+
ward
'
s
science
Page 14
Newton's Laws Stations Activity
Darts Suck! (student handout)
Background Information, Activity Setup:
Inertia, force and motion all come into play here. You have a simple toy dart gun that shoots
suction cup darts. In order to shoot the darts at the target, you must load the dart, aim at the target,
and pull the trigger. To load the dart, you are applying force to the dart, which applies force to the
spring loading mechanism that holds the dart in place. Once the dart is in place, you aim at the
target and pull the trigger. To pull the trigger, you apply a force to it, releasing the spring, and firing
the dart. The dart accelerates toward the target and sticks to it.
Materials:
• Dart gun
• Darts
• Target
• Spring scale
• Balance
• Ring stand
• String or yarn
Step-by-Step Procedure:
1. Weigh a dart and record its mass in the data table.
2. Load the dart into the dart gun.
3. Clamp the dart gun to the ring stand and aim it at the target.
4. Loosely tie a string around the trigger and attach a spring scale to it.
5. Use the spring scale to pull the trigger and record the force necessary to do so.
6. Repeat two more times for the other two darts.
Test Your Understanding:
Use Newton's second law to calculate the acceleration of the dart. Show all work.
Dart # Mass (g) Mass k(g) Force (N)
Name: Class: Date:
