Lecture 23 - Mass and acceleration. Investigate the relationship between mass and acceleration of an object. To begin this investigation, ask Students whether they think there is a difference between two trucks rolling down a hill. One is empty, and the other is fully loaded with heavy cargo. Let them speculate first (make sure they back up their hypothesis with science reasoning as much as possible, and accept different hypotheses). | Lecture # 23 SCIENCE 1 ASSOCIATE DEGREE IN EDUCATION Mass and Acceleration Relationship of Mass and Acceleration Investigate the relationship between mass and acceleration of an object. To begin this investigation, ask Students whether they think there is a difference between two trucks rolling down a hill. One is empty, and the other is fully loaded with heavy cargo. Let them speculate first (make sure they back up their hypothesis with science reasoning as much as possible, and accept different hypotheses). Then give them 15 minutes to experiment with their model trucks and different loads (for instance, use coins as a load). At the end of the investigation, each group should formulate its conclusion about what the relationship is among the mass of an object, how far it travels, and its acceleration. Try this experiment yourself first. If you have difficulty timing the trucks to record their acceleration, consider switching the cars for balls on ramps or in tubes. A heavy and a light truck/ball that have similar surfaces and are rolled down the same ramp will roll the same distance. How far they roll depends on the speed of the balls at the bottom of the ramp, not the weight! Although a heavier truck/ball has more momentum than a lighter one, the surface’s push is greater on the heavy truck/ball. This surface push causes it to slow down at the same rate as the lighter ball. Relationship of Mass and Acceleration It is difficult for Students to understand that objects fall at the same speed vertically. (Try dropping an empty and a full water bottle out a second-floor window at the same time. Both will hit the ground at the same time.) As with the bottles, the size or weight of the trucks (balls) does not affect how fast they reach the bottom of the ramps or how much farther they roll after they have left the ramp. However, the acceleration is different because acceleration depends on mass. Thus, heavier objects accelerate (positive and negative) slower than . | Lecture # 23 SCIENCE 1 ASSOCIATE DEGREE IN EDUCATION Mass and Acceleration Relationship of Mass and Acceleration Investigate the relationship between mass and acceleration of an object. To begin this investigation, ask Students whether they think there is a difference between two trucks rolling down a hill. One is empty, and the other is fully loaded with heavy cargo. Let them speculate first (make sure they back up their hypothesis with science reasoning as much as possible, and accept different hypotheses). Then give them 15 minutes to experiment with their model trucks and different loads (for instance, use coins as a load). At the end of the investigation, each group should formulate its conclusion about what the relationship is among the mass of an object, how far it travels, and its acceleration. Try this experiment yourself first. If you have difficulty timing the trucks to record their acceleration, consider switching the cars for balls on ramps or in tubes. A heavy and a .
