Objective
By the end of this lesson, you will understand how contact and non-contact forces affect an object's motion.
Materials and Prep
Materials: 1 ball, 1 toy car, 1 balloon, 1 feather
Prep: None
Activities
- Bouncing Ball: Drop the ball on the floor and observe how it bounces back up. Discuss why it happens.
- Race Cars: Push the toy car on a flat surface and then on a rough surface. Compare the distances they travel.
- Balloon Fun: Blow air into the balloon and let it go. Observe its motion. Then, release air slowly and observe the changes.
- Feather Experiment: Drop the feather and see how it falls. Now, blow on the feather and observe its motion.
Talking Points
- "Forces can make things move or stop moving. When you push or pull something, you are applying a force."
- "Contact forces happen when objects touch each other, like when you kick a ball. Non-contact forces act over a distance, like magnets attracting each other."
- "Gravity is a force that pulls things towards the ground. That's why the ball falls back when you drop it."
- "Friction is a force that slows things down. Rough surfaces create more friction than smooth surfaces."
- "When you blow air into the balloon, you are applying a force that makes it move. When you release the air, the force decreases."
- "The feather falls slowly because of air resistance, which is a type of force that acts against its motion."