The Newton Olympics – 4 Days

Goal: To summarize Newton’s Laws of Motion

Materials: scratch papers, tape, metric tape

measure/any measuring material, basket/clean garbage bin/plastic cups, any small object,
thread/string/yarn, marble/any rolling object, trolley/luggage bag
Procedure: You will move from station to station. You will have 10 minutes at each
station and you have 4 days to complete the lab. Answer each question before moving on
to the next station. Document as you play and attach at least two photos in the answer
sheet.

STATION 1 – Shooting Hoops

 Get a basket/clean garbage bin/plastic cups or if you don’t have any of these,
make a paper basket just like what you are doing when you are in preschool.
 Move away at least 2m from your improvised basket then grab a paper, crumple it
then shoot! Count how many papers you were to shoot within 10 minutes.
 No slam dunking allowed! After the game, answer the following questions:

1. How many papers were you able to shoot? Write down the formula for
Newton’s 2nd Law: _____________________

2. How was it applied in your game?

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

3. Every time you shoot the basketball, what does the basketball become?
(Hint: this science term is defined as “an object that is launched into the
air continues in motion by its own inertia until a force acts on it.”)
____________________________________________________________

Paste photo here Paste photo here

STATION 2 – Standing Long Jump
 Place a piece of tape on the floor to act as the starting line.
 Stand behind the line; make your best long jump. Measure the distance using the
tape measure or any measuring material you have.
 You jump twice and count the better of the 2 jumps as your score.
 Answer the questions when everyone has completed their jumps:

1. What law of motion allowed you to move through the air? -

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

2. What is the name of the tendency for your body “to stay in motion”
through the air?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

3. What force brought you back down?

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

4. How would getting a running start improve your distance?

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

Paste photo here Paste photo here

STATION 3 – Spin Me Around!

 Grab any small object and a thread/string/yarn. Make sure the object and string
are securely tied.
 Pick up the end of the string and swing the object in a circle around your head.
(Be careful not to hit anything or ANYONE!)
  Carefully observe what happens as you let go of the string. Answer the following
questions:

1. What happened when you let go of the string? Explain in terms of the laws
of motion.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

2. An object whirling in an orbit is kept in a circle by a force. What Olympic

event is based upon this force?
____________________________________________________________

3. What is providing the force that allows it to remain moving in a circle?

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

Paste photo here Paste photo here

STATION 4 – Take Aim!

 Place 1 cup on its side on the floor.

 Sit on the floor about 2 meters away from the cup.
 Place the marble/any rolling object under the 2nd cup on the floor.
 Practice spinning the marble/any rolling object and releasing it so that it travels
into the cup lying on its side. Answer the following questions:

1. What specific Law of Motion is being demonstrated?

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
 2. Define the law.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

Paste photo here Paste photo here

STATION 5 – The Sling Shots

 Get a rubber band and use it as a sling shot.
 Get the cups/crumpled papers that you used in the previous stations. Place it on
the table at least a meter away from you.
 Aim the cups/crumpled papers can and try to knock it over. Answer the
following questions:

1. What law of motion applies to the sling shot? Explain. -

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

2. What law of motion applies to your target? Explain.

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
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Paste photo here Paste photo here

STATION 6 – The Home Tour

 Get any trolley/luggage bag that you have at home. Put something inside it to add
some weight on the luggage.
 Pull it around the house, answer the following questions:

1) What specific Law/s of Motion is being demonstrated?

_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

2) What is the Action and the Reaction in the activity?

_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

3) Explain what would happen if there were no frictional forces at all in

this activity.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

Paste photo here Paste photo here