II. PHYSICAL SCIENCE TOPICS

 
  1. Motion of Objects
  2. Energy
  3. Properties of Matter
  4. Changes in Matter

 

Additional Sites for Physical Science

 

1. Motion of Objects

Elementary

  1. "An object is in motion when its position is changing. The speed of an object is defined by how far it travels divided by the amount of time it took to travel that far."
    1. Amusement Park Physics
      Using principals of physics, students will create a roller coaster by making choices from a menu of options. Their rollercoaster is then rated for fun and safety. Good site for middle school, but a nice extension for upper elementary.
    2. BBC Science: Forces in Action
      In this activity children will investigate the properties of forces acting on a moving object. A quiz is included.
    3. How Things Fly
      Great informational packet for students explaining the dynamics of airplanes, hot air balloons, etc. Includes physical activities for students to do as a group in school or with their families at home. Also, a great list of resources for teachers. Includes an exhibit from the National Air and Space Museum.
    4. Inclined Plane
      Outstanding - Upper elementary students use a computer generated inclined plane to alter intial velocity, mass, and angle of a frictionless inclined plane. Students can graph and print individual results to compare different properties.
  2. "A force is either a push or a pull. The motion of objects can be changed by forces. The size of the change is related to the size of the force. The change is also related to the weight (mass) of the object on which the force is being exerted. When an object does not move in response to a force, it is because another force is being applied by the environment."
    1. BBC Science: Forces and Movement
      This is an interactive site allows to test the effect of a pushing force on a toy car. An online quiz is included.
    2. BBC Science: Pushes and Pulls
      This site is aimed at children ages 5 - 6. There is an interactive experiment and quiz. This site has teacher resource links.
    3. BBC Science: Friction
      On this site children investigate the properties of friction when a toy car drivers over various surfaces. A quiz is included.
    4. Make a Balloon Rocket
      Upper elementary students use household materials to build their own balloon rocket. A printable page is included for directions along with a nice illustration. You must click on the experiment icon in order
    5. Science Bob Marvelous Machines
      This site has experiements for springs, gears, wheels, levers, friciton, and pullleys.  The site has activity sheets for each experiement.
  3. "Earth pulls down on all objects with a force called gravity. With very few exceptions, objects fall to the ground no matter where the object is on the Earth."
    1. Meet the Universes Main Attraction - Gravity New The American Museum of Natural History site has several activities related to gravity.
    2. The Mystery of Gravity New
      This page contains basic information and FAQs about the force we call gravity. It plays an important role in our universe.
    3. What is Gravity New
      Gravitation (or gravity) is a force of attraction. It is produced by all pieces of matter in the universe and pulls on all pieces of matter in the universe, regardless of matter type.
    4. What is Gravity? New
      Every object in the Universe attracts every other object in the universe. This invisible force for masses to move toward each other is called Gravity.

| Back | Next |