Education Standards
Object at Rest - Lab worksheet
Newton's First Law of Motion - Investigations
Overview
In this lab students will investigate Newton's first law of motion or the Law of Inertia. The first lab investigates an object at rest, and the effects of friction on motion. The second lab investigates an object in motion. Students will experiment with this law by varying their speed, while trying to drop a tennis ball in a given target zone. Although intended for seventh grade students this lab can be adjusted to fit the educational needs of each student.
Definitions adapted from cK-12 Newton's First Law of Motion
Object at Rest - Lab
Begin with discussion of the word inertia. (See cK-12 resources). Explain how inertia is dependent upon mass. Then allow students to investigate an object at rest through this simple lab demonstration. They will also experiment with friction through different surfaces.
Click HERE to open the lab worksheet - An Object at Rest
Discuss - how the same principles of inertia apply to an object in motion. Allow students to experiment with this principle through the following lab investigation.
Click HERE to open up lab worksheet - An Object in Motion