In this quick and simple activity, learners explore how the distribution of the mass of an object determines the position of its center of gravity, its angular momentum, and your ability to balance it. Learners discover it is easier to balance a wooden dowel on the tip of their fingers when a lump of clay is near the top of the stick. Use this activity to introduce learners to rotational inertia.

The simulation shows a ballistics cart. If the cart is at rest on a horizontal surface, it will shoot a ball straight up in the air, and catch the ball again. What if, as in this simulation, the cart is traveling at a constant velocity horizontally, instead? Will the ball land ahead of the cart, in the cart, or behind the cart? Note that the cart fires the ball straight up, with respect to the cart, when the middle of the cart passes the small vertical trigger on the track.
Use the buttons to select the different modes (whether there is a tunnel or not, and whether to show the velocity vectors).

This activity is a lab investigation where students design a balloon car to collect data about speed and velocity.

This activity is an extension of the common balloon cars, where students explore if and how different gases used as a fuel source effect the distances traveled by the cars.

Create a car powered by a ballon. Activity from Weekly STEM in a Bag. Colorado Americorp agents in Araphahoe, Denver, Garfield, Larimer, and Weld Counties. Work supported by the Corporation for National and Community Service under Americorps grant number 18AFHCO0010008. Opinions or points of view expressed in this lesson are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of or a position that is endorsed by the Corporation or the Americorps program. This resource is also available in Spanish in the linked file.

This activity enables students to apply concepts of 'newton's laws of motion' that are learned in class to a realworld situation by having them create a car powered by a deflating balloon that travels as far as possible.

This activity is a hands-on investigation that teaches students that air resitance affects how things move and that pressure from compressed air can move things.

In this structured inquiry activity students will work in groups/ teams to build a balloon rocket of their own design. The rocket will race in one dimension and require that they apply their knowledge of position, time, and velocity.

Students follow the steps of the engineering design process as they design and construct balloons for aerial surveillance. After their first attempts to create balloons, they are given the associated Estimating Buoyancy lesson to learn about volume, buoyancy and density to help them iterate more successful balloon designs.Applying their newfound knowledge, the young engineers build and test balloons that fly carrying small flip cameras that capture aerial images of their school. Students use the aerial footage to draw maps and estimate areas.

Experiment with a helium balloon, a hot air balloon, or a rigid sphere filled with different gases. Discover what makes some balloons float and others sink.

Students explore static electricity by rubbing a simulated balloon on a sweater. As they view the charges in the sweater, balloon, and adjacent wall, they gain an understanding of charge transfer. This item is part of a larger collection of simulations developed by the Physics Education Technology project (PhET). The simulations are animated, interactive, and game-like environments.

Why does a balloon stick to your sweater? Rub a balloon on a sweater, then let go of the balloon and it flies over and sticks to the sweater. View the charges in the sweater, balloons, and the wall.

The purpose of this activity is to bring together the students' knowledge of engineering and airplanes and the creation of a glider model to determine how each modification affects the flight. The students will use a design procedure whereby one variable is changed and all the others are kept constant.

Students groups use balsa wood and glue to build their own towers using some of the techniques they learned from the associated lesson. While general guidelines are provided, give students freedom with their designs and encourage them to implement what they have learned about structural engineering. The winning team design is the tower with the highest strength-to-weight ratio.

Explore the origin of energy bands in crystals of atoms. The structure of these bands determines how materials conduct electricity.

Explore the origin of energy bands in crystals of atoms. The structure of these bands determines how materials conduct electricity.

In the open ocean around the Bahamas, pods of wild Spotted Dolphins frolic in the sunshine. Sometimes, they get bored and approach boats. In this educational video, Jonathan joins dolphin expert Wayne Scott Smith to learn how dolphins interact with each other. Jonathan learns how to play the Bandana Game, a game of -keep away- that the dolphins invented and like to play with Scott. Please see the accompanying study guide for educational objectives and discussion points.

There are many reasons to keep your money in a bank or credit union. The October 2020 issue of Page One Economics®: Focus on Finance describes what banks, credit unions, and online banks are and outlines things to consider when choosing where to have an account and what type of account to have.

Students learn that bankruptcy is a federal court proceeding designed to help individuals address debt problems and to provide fair treatment to creditors. They learn the six different types of bankruptcy; however, the lesson focuses on the two types of bankruptcies used mostly by consumers: Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. They analyze bankruptcy terms and learn the similarities and differences between Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 procedures. They also participate in an activity that requires them to work collaboratively to match a bankruptcy step with its correct description. As an assessment, they review scenarios and suggest the best bankruptcy option. This lesson assumes that students are familiar with credit, uses of credit, types of credit, and basic credit terminology.

Many people find themselves in financial trouble, but it is good to know there are options available should you need serious financial help. The April 2018 bonus edition of Page One Economics: Focus on Finance discusses earning income, budgeting, late payments, and collections. It introduces the basics of legal protection offered in the form of bankruptcy and describes some potential consequences of filing a bankruptcy case.