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Lesson 2 of 84 ยท Forces and Motion

Lessonโญ 30 XPโšก Spark Lab

Newton's Second Law: Force and Acceleration

๐ŸงชLab Brief #2

Forces and Motion.

๐ŸŽฏ Your mission

Master the concept. Use it tomorrow.

โšก The twist

Energy never disappears โ€” it just hides somewhere else.

๐Ÿคฏ

Mind = Blown

โšก Static electricity is the same physics as lightning, just smaller.

๐Ÿ”ฎ

Make a hypothesis first

Before you start: which will move faster, and why?

What You'll Learn

Newton's second law says that force equals mass times acceleration (F = ma). A heavier object needs more force to accelerate at the same rate as a lighter one.

Key Words

  • gravity
  • friction
  • inertia

Steps

Step 1 โ€” Read

Look at the vocabulary words and write a definition for each in your own words.

Step 2 โ€” Do

Test friction: pull a weighted box across 4 surfaces (carpet, tile, sandpaper, foil). Use a spring scale to measure the force needed for each.

Step 3 โ€” Observe

Watch carefully for any changes and note the time.

Step 4 โ€” Record

Create a data table to organize your measurements.

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 3

What unit is force measured in?

๐ŸŒ

Where you see this in real life

You use this every time you flip a light switch, ride a bike, or kick a ball.

๐Ÿ†

Stretch Challenge

Try this in real life this week.

Time how long a small ball rolls down something, then change the slope and try again.

๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ‘ง

For the dinner table

โ€œShow me something at home that uses this kind of energy.โ€

๐ŸŽฏ

Next Smart Experiment

We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.

๐ŸงชShare card

Share this experiment

Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.

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Checkout complete lesson on Forces and Motion for 3rd Grade

Get the full Forces and Motion track as a printable PDF โ€” all lessons, worksheets, and answer keys.

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