Lesson 7: Collisions 7
Duration of Days: 2
Lesson Objective
1. Students will run a fair test by changing only one variable at a time (like speed or weight) while keeping everything else the exact same.
2. Use a computer simulation to collect data on how an object's weight (mass) and speed change its kinetic energy.
3. Explain the mathematical rules of motion: doubling an object's weight doubles its kinetic energy, but doubling its speed multiplies its kinetic energy by four.
4. Predict how much damage a crash will cause based on how much kinetic energy the moving objects have.
5. Explain why fast-moving objects are harder to stop by connecting their kinetic energy to the amount of force needed to brake.
How much does doubling the speed or mass affect the kinetic energy of an object and the resulting damage that it can do in a collision?
collision
force
kinetic energy
damage
contact force
deform
line of best fit
elastic limit
breaking point
Independent variable
dependent variable
peak force
free body diagram
concussion
axon
stored (potential) energy
air resistance
friction
MS-PS2-1
MS-PS2-2
MS-PS3-1
MS-LS1-8
MS-ETS1-2
MS-ETS1-3
Description:
Students will use interactive computer simulations to test a major physics puzzle: does speeding up or weighing more cause a bigger crash? By collecting and graphing data, Students will discover the mathematical formulas that rule kinetic energy, proving exactly why a small increase in speed creates a much more dangerous collision than a small increase in weight.
Purpose:
Students will understand the hidden math behind why speeding is so dangerous in the real world. By figuring out that kinetic energy quadruples every time speed doubles, students learn why highway speed limits are strictly enforced and why a speeding car requires so much more braking distance to stop safely.
DOK 4
For English Language Learners (ELL) & Emerging Readers: Provide a visual "Math Rule Guide" using icons instead of just text (e.g., 2xWeight = 2xEnergy, but 2xSpeed = 4xEnergy) to anchor the mathematical concepts.
For Students Needing Extra Support (Scaffolding): Provide a step-by-step navigation checklist for the computer simulation to ensure they are changing only one slider at a time and keeping the other variables locked (constant).
For Visual & Logical Learners: Have students use color-coded bar graphs during the simulation to visually track how the kinetic energy bar grows linearly when adding mass, but shoots up like a curve when adding speed.
Formative Assessments