Newton’s laws of motion are a central component of our understanding of physics. As we discussed in Module 5, Newton’s laws can be summarized as follows:
1. Inertia – An object tends to resist changes in its motion.
2. Relationship between the mass of an object, the net applied force, and the resulting acceleration – F = m a.
3. Action-reaction pairs – Forces come in pairs.
In this lab, you will perform experiments to explore each of the laws of motion.
This activity is based on Lab 5 of the eScience Lab kit. Although you should read all of the content in Lab 5, we will be performing a targeted subset of the eScience experiments.
Our lab consists of three main components. These components are described in detail in the eScience manual (pages 55-61). Here is a quick overview:
• In the first part of the lab, you will use a bowl full of water to understand the concept of inertia. (eScience Experiment 1)
• In the second part of the lab, you will recreate a classic physics experiment, the Atwood Machine. This system consists of a pulley holding a string with two unequal masses. Experimenting with an Atwood Machine is an excellent way to understand Newton’s second law of motion. (eScience Experiment 2, Procedure 1)
• In the final part of the lab you will create a balloon-powered vehicle to elucidate Newton’s third law of motion. (eScience Experiment 4)