Description:

Animated lesson on scalar acceleration. The lesson begins with the definition of acceleration and proceeds automatically through six screens, which explain the scalar acceleration. The students can pause, and move backwards and forwards through the screens at their own pace. The lesson focuses on scalar acceleration, introducing definition, formula, units and velocity-time diagram.

Objective(s):

Knowledge:
  - Scalar acceleration
  - Speed-time graphics for accelerated motion
Understanding:
  - Accelerated motions
  - Speed-time graphics for accelerated motion
Skills:
  - Select and retain information after observation
  - Understanding information and grasp meaning
  - Self learning

References:

Related exercises:
Newton's 2nd law lecture
Positive/negative G-forces
 

Description:

Animated lesson on mass and weight. Mass and weight definitions are given and the dependence of weight on mass and surface gravity is illustrated. The lesson shows also how weight changes from planet to planet while the mass stays the same. The lesson begins and ends with the statement of the law, and proceeds automatically through five screens that explain the law. The students can pause, and move backwards and forwards through the screens at their own pace.

Objective(s):

Knowledge:
  - Definition of mass and weight
  - Relationship between mass and weight
Understanding:
  - Relationship between mass and weight
  - Independence of mass from location in the Universe
  - Dependence of weight from location in the Universe
Skills:
  - Select and retain information after observation
  - Understanding information and grasp meaning
  - Self learning

References:

Related exercises:
Newton's 2nd law lecture
Measuring mass
 

Description:

Three balls of the same size but different mass can be set in free-fall at the same time. Three timers record the time it takes for each ball to fall. After guessing which one will fall faster the students are asked to repeat the experiment changing the air pressure, which can vary from a vacuum up to two atmospheres. A detailed explanation is available in the 'tell me how' window.

Objective(s):

Knowledge:
  - Gravity attraction at the Earth's surface
  - Fall of bodies at Earth's surface
  - Effect of air friction on a falling body
  - Newton's second law
Understanding:
  - Effect of gravity on different masses
  - Effect of air friction
Skills:
  - Observation and deduction

References:

Related exercises:
Gravitational force
Mass and weight
Discover free-fall
 

Description:

The students are asked to find the distance between Earth and the Moon and to use this distance to calculate the force of attraction between the two celestial bodies. The Newton formula is available in the 'tell me how' window. After successful completion, the force of attraction between two elephants has to be found.

Objective(s):

Knowledge:
  - Newton’s law of gravitation
  - Force of attraction between Earth and Moon
  - Earth-Moon distance
Understanding:
  - Intensity of attraction due to gravity
  - Influence of mass and distance on attraction due to gravity
Skills:
  - Managing the formula for Newton's law of gravitation
  - Mastering calculus with order of magnitude

References:

Related exercises:
Discover gravity
Mass and weight
Discover free-fall
 

Description:

Animated lesson on gravity and the Newton’s law of gravity. The lesson begins and ends with the statement of the law, and proceeds automatically through ten screens that explain the law. The students can pause, and move backwards and forwards through the screens at their own pace. The lesson highlights the dependence of the attraction due to gravity on the mass and distance between two bodies. It also shows that this law applies to every body in the Universe.

Objective(s):

Knowledge:
  - Force of gravity
  - Newton’s universal law of gravity
Understanding:
  - Dependence of gravity on mass and distance
  - Relationship of Earth’s gravity and universal gravity
Skills:
  - Select and retain information after observation
  - Understanding information and grasp meaning
  - Self learning

References:

Related exercises:
Building gravity
 

Description:

The student is asked to launch and control a spaceship that has to deliver cargo from the South Pole to the North Pole on an uninhabited planet. The player can ignite the thrusters of the spaceship counteracting or exploiting the planet’s gravity. The task has to be completed in given time, without crashing on the planet or running out of fuel.

Objective(s):

Knowledge:
  - Motion under the effect of gravity
  - Launch and motion control of satellites
Understanding:
  - Motion under the effect of gravity
  - Launch and motion control of satellites
Skills:
  - Self learning
  - Remote controlling
  - Evaluation and decision
  - Strategy optimization

References:

Related exercises:
Gravity lecture
 

Description:

The students are asked to evaluate the weight of an astronaut given his mass. Then it is possible to see how gravity and the weight change when we move to other bodies in the Solar System. The 'tell me how' window provides the relationship between mass and weight.

Objective(s):

Knowledge:
  - Relationship between mass and weight
  - Acceleration due to gravity on other bodies of the Solar System
Understanding:
  - Difference between mass and weight
Skills:
  - Generalisation of concepts and laws

References:

Related exercises:
Discover gravity
Gravitational force
Discover free-fall
Moon walk
 

Description:

The exercise focuses on the dependence of a body’s weight on the acceleration of its reference system. The students are asked to place a body on the plate of a weighing scale inside a lift. The scale displays the body’s weight. The students can change the downward or upward acceleration of the lift, observing how the reading of the scale is affected. A “quiz me” window asks the student to foreseen the resulting weight as a function of acceleration. The “tell me how” window explains in detail why weight s affected by the acceleration of the lift.

Objective(s):

Knowledge:
  - Composition of forces
  - Weight’s dependence on the acceleration of the reference system
Understanding:
  - Composition of forces
  - Weight’s dependence on the acceleration of the reference system
Skills:
  - Select and retain information after observation
  - Understanding information and grasp meaning
  - Self learning

References:

Related exercises:
Acceleration lecture
 

Description:

The interactive experiment focuses on the property of inertia. In a first step the student deals with two carts bound together by an elastic force. The student can vary the mass on the two carts. When the force is removed, the two carts start to move in opposite directions while the changing speeds are shown. In a second step the student has to calculate the mass on one of the carts knowing the mass on the other cart and both final speeds. A “tell me how” window defines inertia and recalls the inverse proportion between inertial mass and speed characteristic of this experiment.

Objective(s):

Knowledge:
  - Mass and inertia
  - Measure of mass through inertia
Understanding:
  - Mass and inertia
  - Measure of mass through inertia
Skills:
  - Self learning
  - Deduction from observation
  - Making and verifying hypotheses

References:

Related exercises:
Newton's 1st law lecture
Newton's 2nd law lecture
Newton's 3rd law lecture
Weight and mass lecture