Planning the

Playground
6TH GRADE PHYSICS
 Driving Question:
How can we use our knowledge of
forces and energy to create a fun
and safe playground?
 05
SPEED
MEASURING MOTION
In this topic you will:
1. Understand what is meant by speed.
2. Learn about the unit of speed.
3. Be able to calculate speed, distance,
and time (triangle).
UNITS OF SPEED
● Knots (ships)
● Mach (aeroplanes)
● Kilometres per hour
● Miles per hour

What do scientists use in all countries?

Metres per second (m/s)
(number of metres in each second)
Per: ‘in each’
What is the highest possible speed?
The speed of light, which is 1 000 000 000 km/h.
– Albert Einstein
Nothing faster observed so far.
CALCULATING SPEED

● We sometimes say ‘average speed’ because the

speed of an object is not always constant.
● Average speed is calculated the same way as speed.
CALCULATING SPEED

You must ALWAYS:

● Show the steps you used in working out the answer.

● Include the correct units with the answer.

 1. An Olympic sprinter completes
the 100 m race in 10 s.
a. What is his average speed?

b. Explain why this value is an

average speed.
Answer key in
Notes section
 2. A car travels a distance of 210 m in 6s.
a. Calculate the speed of the car in m/s.

b. If the car is travelling at a constant

speed, calculate the distance, in m,
travelled by the car in 14 s.

c. Calculate the time taken, in s, for the

Answer key in car to travel a distance of 1925 m.
Notes section
 3. Aeroplanes
a. An aeroplane flies between two cities that are
8100 km apart. The aeroplane takes 9 hours to
complete the journey. Calculate the average
speed of that aeroplane, in km/h.
b. A different aeroplane can fly at 800 km/h.
Calculate the distance, in km, that this aeroplane
could fly in 6 hours.
c. Another aeroplane can fly at 950 km/h. Calculate
the time taken, in hours, for this aeroplane to
Answer key in travel a distance of 7125 km.
Notes section
 06
DESCRIBING
MOTION
DISTANCE – TIME GRAPH
In this topic you will:
1. Learn how to use graphs to describe
movement
2. Understand what a distance/time
graph shows
3. Learn to draw a distance/time graph
Phase 1: From zero distance; travels from A to
B at constant speed (speed remains the same).
Phase 2: Car stops at B. Distance stays the
same, but time still passes. It is not moving
(‘stationary’ or ‘at rest’).
Phase 3: Car moves to point C at a faster
speed – shown by steeper sloping line. It
travels more distance per second.
Phase 4: Car travels at a constant speed back to
starting position, A.
Distance from A decreases with time = downward sloping line
CALCULATING SPEED FROM GRAPH
CALCULATING
SPEED FROM GRAPH
Step 1: Draw a
large triangle and
label the size of
the rise (distance)
and run (time).
Step 2: Convert
units for distance
and time into
standard units.

8 km = 8000 m
6 mins = 360 s
Step 3: State the
speed is equal to the
gradient of a
distance time graph.
Step 4: Substitute
values in to calculate
the speed.
PRACTICE 

Answer key in
Notes section
REFER TO THE GRAPH (PREVIOUS SLIDE)

Answer key in
Notes section
 TURNING
07 FORCES
FORCE x DISTANCE FROM PIVOT
In this topic you will:
1. Recorgnize when a foce causes
something to turn.
2. Know how to use the term
‘moment’
3. Be able to calculate the moment
caused by a force
Keywords: lever, moment, newton
metres, pivot, turn
What are things around you
that are turned by forces?
 FORCES CAUSE ROTATION.
Forces cause objects to speed up, slow
down, change direction, change shape,
AND ROTATE!
The rotation can be clockwise or
anticlockwise.
TURNING EFFECTS OF FORCES
Things that TURN with forces:
● Door handle
● Door
● A seesaw

The object that turns is called a

LEVER.
The point around which the lever
turns is called the PIVOT.
Turning Effect of Forces = MOMENT
A MOMENT is defined as:
THE TURNING EFFECT OF A
FORCE ABOUT A PIVOT

The size of a moment is:

M=Fxd
M = moment in newton meters (Nm)
F = force in newtons (N) Bigger Moment =
d = perpendicular distance of the force Bigger Turning Effect
to the pivot in meters (m)
What affects the Moment of a force?
M=Fxd
1) The size of the force (the bigger
the force, the bigger the moment)

2) The perpendicular distance

between the force and the pivot
(the greater the distance, the Bigger Moment =
greater the moment). Bigger Turning Effect
Why is a door handle placed on the opposite side of
the hinge? Why not next to it?
M=Fxd
• The greater perpendicular
distance (d) from the hinge
creates a larger moment (M,
turning effect) to make it easier
to open the door.
• Opening a door with a handle
close to the pivot would be
much harder, and would require
a lot more force.
 How does your knowledge of
Moment affect your design of
a seesaw? (length, pivot, etc.)
How does the distance from the pivot affect the
moments on a seesaw?
PRINCIPLE OF MOMENTS

IF AN OBJECT IS BALANCED, THE TOTAL CLOCKWISE

MOMENT ABOUT A PIVOT EQUALS THE TOTAL
ANTICLOCKWISE MOMENT ABOUT THAT PIVOT.
BALANCED FORCES
Total clockwise moment = Total anticlockwise moment
A parent and child are at opposite ends of a playground see-saw.
The parent weighs 690 N and the child weighs 140 N. The adult sits
0.3 m from the pivot. Calculate the distance the child must sit
from the pivot for the see-saw to be balanced.
Step 1: Calculate the total
clockwise moments
The clockwise moment is from the
child
Momentchild = Fchild × dchild
= 140 × dchild

Step 2: Calculate the total

anticlockwise moments
The anticlockwise moment is from
the adult
Momentadult = Fadult × dadult
= 690 × 0.3 = 207 Nm
Step 3: Substitute into the
principle of moments
equation

140 × dchild = 207

Step 4: Rearrange for the

distance of the child from the
pivot

dchild = 207 ÷ 140

= 1.48 m (ANSWER)
LAB: SEESAW
 MOMENTS REVIEW
1. Fill out the handout.
2. Click this link (click here).
3. Read through the page.
4. Play the Quiz (10 questions).
QUIZIZZ
SELF-CHECK
I understand that forces can cause turning effects.
I understand what is meant by the term moment.
I know and can use the equation M = F x d
I know the unit of moment.