Lesson 29 of 84 · Energy
Simulation⭐ 30 XP⚡ Spark LabTerminal Velocity
Terminal Velocity.
🎯 Your mission
Run the sim. Spot the pattern.
⚡ The twist
Energy never disappears — it just hides somewhere else.
Mind = Blown
⚡ Static electricity is the same physics as lightning, just smaller.
Make a hypothesis first
Before you start: which will move faster, and why?
What You'll Learn
Terminal velocity is the steady top speed a falling object reaches when air resistance pushing up equals gravity pulling down. Once these forces balance, a skydiver stops speeding up and falls at a constant rate.
Key Words
Tap a word to see its definition.
Steps
Review the background information on Energy before starting.
Set up a pendulum with string and a washer. Change the string length and count swings per minute for each. Graph your results.
Observe what happens and describe it in detail.
Record your observations in your science journal with measurements and descriptions.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What causes an object to accelerate?
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.
Checkout complete lesson on Energy for 9th Grade
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