answer with at least two different examples using specific science vocabulary

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