Physics Explorations and Projects

Physics Explorations and Projects is a collection of laboratory investigations aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Most included investigations set up a situation for students to explore and analyze with some guidance from the instructor—a guided-inquiry format that is very different from traditional laboratory experiments that provide step-by-step instructions. The activities are editable and appropriate for high school students from 9th grade to AP Physics. Sample results are included with the extensive instructor information.

Due to the nature of these activities, minimal instruction is provided for software use and data analysis. Instructor experience with Vernier sensors and software is recommended.

Table of Contents

Experiment Suggested Products
1 Constant Motion and Changing Motion Dynamics Cart and Track System with Go Direct® Sensor Cart
2 Balanced Forces and Unbalanced Forces Dynamics Cart and Track System with Go Direct® Sensor Cart
3 Gravitation on Earth Go Direct® Photogate, Picket Fence, Go Direct® Force and Acceleration Sensor
4 Newton’s Second Law Dynamics Cart and Track System with Go Direct® Sensor Cart
5 Projectile Challenge Go Direct® Projectile Launcher
6 Impulse and Momentum Dynamics Cart and Track System with Go Direct® Sensor Cart
7 Equilibrium of Forces Fan Cart, Combination Track/Optics Bench, Go Direct® Motion Detector, Ultra Pulley Attachment, Pulley Bracket
8 Circular Motion Go Direct® Centripetal Force Apparatus, Go Direct® Force and Acceleration Sensor
9 Conservation of Momentum Dynamics Cart and Track System with Go Direct® Sensor Cart
10 Egg Protection Challenge No probeware used
11 Springs Making Things Move Dynamics Cart and Track System with Go Direct® Sensor Cart
12 Kinetic Energy and Mass Dynamics Cart and Track System with Go Direct® Sensor Cart
13 Work and Kinetic Energy Dynamics Cart and Track System with Go Direct® Sensor Cart
14 Work Done by Gravity Dynamics Cart and Track System with Go Direct® Sensor Cart
15 Energy in Collisions Dynamics Cart and Track System with Go Direct® Sensor Cart
16 Rube Goldberg Machine No probeware used
17 Charge and Charge Models Charge Sensor
18 Coulomb’s Law Charge Sensor
19 Measuring Electric Current Go Direct® Current Probe, Vernier Circuit Board 2
20 Conservation of Charge Go Direct® Current Probe, Vernier Circuit Board 2
21 Voltage in a Circuit Differential Voltage Probe
22 Battery Challenge Go Direct® Voltage Probe, Go Direct® Current Probe
23 Magnetic Field of a Current Go Direct® 3-Axis Magnetic Field Sensor, Go Direct® Current Probe
24 Current from a Changing Field Go Direct® 3-Axis Magnetic Field Sensor, Go Direct® Current Probe
25 Generating Electricity Go Direct® Energy Sensor, KidWind simpleGEN
26 Speaker Power Amplifier
27 Wave Speed on a String Power Amplifier, Power Amplifier Accessory Speaker
28 Speed of Sound Microphone
29 Interference and Diffraction Diffraction Apparatus, Combination Track/Optics Bench
30 Sound and Loudness Go Direct® Sound Sensor
31 Wave Communication Challenge Go Direct® Light and Color Sensor
32 Energy Storage in Capacitors Go Direct® Voltage Probe, Go Direct® Current Probe
33 Oscillations Go Direct® Motion Detector
34 Heat as Energy Transfer FLIR ONE Gen 3, Vernier Thermal Analysis® Plus for FLIR ONE™
35 Solar Cells KidWind 2V/400mA Solar Panel, Go Direct® Energy Sensor, Vernier Variable Load, Go Direct® Surface Temperature Sensor, Go Direct® Light and Color Sensor
36 Rube Goldberg Machine Revisited No probeware used