This learning episode, from the Institute of Physics, looks at the independence of vertical and horizontal motion. The crucial concept is that vertical acceleration does not affect horizontal velocity. This explains all projectile motion. There are a range of activities which include: • demonstrating and discussing...

From the Institute of Physics, this topic concerns resistive forces against motion. It begins by considering drag forces in general before shifting the focus to air resistance. Students look at the forces such as up-thrust, drag, air resistance and terminal velocity. Following the topic, students should be able to...

Produced by the Institute of Physics, this learning episode considers the forces acting on a falling body in air and moves on to related experimental work.

The activities include:
• demonstrating the motion of...

In these materials from the Institute of Physics, students revise the laws of motion and investigate the relationship between force and acceleration.

There are two learning episodes in this topic:

Episode 211: Newton’s second law of motion

Episode 212:...

Produced by the Institute of Physics, this learning episode explores Newton’s second law, F = ma. Using simple apparatus, students investigate this law and critically consider the limits of the experiment.

The...

Produced by the Institute of Physics, in this learning episode students discuss Newton's third law and use examples to clarify their understanding of its application.

The activities in this learning episode include:
* discussing Newton's third law
* understanding force pairs
* examining...

From the Institute of Physics, this series of learning episodes explore work, energy and power. Students perform some useful experiments with trolleys, weights and pulleys. Students should have a simple understanding of energy, how it is transferred by a force and the idea of conservation of energy. In these...

In this learning episode from the Institute of Physics, students tackle practical work looking at the efficiency of a ramp to think of force as a mechanism by which energy is transferred from one body to another. The activities include: • discussing students' current understanding of force, gravity, energy and work...

In this learning episode, from the Institute of Physics, students look at the forces involved when one vehicle impacts another object. This can be used to illustrate the forces, acceleration and deceleration involved. It considers the effect of the distance over which a force acts rather than the time of action of...

This learning episode, from the Institute of Physics, looks at kinetic energy, work and velocity in relation to the braking distance of a vehicle. Two experiments are included, both of which connect work done in braking to the initial kinetic energy of the decelerating vehicle. The activities include: • discussion...

From the Institute of Physics, although concerned with conservation of mechanical energy, this episode extends the principle to its wider context in order to give the students a full appreciation of the overarching nature of the principle when they meet it in different situations. The activities include: •...

From the Institute of Physics, this resource is concerned with the conservation of mechanical energy and the principle in its wider context.

Students look at the meaning of power, undertake sample calculations and the measurement of human power.

Activities include:
• discussing the meaning of...

In this learning episode from the Institute of Physics, students develop their understanding of momentum through practical investigations and mathematical analysis.

There are three episodes in this topic:

Episode 220:  Momentum and...

Produced by the Institute of Physics, this learning episode introduces the concepts of momentum and its conservation. A series of activities include: • an introduction to the conservation of momentum • investigating the conservation of momentum • application of the conservation of momentum in simple cases •...

From the Institute of Physics, this learning episode extends the idea of conservation of momentum into elastic collisions, in which, because kinetic energy (KE) is conserved. Useful information can also be found by calculating the changes in KE of the colliding objects. The activities include: • introducing elastic...