PhET Simulation: Forces and Motion

Looking for a great activity to start your unit on Newton’s laws of motion? Don’t want to give a big lecture or start with a bunch of mathematical calculations? Students love PhET Interactive Simulations and this guided inquiry activity on forces and motion is a great way to get started. Have fun and learn at the same time.

This online lab activity uses the Forces and Motion: Basics HTML5 simulation from PhET Interactive Simulations. The simulation can be run from most cellphones, tablets and computers. Nothing to download or install.

I find this to be a great guided inquiry activity that will work well for students from middle school through high school. This activity will guide students as they investigate different force scenarios and how they affect the motion of objects. They will be able to determine the magnitude and direction of the net force acting on an object, describe the effect of balanced and unbalanced forces acting on an object and why an object doesn’t move even when forces are being applied to it.

PhET simulations incorporate research based, student centered activities that are fun and easy to use. All of the PhET simulations are available from their website: PhET Interactive Simulations.

After completion of this activity you can have further discussions about the types of forces acting on an object, drawing free body diagrams, and the relationship between mass, force and acceleration as described by Newton’s second law of motion.

This product includes:
(1) The activity worksheets.
(2) An answer key for the worksheets.
(3) Notes covering a full description of Newton’s laws of motion.