It’s Fast, It’s
EDUCATOR GUIDE
Fun!
Unravel the cutting-edge science & technology behind motor sports!
DISCOVER
how the science of engines, aerodynamics and motion has lifted auto racing into
the highest echelon of modern technology
EXPLORE
the technology of Formula One auto racing – from physics and
engineering to human endurance and biology – through hands-on activities
TESTyour skills in a race simulator – and determine if you have what it
takes to become a professional Formula One driver!
!
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Opens Jan. 2
Exhibition sponsored by
This exhibition is created by Scitech Discovery Centre, Perth, Australia, and produced by Imagine Exhibitions Inc.
Table of Contents
Pre-arrival Information..................................................................3-4
(Includes how to book a tour)
Speed Exhibit Curriculum Links & Focus Topics...........................4-7
Energy & Change / Movement & Rest Lesson Overview................7-9
Teacher Activities............................................................................9-18
Momentum Activities............................................................9-12
Friction Activity.....................................................................12-14
Inertia Activities....................................................................14-16
“Safety” Features Activity......................................................16-18
Speed Glossaries..............................................................................18-20
‘P’ Plate Drivers.....................................................................18-19
Racing Buffs...........................................................................19-20
PRE-ARRIVAL INFORMATION
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BOOKING A TOUR
If you have not already done so and would like to schedule a tour for your group contact our education department at
[email protected]
TEACHERS! PREVIEW EXHIBITION FOR FREE
We encourage educators to plan ahead for their tour and to consider visiting the exhibit in advance free of charge.
This will allow you to formulate pre- and post- lessons and prepare your students for their visit. Recommended
times are after 2:30 pm when most tour groups have left for the day. Contact the education department at
[email protected] to schedule your free preview today!
UPON ARRIVAL
You may be asked to divide your group into smaller groups when you arrive. The number of groups needed will depend
on the size of your group and other groups in the museum at the time of your visit. Each group will be assigned one or
more chaperones. These small groups will rotate through sections of the museum during your visit.
EDUCATION ENTRANCE
A center educator will meet you at the entrance facing West St. Andrews Rd. and the library. Please do not enter through
the front of Midland Center for the Arts.
CHAPERONE RESPONSIBILITIES
•Chaperones are responsible for supervising groups and making sure they follow the museum rules.
•Chaperones must accompany their groups at all times while they are touring the museum. Your chaperones’ interest
and attention adds to your class’s tour experience.
•Chaperones are asked to assist the students and continue to supervise while at lunch or in the restrooms.
•Chaperones are responsible for supervising the students in the gift shop.
•Chaperones are asked not to bring infants or younger children with them as this can be a distraction for the
students and divert their attention from the group.
LUNCH
The museum has indoor lunchroom facilities and there are outdoor spaces to picnic if weather permits. These spaces
must be reserved at least one week in advance of your trip, as they fill quickly. It is best to make your reservation when
you book your tour. We provide tables and chairs; however, if your group is large, some of the students may have to eat
picnic-style on the floor. Please have your group clean up after themselves.
MUSEUM ETIQUETTE
• Do not touch or lean against any furniture, walls or
items in the galleries on the fourth floor.
• Hall of ideas is the only constant hands-on area of the museum.
• Food, drinks, and gum are not permitted in
the museum.
• Stay with the group leader at all times.
• No running is allowed in the museum.
• Please use indoor voices.
•Photography is allowed in the Hall of Ideas.
• Photo policies in the exhibitions on the fourth floor galleries
vary based on the exhibition and policies of the lending institution or individual.
***Hands-on and photography
policies in the fourth floor galleries
may be altered depending on the
exhibit. Photography is allowed
within the Speed Exhibit, but
please inquire with your tour guide
regarding the other art exhibits.
Also, if your students plan to use
electronic devices to take notes or
for uses including photography,
check with your guide on “best
practices” while you visit with us
today on your guided tour.***
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INTERMISSION…THE MUSEUM STORE AT YOUR CENTER
The museum store has a variety of child-friendly and educational products for sale and we welcome supervised
visitation by school groups. If your students would like to have the opportunity to visit the museum store, please inform
your tour guide upon arrival. Pre-planning will help eliminate last minute buying rushes and bus delays. Merchandise
will be available with prices ranging from $1 to $20. Please inform your students so they may plan accordingly.
EXHIBITION CURRICULUM LINKS AND FOCUS CONCEPTS
THE RACE TRACK
RACE SIMULATOR
Curriculum framework link(s)
Energy and change – students consider the concepts of force
and acceleration.
Focus concept(s)
• Force • Acceleration/deceleration
PEDAL CARS
Curriculum framework link(s)
Energy and change – students consider the concepts of force,
acceleration and speed.
Focus concept(s)
• Force • Acceleration/deceleration
• Speed
• Isaac Newton’s Second Law. This law states that the acceleration (a) of
an object is directly proportional to the force (f) applied, and inversely
proportional to the object’s mass (m).
THE FITNESS TESTING AREA
FIT TO RACE?
Curriculum framework link(s)
Life and living – students understand the physiological processes of the
circulatory system and how they are affected by stress.
Focus concept(s)
• Circulatory system
• How the circulatory system responds under stress
EYES ON EVERYTHING
Curriculum framework link(s)
Life and living – students understand the physiological processes associated
with movement, in particular the stimulus/response reflex.
Focus concept(s)
• Stimulus/response reflex
READY, SET, STOP!
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Curriculum framework link(s)
Life and living – students understand the physiological processes associated with movement, in particular the stimulus/
response reflex.
Focus concept(s)
• Stimulus/response reflex
PERFORM UNDER PRESSURE
Curriculum framework link(s)
Life and living – students understand the structure and function of the brain, in particular those areas associated with
short term and long term memory.
Focus concept(s)
• Parts of the brain
• Short term and long term memory
THE PITS
FORMULA ONE CAR
Curriculum framework link(s)
Energy and change – students understand the different parts of a complex
machine.
Focus concept(s)
• Different parts of a machine (machine in this case being the F1 Racing Car)
PIT STOP
Curriculum framework link(s)
Life and living – students understand the physiological processes associated
with movement, in particular the stimulus/response reflex.
Energy and change – students understand the concept of a simple machine,
in particular the screw and wheel.
Focus concept(s)
• Stimulus/response reflex
• Simple machines, in this instance the screw and wheel
THE WORKSHOP
BUILD AN ENGINE
Curriculum framework link(s)
Energy and change – students consider the concepts of force,
power, work and torque. Students also understand that energy can
be transferred from one form to another.
Natural and processed materials – students understand the
properties of different materials and understand how different
materials react when mixed together.
Focus concept(s)
• Force
• Power
• Work
• Torque
• Transfer of energy, in particular the transfer of chemical energy into mechanical energy
• The mixture of substances used to create the explosion that allows the car engine to work
DOWNFORCE AND DRAG
Curriculum framework link(s)
Energy and change – students consider the concepts associated with air pressure.
Technology and enterprise – students apply a technology process to modify a product.
Focus concept(s)
• Air pressure
• Bernoulli effect
• Downward force
• Aerofoil
RACING RIMS
Curriculum framework link(s)
Energy and change - students consider the concepts of force, mass and velocity.
Focus concept(s)
• Velocity
• Force
• Mass, in particular the position of the mass.
COLLISIONS
Curriculum framework link(s)
Energy and change – students understand a range of
concepts associated with energy such as friction, inertia and
the nature of collisions.
Focus concept(s)
• Friction
• Inertia
• Collisions
• Isaac Newton’s First Law: It states that an object will
continue to move at the same speed, in the same direction,
unless acted on by a force.
• Isaac Newton’s Third Law: It states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
GIANT BALL BEARING
Curriculum framework link(s)
Energy and change – students understand about a range of concepts associated with energy in particular motion and
friction.
Focus concept(s)
• Friction
• Motion
WHAT’S THE DIFF’?
Curriculum framework link(s)
Energy and change – students understand the principles of gears, wheels and levers.
Focus concept(s)
• Simple machines, in particular gears, wheels and levers.
GEAR CHANGE
Curriculum framework link(s)
Energy and change – students understand the principles of gears. Students also understand that energy can be
transferred from one form to another.
Focus concept(s)
• Simple machines, in particular gears.
• Transfer of energy
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FURTHER BUT FASTER
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Curriculum framework link(s)
Energy and change – students relate forms of energy, such as kinetic and potential energy to change and interaction.
Students also consider the concept of acceleration.
Focus concept(s)
• Acceleration • Potential energy
• Kinetic energy
TYRE TREAD
Curriculum framework link(s)
Natural and processed materials – students understand how the structure and function of materials can explain their
behaviour.
Focus concept(s)
• Tyre tread pattern • The specific function of each tyre tread pattern
ENERGY AND CHANGE / MOVEMENT AND REST
LESSON OVERVIEW
Whether something is moving or at rest depends on your point of view. Imagine you are on a train and another train is
traveling at the same speed and in the same direction. You are then stationary with respect to each other, even though
relative to the lines you could be going at 100 kilometres an hour. There is no special quality of ‘being at rest’ or ‘being in
motion’. The railway lines are moving through space with the Earth.
Just as “things will stay as they are unless they are made to change” so also:
A body will continue in uniform motion, or at rest, unless acted upon by an external force.
~ Newton’s First Law
FORCES
Uniform motion is motion in a straight line. In practice many forces act on bodies. Gravity and friction are the most
common. But do not overlook the force that makes alike electrical charges repel and thereby keeps objects from
merging; and the same one that makes unlike charges attract and makes your muscles work. While forces may have
different causes they all work the same way. They all make things move, and this is all they do.
GRAVITY
Gravity is what keeps us on Earth. Gravity is the force that is due to matter. The more matter the more the force. Gravity
makes the moon go round the Earth and the Earth go around the sun. Gravity pulls satellites, like the Moon and planets,
into round paths known as orbits.
Put a knot at the end of piece of string, and thread a weight down the string so that it rests on the knot. Now make the
weight go round and round by swinging it (giving it a velocity, i.e. a speed in a particular direction), then by pulling on
the string make it go round and round. This is exactly how gravity works to make the plants go around the sun, except
that there isn’t a string.
FRICTION
Any movement of an object in something (such as air or water) or on
something (such as a table) causes friction. Friction is a force that opposes the
direction of motion. Bumpy or rough surfaces can exert more friction than
smooth ones. Soft surfaces can deform more and they resist motion more.
Try running along the pavement, then on soft grass and now on loose sand.
Which is easier? Now try running through deep water.
When friction acts between two objects, some of the energy of movement
becomes heat energy. Rub your hands. Do they get warm?
Friction is often a good thing. Without friction beginning to move, and
stopping, and steering would all be impossible. Friction can be increased by
making surfaces rough or by using materials such as rubber that are rough
on a small scale or by using soft devices such as tires that mold to match the
surface on which they roll.
Friction is sometimes a bad thing when we are unable to overcome it to move
something or when we want to move something faster but cannot or when
machines wear out due to all that rubbing. Friction can be decreased by using
flat surfaces, polishing surfaces, using hard materials and by using oil. Friction
can be very much reduced by getting objects to roll. Round objects can move
with very little resistance. Specially made round objects – “wheels” are used to
help move things.
Both gravity and friction and all other forces act to produce a change in
motion/rest.
Because gravity is universal here on the Earth’s surface we can do some
investigations looking at how bodies move on the tops of tables to see the
effects of friction only.
How do bodies move without any friction or other forces? – They continue
moving in a straight line; or if at rest, they stay at rest.
What happens when two such bodies collide? If they are soft, most of their
energy will go into deforming them. This can happen to people in car crashes
and this is why cars are built with “crumple zones” so the car is damaged
rather than you.
MOMENTUM
But what happens if the objects are hard and their energy can only go into
motion? Do they both move together? Do they both stop? Or does one move
and the other stop?
Well they cannot both stop because the energy has to go somewhere and in
this example cannot go anywhere but into motion.
Where the energy goes depends on how much heavier one object is than
another. Take a heavy object and hit a light one with it and the light will
speed away. Take a light object and hit a heavy one with it and the light one
will bounce off it swiftly.
Like we saw with the trains, how we describe these events depends on our
point of view. In each case the amount of energy overall will remain the same,
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but what happens if the objects have the same mass? Then the speed of approach
will be the speed of departure relative to the objects. A billiard ball colliding with
another will transfer all its energy to the other ball.
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Looking only at the amount of energy objects have before they collide
cannot tell us how the energy will be shared after they collide. But we
have seen with the heavy and light objects involved in collisions that
the light ones travel fast and the heavy ones travel slowly. Together they
conserve a property known as momentum, which is mass x velocity.
As energy is conserved and momentum is concerned, we can predict
the outcomes of collisions. We can even predict what will happen in
Newton’s Cradle. Why do we not see two balls swinging out when one
ball has hit the group of balls from the other side? Because energy and
momentum can only be conserved if one ball swings out. Similarly,
when two balls swing into the group, two balls must leave.
But how do the last balls know how many balls swung into the group?
“Clever little cradle to work that one out!”
TEACHER ACTIVITIES
MOMENTUM ACTIVITY INTRODUCTION
Momentum is the force that keeps moving objects in motion. It is the reason why you fall off a bus seat when the bus
driver suddenly slams on the brakes and why your drink spills out of your glass when you stop after walking with it.
Momentum = mass x velocity
An object’s momentum depends on its mass and the
velocity it is moving at – the greater the mass and
velocity, the greater the momentum. Newton’s First
Law of motion about inertia, states that a moving
object will continue to move unless acted on by an
external force. Sometimes, a moving object will lose its
momentum, slow down or stop because it is blocked
by another object.
So where does the energy go when a moving object
suddenly stops? The following activities are designed
to emphasize that momentum depends upon both the
mass and velocity of an object and illustrate that momentum can be transferred from one object to another.
More Information
Energy can be neither created nor destroyed but can be transferred from one form to another. This is the principle of
Conservation of Energy. In a collision, the energy of the moving object must be transferred for the object to stop moving.
MOMENTUM HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES
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ACTIVITY A - THE FLYING COIN
Aim: To illustrate that momentum will keep an object moving until
another force (or object) slows and stops it.
Materials (for each group)
• A piece of cardboard (to use as a ramp)
• Toy car
• Thin wooden blocks or books (2 per group)
• Coins of different values or washers of different size and weights
Activity Instructions
1. Find a smooth flat surface on either a table or on the floor.
2. With the first wooden block, prop up the cardboard to make a ramp at an angle of about 30 degrees to the desk
surface or floor.
3. Place the second wooden block about 10cm in front of the bottom of the cardboard slope. The second wooden block
should be of lesser thickness than the toy car that is being used so that it does not impede the movement of the coin
from the car’s roof.
4. Place the toy car at the top of the ramp with a coin on the roof of the car. Get students to write a prediction about
what they think will happen to the coin placed on the roof of the car when the car hits the second wooden block at the
bottom of the ramp.
5. Let the car roll down the ramp and collide with the second block. What happens to the coin when the car collides with
the block? Get the students to write a sentence or two about what they observed.
Extension Activities
• Change the slope of the ramp and repeat the activity. Does the slope of the ramp affect the distance the coin will travel
after impact? The steeper the slope, the faster the car will be travelling at impact and the further the coin should go.
• Vary the distance the block is placed from the end of the ramp. Does this affect the distance the coin travels after
impact? Increasing the distance the car travels across the floor surface before hitting the second block decreases the car’s
velocity at impact due to friction. The coin should travel a shorter distance from impact the further the second block is
moved from the bottom of the ramp.
• Repeat the activity with different value coins. Which coin travels the greatest and which the leastdistance? Measure
the distance each coin travels using a ruler or tape measure and graph the results. Why do you think that some coins
travel further than others? The results for this activity may vary depending on the type of car used in the experiment.
The different coins have different masses. At this scale, velocity of the car should be roughly constant and (if we ignore
friction forces) heavier coins should travel the greatest distance after impact, as they will have a greater momentum.
• Discuss ways in which you could stop the coin from flying off the car.
ACTIVITY B - MORE FLYING COINS
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Aim: To discover where energy goes when a moving object suddenly stops and illustrate that momentum can be
transferred from one object to another.
Materials (for each group)
• Two rulers, each 30cm long
• Five coins of the same value
• Sticky tape
Activity Instructions
1. Find a smooth flat surface on either a table or on the floor.
2. Set out the two rulers parallel to each other, leaving a gap equal to twice the diameter of the coins to be used between
them. Tape the rulers to the table.
3. Lay four of the identical coins in a row between and parallel the two rulers. Ensure that all coins are touching and
arrange them so they are about 5cm from one end of the rulers (end a).
4. Place the fifth identical coin in the gap between the rulers at end a.
5. Aim for the center of the coin closest to you and, with your finger, flick the single coin toward the row of coins. What
happens to the row of coins when it is hit with another coin?
6. Vary the strength with which the coin is flicked and observe what happens. Is it possible to move more than one coin
from the row by flicking the single coin?
Extension Activities
• Examine what happens when coins of different values are collided together. Try flicking a light coin in to a row of
heavy ones and a heavy coin in to a row of light ones. What happens with each collision? Which collisions send coins the
furthest distance after impact? The energy in the coins depends on their mass and velocity. A large coin transfers more
energy, making a small coin move faster and travel a greater distance. A small coin has less energy, causing a large coin
to move slowly and a lesser distance.
• Use a newton’s cradle to illustrate transfer of momentum. Vary the number of balls released and observe the result.
ACTIVITY C - EVEN MORE FLYING COINS!
Aim: To discover where energy goes when a moving object suddenly stops and illustrate that momentum can be
transferred from one object to another.
Materials (for each group)
• 30 cm ruler
• Coins of various values
Activity Instructions
1. Find a smooth flat surface on either a table or on the floor.
2. Hold down the ruler firmly on the surface and place a coin against one end. Make sure that the coin is touching the
ruler.
3. Using a coin of the same value, slide it along the table so that it strikes the other end of the ruler. What happens to the
coin at the other end of the ruler? How does the energy get from one coin to the other?
4. Repeat the experiment using coins of different value at either end of the ruler.
Extension Activities
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• What combination of coins will result in the second coin travelling the greatest distance? The energy in the coins
depends on their mass and velocity. Flicking the heaviest coin into a ruler with the lightest coin at the other end will
result in the greatest transfer of energy and send the second coin the greatest distance.
• Design a more scientific way of conducting the experiment so that the force applied to the flicked coin is constant for
each trial. What other variables might need to be controlled to ensure a ‘fair’ experiment?
ADAPTING THE ACTIVITIES TO SUIT YOUR CLASS NEEDS
Learning Groups Grades K-3
• Students may need assistance from parents or helpers to set up the equipment for each activity.
• You might need to clearly state that different coins have different masses (weights) and rank them in order of
increasing mass for the students.
Learning Groups Grades 4-7
• Emphasize scientific process in the activities: making predictions, carrying out experiments, analyzing results and
drawing conclusions. Get students to discuss how fair they think the tests were and what variables need to be controlled
to provide accurate results?
• If data measurements are collected, present results in a table and graph.
FRICTION ACTIVITY INTRODUCTION
Friction is the force that stops things from moving; therefore the frictional force must first be overcome
before an object can move. Once an object is in motion, frictional force then acts to slow it down.
Friction occurs because of the tiny grooves and ridges on the surfaces of objects. As objects rub
against one another, these grooves and ridges snag on one another, slowing motion. The strength
of frictional forces depends on the surfaces in contact. All surfaces have some degree of resistance;
however rough surfaces produce greater friction because they have more bumps compared to a smooth surface. If
friction did not exist, an object such as a ball rolling on a flat surface would not stop moving on its own!
A simple demonstration to illustrate friction is rubbing your hands together. The heat produced is a byproduct of
friction and results when any surfaces contact rubbing past one another. Friction can be used in many ways, such as in
igniting a match, or preventing cars slipping on the road or using sand paper to smooth wood. Another result of friction
is wear; this is why bike and car tires go bald.
Present the students with a challenge. Ask them to move a stack of five coins (or counters) by only touching the top coin.
The trick is to push down on the edge of the top coin whilst pushing the stack; the friction produced by pushing down
on the top coin will hold the column in place.
More Information
There are many ways to overcome friction; these are streamlining, lubricants, bearings, polishing and air cushions.
Lubricants, such as oil, water or graphite powder, serve to fill in the grooves between surfaces letting them slide past one
another. Lubricants also reduce the heat and wear between surfaces caused by friction.
You can illustrate friction and lubrication using a block of wood on a smooth tabletop. Slide the block across the table
surface and mark how far it travels. Repeat the exercise with some sandpaper on the table surface and then again with
water, marking the distance travelled each time. The sandpaper creates a very rough surface with greater frictional forces
due to an increased number of “bumps”. The water acts as a lubricant, filling in the gaps between surfaces in contact.
This reduces the frictional force between the block and the tabletop.
FRICTION HANDS-ON ACTIVITY
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ACTIVITY - WHICH SURFACES CREATE MORE FRICTION?
Aim: To test the friction produced by different surfaces.
Materials (for each group)
• Toy cars
• Wooden ramp (about 1m long)
• Wooden blocks or books to rest ramp on
• Place different materials on the ramp surface to alter ramp friction: Carpet, aluminum foil, rubber, foam, bubble wrap
• Sticky tape • Rubber bands
• Stopwatch
Activity Instructions
1. Find a smooth flat surface on either a table or on the floor.
2. Using a wooden block, prop up the ramp to make a slope at an angle of about 30 degrees to the desk surface or floor.
For the first test, use the ramp with an unaltered surface.
3. Place a car at the top of the ramp and then release it. Measure the time it takes for the car to reach the bottom of the
ramp. Record the time taken in a table.
4. Cover the ramp surface with one of the materials to be tested and fasten it in place with sticky tape or rubber bands.
Replace the car and repeat the test with the altered ramp surface. Record the time on the worksheet.
5. Repeat the activity with the other surface materials on the ramp.
Extension Activities
• Start a discussion about how you could use different surfaces for different purposes. What surface would you use if
you wanted to travel fast? What surface could you use to slow a fast-moving object (Such as arrester beds used to stop
trucks)? Smooth, flat surfaces will produce the least friction and allow objects to travel at the fastest speed. Rough,
uneven surfaces will produce the most friction and could be used to slow a fast-moving object.
• For any given surface, what modifications could be made to reduce friction? Lubricating a surface will reduce friction
and also help reduce heat between surfaces.
• List ways we increase friction to slow down objects or decrease friction to speed up an object? There are many
examples of where friction is used to slow objects. Brakes are a common example but more creative students might be
able to come up with examples like parachutes. The second part is a trick question (since friction acts to slow down
objects in contact). However, a sail on a boat is designed to catch a large amount of air, in essence, creating a large
frictional force that is used to propel the boat over the water!
ADAPTING THE ACTIVITY TO SUIT YOUR CLASS NEEDS
Learning Groups Grades K-3
• Students may need assistance from parents or helpers to set up the equipment for the activity.
• You may need to have a practice activity to teach your students how to use a stopwatch.
• Instead of using a stopwatch, timing could be carried out by counting out aloud or by using a wall clock.
• If more than one ramp is available, timing can be eliminated and each surface could be tested head-to-head. The
students could then rank each surface from fastest to slowest based on the results of each test. This activity could be
carried out as a competition, with students predicting which surface will win each trial.
Learning Groups Grades 4-7
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• Instead of using a stopwatch, get students with watches (both digital and analogue) to time each car. Compile a list of
times for each car and use them to calculate an average time for each trial. Discuss why the results may vary and how we
could improve the accuracy of the activity. Results will vary due to the variables in the activity. For example, there will be
differences between when the car is released and when it reaches the bottom of the ramp and when the timing is started
and stopped by each person. Differences in the timepieces used and in particular, their accuracy will also mean that
different people for the same trial record different times.
INERTIA ACTIVITY INTRODUCTION
All objects have a natural tendency to remain still or to keep moving at the same speed. This is called the Law of Inertia.
If a ball is rolled down a slope, it will continue to roll until a greater force overcomes its inertia. This greater force, which
will often be friction, slows down the motion of the ball. Similarly, to make a stationary ball start rolling, a force stronger
than the ball’s inertia needs to be applied. In this case, the inertia comes from the ball’s mass. One way to overcome the
ball’s inertia is to kick it. Kick a ball across the floor (application of force). The ball will keep rolling until another force
slows and stops it. (The ball also needs to overcome friction to start moving). This will probably be either friction with
the floor or collision with a wall or other object. You can further illustrate the tendency of objects to want to remain at
rest with the following demonstration:
Flick a playing card out from under a coin or pull a sheet of paper out from under a block of wood. If you flick the card
or pull the paper fast enough, the inertia of the object should ensure that it remains in place. It is inertia that allows the
magician to pull the tablecloth out from under the table setting without everything flying off the table.
More information
Inertia is affected by the mass (weight) of an object. Heavy objects have greater inertia than light objects, that is they are
more difficult to move. Heavy objects require a greater force to start moving and a greater force to slow down or stop.
For example, a car is a large and heavy object, needing a large force to overcome its inertia to make it move. This force
is produced by the engine. Galileo Galilei, an italian astronomer and physicist, first introduced the idea of inertia in the
1600s. A British scientist, Sir Isaac Newton included the idea of inertia in his First Law of Motion.
INERTIA HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES
ACTIVITY A - GETTING GOING
Aim: To examine how much force is required to get objects of different masses (weights) moving.
Materials:
• Toy truck or car (needs an area to allow weights to be added to it)
• String
• Pencil
• Milk carton (or small, strong plastic bag) • Masses (to add weight to the truck or car) • Marbles
Activity Instructions
1. Find a smooth flat surface on a table.
2. Cut a milk carton in half and fasten it to a toy truck using a piece of string about one meter long. Alternately, if you
are using a small plastic bag, tie the string around one side of the bag so that the neck is open and marbles can be added
to the bag.
3. Place the truck on the table and let the carton hang over the edge. You can use a pencil taped on the edge of the table
to provide a surface for the string to pass over.
4. Slowly add marbles one at a time to the half milk carton until the truck begins to move. Record the number of
marbles that were used.
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5. Add more weights to the truck and repeat the activity. Record the number of marbles required to move the truck this
time. Repeat this process as many times as you like with different weights added to the truck. Which truck required the
least and which the most number of marbles to get it moving?
Extension Activities
• Weigh the truck before each trial and then measure the weight of the carton of marbles that was required to get it
moving. What type of line does the graph make?
• Discuss the types of modifications you could make to the truck to allow it to overcome inertia and get moving faster.
You could make the truck lighter, place it on a smoother surface, lubricate the truck and/or the surface it is travelling on,
place an engine in the truck, etc.
• Present a list of objects and ask students to rank them from least to most inertia, e.g., car, ball, train, table, paperclip.
• Take a hardboiled egg, a fresh egg and a saucer. First spin the hardboiled egg on the saucer, then try with a fresh egg.
The hardboiled egg should be easy to get spinning and stops immediately. The raw egg should be hard to get started and
should start moving again after you have stopped it. Inertia makes the yolk revolve slowly when starting the raw egg,
making it hard to get moving. Once rotating inside the shell, it keeps rotating when the shell is stopped; causing it to
spin once the shell is released.
ADAPTING THE ACTIVITIES TO SUIT YOUR CLASS NEEDS
Learning Groups Grades K-3
• Parents or helpers may be needed to assist setting up and running the activity.
• Pre-prepare the truck with string and milk carton attached
Learning Groups Grades 4-7
• If the activity is carried out in small groups or pairs, discuss why different numbers of marbles may have been required
by different groups to get their trucks moving with the same weight or item in the back.
• Get students to predict how many marbles will be required to get the truck moving before each trial. Does it become
easier to predict how many marbles will be required the more trials that are completed?
ACTIVITY B - GETTING GOING
Aim: To compare how the mass of an object will affect its speed and the time it takes to get moving
Before you begin:
• Decide if you want the students working in pairs or small groups
• Collect materials
Materials:
• Toy cars (as similar design as possible)
• Different masses (coins or washers can be used)
• Wooden ramp (around 40cm by 100cm)
• Blocks or books to rest ramp on
• Sticky tape
Activity Instructions
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1. Find a smooth flat surface on either a table or on the floor.
2. Using a wooden block, prop up the ramp to make a slope at an angle of about 30 degrees to the desk surface or floor.
3. Place two cars at the top of the ramp and release them at the same time. Repeat this activity until you find two cars
that travel down the ramp at roughly the same speed. Why is it important to have two cars that travel at the same speed
down the ramp before we start the experiment?
4. Replace the cars at the top of the ramp. Add weight to one car using the weights and sticky tape. Make sure that the
sticky tape doesn’t interfere with the movement of the car.
5. Release both cars and observe which reaches the bottom of the ramp first. Record your results in a table. Depending
on the age and ability of the students, you might like to time each trial using a stopwatch.
6. Repeat the activity a number of times with further weights added to one of the cars. Record all your results.
In which trial were the cars the fastest and in which were they the slowest in reaching the bottom of the ramp?
Extension Activities
• Increase the slope of the ramp and, keeping the mass of a car constant, record the time it takes for car to reach the
bottom of the ramp. Repeat the experiment with increasing ramp slope and record your results each time. Increasing
the slope of the ramp, and thus the height the car is released from, will let the car accelerate a faster rate and achieve a
greater speed.
• Examine the distance travelled from the bottom of the ramp for heavy and light cars using a measuring tape or ruler.
Under which conditions did the car travel the greatest distance?
• Present a range of different vehicles to race down the ramp. Get students to pick which will be the fastest based on the
weight of each vehicle. Race the vehicles head-to-head to find a winner.
ADAPTING THE ACTIVITY TO SUIT YOUR CLASS NEEDS
Learning Groups Grades K-3
• Students may need help attaching the masses to the cars so that the movement of the car is
not impeded.
• If you are using a stopwatch in your activity, you may need to run a training exercise for the
students on how to use a stopwatch.
Learning Groups Grades 4-7
• Determine the average speed (cm per second) of the car in each trial by measuring the time it takes for each car to
reach the bottom of the ramp using a stopwatch. Which trial produces the fastest and slowest average speeds?
• What force is making the car move in each trial? Why doesn’t a car start moving on a flat surface?
SAFETY FEATURES ACTIVITY INTRODUCTION
Whether you are packaging a driver or an egg, the principles remain the same. Bringing the occupant of the vehicle to
rest slowly is one of the most important factors in ensuring they remain unharmed in a collision avoiding serious injury
or even death. To demonstrate this principle, place a raw egg in a small snap-seal bag and drop it from waist height on to
the floor. To really make an impact, draw a face on your egg and give it a name before dropping it onto the floor.
Start a class discussion about the safety features of cars and how they prevent injury. For example, discuss restraints
(seatbelts), impact absorbers (airbags, car seats, crumple zones) and protective structures (safety cells, bumper bars).
Then discuss how you could have prevented the egg from breaking when it was dropped on to the floor. Encourage
students to be creative in their suggestions, e.g.: Place a bucket of water on the floor, hard-boil the egg or cover the
floor with cotton wool, paper or sand.
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Introduce ‘the egg drop challenge’ and discuss ways you could copy the safety features of cars to protect an egg from
breaking in a fall, e.g., rubber bands for seat belts, balloons or cotton wool for air bags.
More Information
When a car is moving at 60km/hr, everything in the car, including the driver and passengers, is also moving at that
speed. If the car suddenly stops, due to hitting a tree, the driver will continue to travel at 60Km/hr until something stops
them. Hopefully this is a seatbelt, however if the driver were not wearing one this would be the steering wheel. Hitting
the steering wheel at 60km/hr is equivalent to falling from the fifth floor of a building.
SAFETY FEATURES HANDS-ON ACTIVITY
ACTIVITY - EGG DROP
Aim: To design and build a package which will enable an egg to survive a fall from desk
height (≈1 -1.5M) on to a hard floor.
Materials (for each group)
• Raw and hard-boiled eggs (one of each per pair or group)
• Craft glue
• Milk cartons
• Scissors
• Sticky tape
• Construction materials (e.g., cardboard, paper, foam, bubble wrap, aluminum foil, cotton wool, rubber bands, straws, balloons, icy-pole sticks, polystyrene foam, corrugated cardboard)
Activity Instructions
1. Present students with a range of construction materials. Using these, students are to design and construct a package
that will allow an egg to survive a fall from a set height. Emphasize to the students that the eggs must be able to be
easily inserted into and removed from the package. (Tip: milk cartons make an excellent framework to build a structure
around). Students should first think about and plan the construction of their package, listing the materials to be used
and drawing a sketch of their design. Teams should show the sketch of their final design to the teacher before beginning.
2. Allow time for the design and construction of packages. Students could be allowed to trial their packages prior to
final testing using a hard-boiled egg. Get students to draw faces on their eggs and suggest that they give them a name.
Emphasize that students need to try and save the “life” of their egg. The whole activity can be completed in an afternoon
or be carried out over a number of days, depending upon student age, ability and purpose of the exercise.
3. When construction is completed, test each of the packages by placing the egg inside and dropping it from desk height
on to a hard floor surface. (Tip: if you want to avoid a mess, get students to place the raw eggs used for the tests in small
snap-seal bags).
Extension Activities
• Ask students to decide the rules and variables for the activity, e.g.: The height the package is to be dropped from, the
maximum dimensions of the package, whether certain materials can or must be used in construction.
• Run a height challenge to see whose package can be dropped from the greatest height without breaking the egg inside.
• Calculate egg survival statistics by getting students to predict how many eggs they think will survive and recording
how many eggs actually do survive. Calculate predicted and actual survival rates and percentages.
• Get students to design a method of stopping an unpackaged raw egg from breaking when dropped from desk height.
e.g.: Cushion its landing on the floor or have it roll down a ramp.
ADAPTING THE ACTIVITY TO SUIT YOUR CLASS NEEDS
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Learning Groups Grades K-3
• Helpers may be needed to assist in the design and planning process and to help with the construction of packages.
• Clearly model the features from cars that could be copied in the design of an egg-saving package.
Learning Groups Grades 4-7
• Emphasize the design and planning aspect of the activity. After testing their package, get students to assess and
evaluate their and other team’s designs and suggest improvements that could be made.
• Increase the height from which the package is dropped and place restrictions on the dimensions of the package.
e.g.: The package can be no more than 15cm long in any dimension.
SPEED GLOSSARIES
Everyone can extend their science of motion knowledge and vocabulary with our speed glossaries. Choose the ‘p’ plate
drivers glossary for basic words and use the ‘racing buff ’ glossary to extend your technical understanding of speed,
mechanics and cars.
‘P’ PLATE DRIVERS
Aerodynamics: the study of the interaction between a fluid (a fluid can be a liquid or gas) and a solid body (in this case
a car) and the forces created on the object as a result.
Airbox: the hole above the drivers’ head that directs air into the engine.
Bag tank: deformable fuel tank made from high strength rubber that is designed to deform in an accident without
tearing.
Ballast: if a car is underweight, additional ballast (weights) can be moved around in the car to adjust the center of
gravity.
Cad: computer aided design.
Carbon fiber: carbon-based composite material used in F-1 due to its high strength to weight properties. It is strong
in tension but reasonably flexible. It is often formed into a cloth and can be bound in a matrix of plastic resin by heat
(autoclaving), vacuum or pressure.
Centre of gravity: point at which the whole mass of an object (the car) acts. If the object were suspended at any angle
from this point in mid-air, it would stay level.
Centre of pressure: aerodynamic equivalent of center of gravity. The point at which the total aerodynamic forces on an
object (car) act. For good car handling, this should be as close to the center of gravity as possible.
Chassis: refers to all mechanical parts of the car attached to the structural frame.
Connecting rod: part of the engine connecting the piston to the crankshaft.
Contact patch: area of a tire that is touching the road surface. Also known as a footprint.
Crash test: test performed on F-1 cars to prove that they meet strict safety regulations.
Differential: complex device within the gearbox that allows the two rear wheels of a car to rotate at different speeds
during cornering.
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Downforce: opposite of lift – a vertical force directed downwards, produced by airflow around an object.
Downforce is generated from the front and rear wings, and the motion of air past the underbody of a car. It pushes the
car down onto the track to provide extra grip at high speeds.
Drag: force acting on an object in motion through a fluid (in this case air) in an opposite direction to the object’s (car’s)
motion, produced by friction.
FIA: Federation Internationale de l’Automobile. The governing body of Formula One.
Footprint: the area of a tire in contact with the track at any one time. Same as contact patch.
F-1 race car: Formula One racecar. A type of racecar, racing under particular rules and regulations (see FIA). Its
physical appearance is very similar to that of an IndyCar.
Fuel cell: rubberized bag located just behind the driver that holds the car fuel.
Laminar: laminar flow means the fluid is moving in smooth layers around an object. Air flow can stay laminar when
moving past aerodynamic shapes, but becomes turbulent moving from the front to the rear of a car, forced around
obstructions such as mirrors, helmets, tires and suspension.
Lift: the upward reaction of an aircraft to the flow of air forced over the shape of the wing (airfoil). The front and rear
wings of ground effect cars are shaped like inverted wings to create downforce or negative lift.
Nomex: high tech, fireproof material used in racesuits.
Oversteer: a car is said to oversteer if the rear starts to slide before the front when cornering.
Sidepod: area of the car on either side of the driver and engine that houses the radiators. Also acts as an impact
absorbing structure.
Telemetry: computer information transmitted or downloaded from the car that can be displayed on computer. The
performance of the engine and the use of the controls by the driver are recorded, allowing the engineers to monitor the
performance of the car. The data is then used as a foundation for determining and improving the car setup.
Understeer: opposite of oversteer. This occurs when the front end of the car starts to slide before the rear of the car
when cornering.
Vortex: when a fluid rotates around its own center, it is called a vortex. Turbulent flow is made up of many little vortices.
Wheelbase: the distance between the front and rear axles.
Wind tunnel: large facility for testing car aerodynamics. The tunnel is a tube-like structure where wind is produced
(usually by a large fan) to flow over the test object, such as a static model of a car. This recreates the effect of the car
travelling through the air. The test object is connected to instruments that measure and record aerodynamic forces that
act upon it.
RACING BUFFS
Active suspension: banned since the end of 1993, this system used complex on-board computers to control the car
height (via the suspension) at all times on the track to maximize aerodynamic efficiency.
Aerodynamic efficiency: ratio of downforce to car drag.
Airflow: the movement of air around the chassis of the racecar, or into the engine.
Autoclave: a complex ‘oven’ capable of baking at extremely high temperatures, used for manufacturing carbon fiber
components.
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Bernoulli effect: states that the pressure of a fluid (liquid or gas) decreases as the fluid flows faster.
Brake balance: the ratio of braking force between the front and rear wheels. This can be adjusted by the driver via a dial
in the cockpit.
CD: drag coefficient or coefficient of drag. It is determined by the shape and smoothness of shape of the object.
CFD: computational fluid dynamics. Complex computer techniques used to predict the aerodynamic performance of a
component. Equations for the movement of fluids are programmed into computers. The computers provide solutions to
the problem of external airflow over vehicle shapes.
CV joint: joint in the drivetrain that allows the driveshaft to move up and down with the suspension movements whilst
still rotating.
Damper: device to control the oscillations of a spring.
Diffuser: aerodynamic device located beneath the gearbox to provide downforce from the air exiting from under the
car.
Driveshaft: rotating shaft providing the rotational torque from the gearbox to the rear wheels.
Gearbox: part of the transmission that changes the drive ratio between the engine and wheels to allow the car to have
the maximum torque at all times.
Ground effect: collective name for the downforce generated between the racetrack and an aerodynamic component.
Ground effect can be created by a low pressure area between the underbody and the ground, and downforce created by
the front and rear wings when they are positioned close to the ground.
Monocoque: technical name for the chassis or tub of a racecar in which the driver sits.
Ride height: static distance between the bottom of the car and the racetrack. This will decrease at high speed due to the
downward force produced by the wings pushing the car onto the track.
Traction control: complex electronic system that prevents the drive wheels from spinning under hard acceleration to
provide maximum traction.
Turbulent: turbulent airflow is when the fluid streamlines break into eddies and complex changing patterns. This can
cause unstable forces on an object. As the airflow moves from the front of a car to the rear it becomes turbulent.
Venturi: an area of an aerodynamic device that reduces in area to speed up airflow. As air enters and is forced through
a narrow constriction, its speed increases, creating a low pressure area. This creates a suction effect, and is often used to
help hold the car to the track. Opposite to a diffuser.
Venturi effect: fluid speed increases when the fluid is forced through a narrow or restricted area. The increased speed
results in a reduction in pressure. An underbody venturi is shaped to create a low pressure area between the road and
chassis which creates downforce.
Wing: aerodynamic device that creates lift (or downforce in racecar terms).
Winglet: name given to a small aerodynamic device. Tiny wings located in front of the rear wheels of an F-1 carare often
called winglets.