CONTEXT:

Sir Isaac Newton explained the mystery of gravitational forces and their effects, clarifying concepts that had existed from the time of Galileo. Newton's First Law of Motion states that "an object at rest will remain at rest, and an object in motion will remain in motion while traveling along a straight line, unless acted upon by an external force." The popular view at the time was that Friction was a natural force that needed no further explanation. However, Galileo and Newton influenced society's viewpoint by showing that frictional forces must be recognized and measured like all other forces.

The Second Law of Motion defines inertia, acceleration, mass and force. Objects have a tendency to resist attempts to change their state of motion or rest. If a large rock and a pebble are kicked by a child, the large rock will be more difficult to move due to its larger mass. Weight becomes a force that is exerted upon the object by gravity and is designated as (w). The mass of an object (m) is acted upon by gravity (g) as indicated in Newton?s Second Law: w  = mg. Because the gravitational force on the Earth?s surface is different than the gravitational force on the moon?s surface, a person will weigh differently at each place. On your next visit to the moon, you will weigh less than what you weigh here on Earth. (NOTE: remember that your mass (m) remains the same.)

Newton's Third Law explains the relationship of forces that act on two bodies. Forces that exist in nature do so in pairs -  "for every action, there is a equal and opposite reaction." More precisely, the force which body A exerts on body B is exactly equal and opposite to the force which body B exerts on body A. For example, if you and a friend run into each other, you will collide with a specific amount of force. Each of you will be affected by the impact. It is easier to observe this when two pool balls of the same weight collide, and then to observe what happens when a heavier steel ball (of the same size) hits a regular (and relatively lighter) pool ball.

CHALLENGE:

EXPLORATORY

Research Newton's Laws of Motion. Create a poster for one of the three (3) Laws that describes and illustrates the scientific concept.

INTERMEDIATE
Design and build an invitation/card to your school's Science Fair that incorporates moving parts or pop-up mechanics. One of Newton's Laws of Motion should be the topic of the scientific discussion in the invitation.
 
ADVANCED
Design and build an interactive exhibit that demonstrates Newton's three Laws of Motion.

MATERIALS:

EXPLORATORY

• Poster board or heavy paper
• Construction paper
• Masking tape
• Glitter, sequins, etc.
• Markers, crayons, colored pencils
• Poster or tempera paint
• Other found materials
• Scissors, glue, fasteners, etc.

INTERMEDIATE

• Cardboard or bristol board
• Paper, various weights/colors
• Masking tape
• Colored pencils
• X-acto knife
• Scissors, glue, fasteners, etc.

ADVANCED

• Cardboard
• Wood and scrap metal
• Masking tape
• Wheels, springs, other found items
• Markers, crayons, colored pencils
• Stopwatch
• Scissors or X-acto knife
• Glue, glue gun, tools

CRITERIA:

Your success on this Challenge will be based on your completion of the activities below. Three general criteria for your performance will be: your participation in the activity; the accuracy of your measurement and model construction; and the performance of your design.  Your teacher will help you understand how your performance will be graded.

EXPLORATORY

• Research and document one of Newton's Laws of Motion.
• Write a brief paragraph that summarizes the scientific concept of that Law of Motion.
• Design and create a poster that: (1) states the Law of Motion, and (2) illustrates the concept as it relates to everyday life.
• Present your design.

INTERMEDIATE

• Research and document Newton's Laws of Motion.
• Research how movement is created through linkages and levers; see how the pop-up creations found in children?s storybooks create movement.
• Plan and design an invitation to a Science Fair.
• Create a pop-up card that uses one of Newton's Laws of Motion as part of its concept.
• Present your design.

ADVANCED

• Research and document Newton's Laws of Motion.
• Research how movement is created through linkages arid levers.
• Gather materials; brainstorm ways to use Newton's Laws of Motion as an interactive aspect of your display.
• Use only the materials provided to construct your design.
• Your display must be interactive, safe and capable of working more than once.
• Test and redesign, if necessary.
• Present your design.