Lesson 16 of 84 · Energy
Experiment⭐ 30 XP⚡ Spark LabMomentum and Collisions
Momentum and Collisions.
🎯 Your mission
Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).
⚡ The twist
The opposite of what you expect is often what happens.
Mind = Blown
🔥 A bolt of lightning is 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun.
Make a hypothesis first
Predict: what happens if you double the force?
What You'll Learn
Momentum is mass times velocity. A heavy truck moving slowly can have the same momentum as a light car moving fast. Momentum is conserved in collisions.
Key Words
- kinetic
- potential
- work
Materials Needed
- ramps
- string
- weights
- tape
- ruler
- cardboard
Safety First
- Clean up spills immediately to prevent slipping.
- Use materials only as directed in the experiment.
Steps
Read about Energy and write down three key facts.
Test Newton's Third Law: blow up a balloon, attach it to a straw on a string, and release. Measure how far it travels with different amounts of air.
Watch carefully for any changes and note the time.
Create a data table to organize your measurements.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What do magnets have?
Where you see this in real life
You use this every time you flip a light switch, ride a bike, or kick a ball.
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.
For the dinner table
“Show me something at home that uses this kind of energy.”
Next Smart Experiment
We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.
Share this experiment
Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.
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