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Newton's Laws Stations Activity
What a Drag! (student handout)
Objectives:
• Explain the impact of friction on the movement of an object.
• Compare acceleration of an object acted on by varying amounts of force.
Materials:
• Table top
• Rough carpet square
• Textbook
• Spring scale
• String
Step-by-Step Procedure:
1. Place a textbook on the table with the spine facing away from you.
2. Wrap a string around the textbook and knot it in front, leaving some extra
space to attach a spring scale.
3. Attach the spring scale.
4. Slowly pull on the textbook and record the force when the textbook starts
to move.
5. Repeat two more times and record your data.
6. Repeat the experiment on the carpet square. One partner may need to hold the carpet.
Test Your Understanding:
1. Draw force diagrams to reflect the average values. Show all forces acting on the books.
2. Explain how Newton's laws are involved in this activity. Use complete sentences.
Surface Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Average
Table
Carpet
Name: Class: Date:
