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.

This guided inquiry lab from my Tes shop will help your students gain an in depth understanding of the difference between resistors in series circuits and resistors in parallel circuits. I have done these activities with my students many times and they always find them fun and engaging. The best part is that your students won’t even know they are learning as they complete the inquiry-based laboratory assignment sheet that is included. These guided inquiry activities are intended to be used with one of the two HTML5 Circuit Construction Kits from PhET Interactive Simulations. With these activities your students can quickly build electric circuits and collect accurate data that will allow them to compare the characteristics of resistors in series with resistors in parallel. With a little up-front guidance your students will be able to complete the activity with little assistance. The goals of these activities are that your students will understand: (1) how the voltage drop across resistors changes when resistors are added in series and parallel (Kirchhoff’s voltage rule). (2) how the current through resistors changes when resistors are added in series and parallel (Kirchhoff’s current rule). (3) how the equivalent resistance changes when resistors are added in series and parallel. (4) how the power output (bulb brightness) of the resistors changes when resistors are added in series and parallel. (5) how removing one resistor from the circuit changes the behavior of the remaining resistors for series and parallel circuits. This HTML5 web-based inquiry lab can be run from the internet browser on most cellphones, tablets and computers. Nothing to download or install. All of the PhET simulations are available from their website: PhET Interactive Simulations. The product includes: (1) Series Resistors Lab: Voltage, Current, Resistance and Bulb Brightness (2) Parallel Resistors Lab: Voltage, Current, Resistance and Bulb Brightness (3) Summary Assignment: Summary Comparing Resistors in Series and Parallel Circuits (4) Notes Comparing Series and Parallel Resistors (5) A Getting Started Teachers Guide (6) Answer Keys

In completing this HTML5 web-based inquiry lab activity your students will gain a complete understanding of how mass, length, displacement and gravitational acceleration affect the period of a pendulum. I have done this activity with my students many times and they always find it fun and engaging. The best part is that your students won’t even know they are learning as they complete the inquiry-based laboratory assignment sheet that is included. This HTML5 inquiry lab can be run from most cellphones, tablets and computers. Nothing to download or install. The pendulum simulation will guide students as they collect data, analyze results and formulate conclusions on what factors affect the period of a pendulum. 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. The product includes the pendulum lab sheets and answer key as well as a Getting Started Teachers Guide.

This product from my Tes shop will help your students gain a complete understanding of Hooke’s law, calculating the spring constant and determining the masses of unknown objects. I have done this activity with my students many times and they always find it fun and engaging. The best part is that your students won’t even know they are learning as they complete this online inquiry-based laboratory assignment. This HTML5 web-based inquiry lab can be run from most cellphones, tablets and computers. Nothing to download or install. This lab activity will guide your students as they collect data, draw graphs, analyze results and formulate conclusions for the calculation and meaning of the spring constant. PhET interactive 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 On the first page of the lab worksheet there is a link to one of the videos from my YouTube Channel, Step by Step Science. The video gives a detailed explanation of the material covered in this lab simulation. If students need help understanding the concepts or completing the lab, they can simply click on the link and watch the YouTube video where the concepts are explained in detail. This is an outstanding resource for students who need additional help or who are not able to attend class. The video is titled Simple Harmonic Motion: Hooke’s Law, Example Problem. This link will take you to the video: https://tinyurl.com/yy23ucxw. The product includes the Hooke’s law lab worksheets and answer key along with a Getting Started Teacher’s Guide.

In this guided inquiry online lab your students will investigate the pressure in fluids: liquids and air. By the end of this online lab they should be able to (1) describe how the pressure in air and water changes as a function of depth, (2) explain how the shape of the liquid container affects pressure, (3) describe all variables that affect pressure and (4) determine the density of an unknown fluid. This online lab is intended to be used with the Under Pressure (HTML5) Simulation from PhET Interactive Simulations. The link for the simulation can be found inside the resource. PhET Interactive 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. This PhET online simulation can be done in the classroom or during distance learning. This product includes: (1) The lab activity worksheets. (2) An answer key for the worksheets. (3) Notes presenting a full explanation of pressure and pressure in liquids.

In this guided inquiry online lab your students will investigate the three states of matter: solids, liquids and gases. By the end of this online lab they will be able to (1) describe the characteristics of the three states of matter, (2) compare the motion of the particles in the three different phases, (3) explain how to change the state of a material and be able to name the six different phase changes (4) understand that different substances have different melting and boiling temperatures and (5) state the relationship between the pressure, temperature, volume and amount of gas in a container. You will use one of the simulations from PhET Interactive Simulations. The simulation is called States of Matter: Basics (HTML5). The link for the simulation can be found inside the resource. All of our PhET Online Labs can be purchased as a money saving bundle. PhET Interactive 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. This PhET online simulation can be done in the classroom or during distance learning. This product includes: (1) The lab activity worksheets. (2) An answer key for the worksheets. (3) Notes presenting a full explanation states of matter.

In this guided inquiry two part lab your students will investigate how an image is formed by four different optical instruments: a convex lens, a concave lens, a convex mirror and a concave mirror. In Part 1 students will investigate (1) how the characteristics of the image change as the object is brought closer to each of the lenses and mirrors, (2) the similarities and differences in image formation for each of the lenses and mirrors and (3) the meaning of the points F and 2F for the convex lenses and concave mirrors. In Part 2 students will draw the ray diagrams for each of the lenses and mirrors and take a more detailed look at the image characteristics for each object location. By the end of Part 2, if they are given the object location they will be able to state (1) the image location relative to points F and 2F, (2) the size of the image relative to the object size, (3) the image orientation and (4) the image type. For this online lab activity your students will use one of the simulations from PhET Interactive Simulations. The simulation is called Geometric Optics (HTML5). The link for the simulation can be found inside the resource. PhET Interactive 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. This PhET online simulation can be done in the classroom or during distance learning. This product includes: (1) The lab activity worksheets. (2) An answer key for the worksheets.

This engaging inquiry based lab activity will guide your students to an understanding of Coulomb’s law as they learn what factors affect the force between two charged particles. This online lab is intended to be used with the Coulomb’s Law HTML5 Simulation from PhET interactive simulations. The link for the simulation can be found inside the resource. In the first activity students will learn how to determine the direction of the force between two charged particles. In the second activity students will determine the relationship between the force and the amount of charge on the particles. In the third activity students will determine the relationship between the force and the distance between the charged particles. In the summary questions students will practice what they have learned from the simulation and will use the Coulomb’s law equation to calculate coulomb’s constant and the magnitude of the force between two charged particles. 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: hET Interactive Simulations. This PhET online simulation can be done from the classroom or during distance learning. This product includes: (1) The lab activity worksheets. (2) An answer key for the worksheets. (3) Notes covering a full description of Coulomb’s law.

With this PhET online physics lab your students will have fun and learn physics at the same time. Why does the lever tip to the left and when will it tip to the right? The purpose of this activity is for your students to determine what conditions must be met for a first lever to balance. Along the way they will also be introduced to the concept of torque and will be able to answer the following questions: What is torque? What affects the amount of torque an object applies to a lever? How is torque calculated? This online lab is intended to be used with the Balancing Act HTML5 Simulation from PhET Interactive Simulations. The link for the simulation can be found inside the resource. 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: hET Interactive Simulations. This PhET online simulation can be done in the classroom or during distance learning. This product includes: (1) The lab activity worksheets. (2) An answer key for the worksheets. (3) Notes covering a full description of levers and torque.

This is a great online lab experiment for introducing the physics concepts associated with the refraction of light. Using the PhET Bending of Light simulation your students will investigate the refraction of light, the index of refraction and the velocity of light through different materials. Your students will be able to explain how the indices of refraction affect the angle of refraction, how to calculate the index of refraction and how to calculate the velocity of light through various materials. This web-based lab activity is available as a PDF file and can be completed by distance learners. This lab activity uses the Faraday’s Law HTML5 simulation from PhET Interactive Simulations. The simulation can be run from most cellphones, tablets and computers. Nothing to download or install. The link for the simulation can be found inside the resource. This product includes: (1) The lab activity worksheets. (2) An answer key for the worksheets. (3) Notes covering a full description of the refraction of light, index of refraction and Snell’s law.

This fun, engaging, inquiry-based physics lab is a great way to get your students interested in the refraction of light and Snell’s Law. The online lab uses the Bending Light HTML5 simulation from PhET Interactive Simulations. The simulation can be run from most cellphones, tablets and computers. Nothing to download or install. The link for the simulation can be found inside the resource. In the first activity students will learn how to draw ray diagrams for light as it enters, travels through and then exits a material with a greater index of refraction than the surrounding environment. In the second activity students will collect data that they will use to derive the equation that describes the relationship between the angle of incidence and the angle of refraction when light passes across a boundary between two materials with different indices of refraction, such as water, glass, or air. This is known as Snell’s Law and is used in ray tracing to compute the angles of incidence or refraction, and in experimental optics to find the refractive index of a material. In the final section, they will then use Snell’s Law to calculate the angles and the indices of refraction. 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: hET Interactive Simulations. This PhET online simulation can be done in the classroom or during distance learning. This product includes: (1) The lab activity worksheets. (2) An answer key for the worksheets. (3) Notes covering a full description of the refraction of light, index of refraction and Snell’s law.

Using the PhET Faraday’s Law simulation your students will investigate electromagnetism and how changing the magnetic flux through a coil of wire induces a voltage in the coil of wire. Your students will be able to explain what happens when the magnet moves through the coil at different speeds, the difference between moving the magnet through the coil from the right side versus the left side and the difference between moving the magnet through a coil with more windings vs. a coil with fewer windings. This web-based lab activity is available as a PDF file that can be completed by distance learners. This online lab activity uses the Faraday’s Law HTML5 simulation from PhET Interactive Simulations. The simulation can be run from most cellphones, tablets and computers. Nothing to download or install. The link for the simulation can be found inside the resource. 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: hET Interactive Simulations. This product includes: (1) The lab activity worksheets. (2) An answer key for the worksheets. (3) Notes covering a full description of Faraday’s Law.

This engaging inquiry-based lab activity will guide your students to an understanding of Newton’s law of universal gravitation as they learn what factors affect the force between two masses. This online lab is intended to be used with the Gravity Force Lab: Basics HTML5 Simulation from PhET Interactive Simulations. The link for the simulation can be found inside the resource. In the first activity students will learn that the gravitational force is always attractive. Newton’s law of universal gravitation is an inverse square law similar to Coulomb’s law. The difference is that gravitational forces are always attractive, while electrostatic forces can be attractive or repulsive. In the second activity students will determine the relationship between the force and the mass of the objects. In the third activity students will determine the relationship between the force and the distance between the objects. In the summary questions students will practice what they have learned from the simulation and will use Newton’s law of universal gravitation to calculate the gravitational constant and the magnitude of the force between objects. 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: hET Interactive Simulations. This PhET online simulation can be done in the classroom or during distance learning. This product includes: (1) The lab activity worksheets. (2) An answer key for the worksheets. (3) Notes covering a full description of Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation.

This product from my Tes shop will help your students gain a complete understanding of how the amplitude, mass, gravity and spring strength affect the period of a mass oscillating on a spring. I have done this activity with my students many times and they always find it fun and engaging. The best part is that your students won’t even know they are learning as they complete the laboratory assignment sheet that is included. If your students need additional help completing this lab activity they can also watch the video from my Step by Step Science YouTube channel: Simple Harmonic Motion, What Effects the Period of a Mass on a Spring?: This inquiry-based lab activity uses the Mass and Spring: Basic HTML5 simulation from PhET Interactive Simulations. The simulation can be run from most cellphones, tablets and computers. Nothing to download or install. The simulation will guide students as they collect data, analyze results and formulate conclusions on what factors affect the period of a mass oscillating on a spring. 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. This product includes the lab worksheets and answer key as well as a Getting Started Teachers Guide.

With this PhET Simulation your students will gain a complete understanding of the law of conservation of energy and the relationship between potential, kinetic and total energy as the skater moves along the skate ramp. I have done this activity with my students many times and they always find it fun and engaging. The best part is that your students won’t even know they are learning as they complete the included laboratory assignment sheet. This inquiry-based lab activity uses the Energy Skate Park: Basics HTML5 simulation from PhET Interactive Simulations. The simulation can be run from most cellphones, tablets and computers. Nothing to download or install. This activity will guide students as they observe how and why the potential, kinetic and total energy of the skater as she moves along the ramp. 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 This product includes the lab worksheets and answer key in PDF format as well as a Getting Started Teachers Guide.

In this guided inquiry online lab your students will investigate the physical properties of a material that determine its density. By the end of this online lab your students will be able to (1) determine the volume of an object using the displacement method, (2) calculate the density of an object, (3) explain how changing the mass or volume of an object affects its density, (4) explain why an object floats or sinks in a liquid and (5) determine the relative density of objects from their masses and volumes. This online lab is intended to be used with the Density (HTML5) Simulation from PhET Interactive Simulations. The link for the simulation can be found inside the resource. PhET Interactive 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. This PhET online simulation can be done in the classroom or during distance learning. This product includes: (1) The lab activity worksheets. (2) An answer key for the worksheets. (3) Notes presenting a full explanation of pressure and pressure in liquids.

Students love working with online simulations from PhET Interactive Simulations. They are easy to use, interactive, give reliable results and allow students to easily see the relationships between various physical parameters. In this inquiry-based PhET online lab students will first investigate the relationship between the plate area, the plate separation and the amount of charge stored on the plates of a parallel plate capacitor. Students will then collect data for the amount of charge stored on the plates of the capacitor with respect to the voltage applied across the capacitor. This data will then be graphed and the slope of the line will be calculated to determine the capacitance of the capacitor. Through the summary questions your students will become familiar with the vocabulary used to describe capacitance and capacitors as well as the equation used to calculate capacitance. PhET simulations incorporate research based, student centered activities that are fun and educational. All of the PhET simulations are available from their website:hET Interactive Simulations. This PhET online simulation can be done in the classroom or during distance learning. This product includes: (1) The lab activity worksheets. (2) An answer key for the worksheets. (3) Notes covering a full description of capacitance and capacitors.

In this inquiry-based PhET online lab your students will investigate atomic structure and the subatomic particles that make up atoms using the Build an Atom simulation. They will learn the important terms used to describe atoms such as atomic number, mass number and net charge. They will also be introduced to the layout of the periodic table and how to locate elements on it. Students love working with the online simulations from PhET Interactive Simulations. The Build an Atom simulation is easy to use, interactive and gives immediate feedback when students are answering questions to check their understanding of key concepts. 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: hET Interactive Simulations. This PhET online simulation can be done in the classroom or during distance learning. This product includes: (1) The lab activity worksheets. (2) An answer key for the worksheets. (3) Notes presenting a full explanation of atomic structure.

In this guided inquiry online lab your students will investigate the effect of changing the plate separation and plate area on (1) the capacitance of the capacitor, (2) the potential difference between the plates of the capacitor, (3) the charge stored on the plates of the capacitor and (4) the electric field strength between the plates of the capacitor. These relationships will be determined for the case when the capacitor remains connected to the voltage source and for the case when it is no longer connected to the voltage source. This online lab is intended to be used with the Capacitor Lab: Basics (HTML5) Simulation from PhET Interactive Simulations. The link for the simulation can be found inside the resource. PhET Interactive Simulations incorporate research based, student centered activities that are fun and easy to use. All of the PhET simulations are available from their website: hET Interactive Simulations. This PhET online simulation can be done in the classroom or during distance learning. This product includes: (1) The lab activity worksheets. (2) An answer key for the worksheets. (3) Notes presenting a full explanation of capacitors & capacitance.

This PhET Rutherford Scattering online physics lab provides an excellent opportunity for your students to observe, describe and compare the behavior of alpha particles as they travel though the Plum Pudding and Rutherford models of the atom. This simulation will enable your students to “see” alpha particles and their interactions with each of the atomic models presented in the simulation. After completing this lab your students should be able to: a) describe the difference between the Plum Pudding and the Rutherford models of the atom. b) describe how the alpha particle energy and the composition of the nucleus of an atom affect the amount of deflection of the alpha particles as they travel through the gold foil. c) explain the properties of the nucleus of an atom that Rutherford was able to deduce from the results of his experiments. Included in this product are: a getting started teachers guide. the PhET lab activity worksheets. solutions for the lab worksheets. PhET Interactive Simulations incorporate research based, student centered activities that are fun and easy to use. All of the PhET online simulations are available from their website: phet.colorado.edu. The simulations can be done in the classroom or during distance learning.