Newton's Laws: The Physics of Forces and Motion

Introduction

 

Isaac Newton - Quotes, Facts & Laws - Biography

Learning about Newton’s Laws

Isaac Newton’s three laws of motion were first published in 1687 and continue to give a pretty accurate account of nature. They represent some of humankind’s first great successes at using simple mathematical formulas to describe the natural world and form an elegant and intuitive physical theory that paved the way for later advances in physics. These laws apply to objects in the real world and have allowed us to do things like simulate car collisions, navigate spacecraft, and play basketball really well. Whether we are aware of them or not, Newton’s laws of motion are at play in nearly every physical action of our daily lives.

In this lesson, you will learn about Sir Isaac Newton and his laws as you complete a WebQuest (Internet Scavenger Hunt) to answer questions about the topic. The necessary resources for completing this WebQuest are included below. 

Materials Required:

  • Computers with Internet access for each student (or pair of students)

  • Software such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs

  • Student Resources

  • Fun Facts about Sir Isaac Newton and His Laws WebQuest Activity

Standards:

MS-PS2-1. Apply Newton’s Third Law to design a solution to a problem involving the motion of two colliding objects.

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions: Apply scientific ideas or principles to design an object, tool, process or system. (MS-PS2-1)

PS2.A: Forces and Motion ▪ For any pair of interacting objects, the force exerted by the first object on the second object is equal in strength to the force that the second object exerts on the first, but in the opposite direction (Newton’s third law). (MS-PS2-1)

Systems and System Models ▪ Models can be used to represent systems and their interactions such as inputs, processes and outputs and energy and matter flows within systems. (MS-PS2- 1),

Task

Task 1: Read and view the following resources (readings and videos)

Sites for Student Research

Task 2: Answer the following questions about Newton's Laws

 

Part 1:  Newton’s First Law

  1. What is Newton’s First Law? 

  2. What is velocity? 

  3. What is force?  

  4. What is an unbalanced force? 

  5. How is force measured? 

  6. What is inertia? 

  7. What is friction?   

  8. Give an example of Newton’s First Law in action. 

  9. Do you think that force is necessary in order for an object to remain in motion?  Explain your answer.  

Part 2:  Newton’s Second Law

  1. What is Newton’s Second Law? 

  2. What is acceleration?

  3. What is the mathematical equation that is used for Newton’s Second Law? 

  4. Give an example of Newton’s Second Law in action.  

 

Part 3:  Newton’s Third Law

  1. What is Newton’s Third Law? 

  2. Give an example of Newton’s Third Law in action.  

 

Bonus Task: Answer the questions about Sir Isaac Newton for 5 extra points on the evaluation!

  1. When did Sir Isaac Newton live? 

  2. What are some other things that Sir Isaac Newton is known for besides these laws? 

  3. What are three modern inventions that could not have been invented without the earlier contributions of Sir Isaac Newton?  

Evaluation

For this lesson evaluation, you will be creating a model based on the questions below. You will draw, label, and answer the questions through the explanation attached to of included in your model. Your model must include color and all three of the following requirements:

  • Drawing with details
  • Labels
  • Explanation(s)

Applying Newton’s Laws

1. If you were rolling a toy car down an incline, what would happen if you made the incline steeper?  Explain why this happens using Newton’s Laws. 

2. If you changed the surface of the incline the car is rolling down, how might that impact the distance and speed the car travels?  Explain your answer using Newton’s Laws. 

Braking Vehicle — Collection of Solved Problems(for example only, formulas not required)

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed learning about Sir Isaac Newton and his Laws of Motion and Physics. Remember that whether we are aware of them or not, Newton’s laws of motion are at play in nearly every physical action of our daily lives. He pave the way for modern physics and it would be hard to imagine the world without Newton or his laws. 

Make sure your poster is completed and turned in no later than one week from the start of this WebQuest. I will coordinate start times with each student to track their progress.

Here are some bonus fun facts about Sir Isaac Newton:

  • Newton's studies of the occult and alchemy are what led him to the concept of gravity.
  • Newton and John Locke, the philosopher, were friends and colleagues.
  • Newton was driven by a focus on observation; so, rather than simply trust texts about optics, he stuck a needle in his eye to see what the effect would be.
  • Because of the popularity of his fighting against the Catholicization of Cambridge, Newton was elected a member of Parliament.

Isaac Newton: Who He Was, Why Google Apples Are Falling

Credits

Teacher Resources

Sir Isaac Newton Videos (several 3-5 minute videos suitable as an introduction to the lesson): http://www.physics4kids.com/files/motion_laws.html

Biography of Isaac Newton video (53:38): https://youtu.be/s2YZN2L700Q

Newton’s Laws of Motion: http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Physics-Tutorial/Newton-s-Laws

Teacher Page

The goal of this lesson is to familiarize students with Newton's contributions to physics and use what they've learned to create a model based on this new information.The lesson was designed to teach students about Newton's Laws as they relate to the physics of forces and motion. The standards this lesson is based on include the following:

MS-PS2-1. Apply Newton’s Third Law to design a solution to a problem involving the motion of two colliding objects.

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions: Apply scientific ideas or principles to design an object, tool, process or system. (MS-PS2-1)

PS2.A: Forces and Motion ▪ For any pair of interacting objects, the force exerted by the first object on the second object is equal in strength to the force that the second object exerts on the first, but in the opposite direction (Newton’s third law). (MS-PS2-1)

Systems and System Models ▪ Models can be used to represent systems and their interactions such as inputs, processes and outputs and energy and matter flows within systems. (MS-PS2- 1).

In this WebQuest lesson, students will also have the opportunity to learn interesting facts about the life of Sir Isaac Newton. These fact are meant to engage students and get them to imagine what it was like to be an early physicist. I hope they enjoy this lesson.