Egg Drop Web Quest
Purpose: To introduce, explore and offer an explanation of Newton's three laws of Motion and the universal law of gravity. Students apply their knowledge to design an apparatus that will protect an egg dropped from a window and present their findings in an engaging multimedia format.
Introduction
This Webquest is a fun way to learn about gravity and apply Newton's three laws of motion.
Most people know Sir Isaac Newton for his discovery of gravity.
Do you remember the falling apple?
Let's modify that scene by considering what would happen if a student stood on a chair and dropped a raw egg (sealed in a zip locked plastic bag of course) on your teacher's head. Would it break if it was dropped from any height? Does the egg's weight and/or mass matter? Does a raw egg always break when dropped? We will experiment and see what happens...
Sir Isaac Newton introduced the world to the Universal Law of Gravity and to Newtons three Laws of Motion which help us to explain the answers to these questions and many others related to the way things move.
This Webquest will guide you along the way into a deeper understanding of the universal law of gravity and Newton's three laws of motion. You will need this knowledge to apply these laws to solve the problem of how to drop a raw egg out of a third floor window without damaging the egg. The most skilled engineers among you will then face the bonus challenge as you redesign the apparatus to decrease the cost without sacrificing the safety of the egg.
Then you will tackle the final challenge: there is a scarcity of high quality multimedia books for young learners on this subject. Our science teachers have asked that you document your research in the form of a multimedia digital book to be included in an online nonfiction library hosted by our school. These engaging digital books will be used to introduce these concepts to younger students at our school and they will likewise be available to students throughout the world. This is your opportunity to publish a nonfiction multimedia book that will help make a difference in this world.
Good luck in your mission and may the Force be with you!
Task
By the end of this quest you will:
- recognize every object exerts a gravitational force of attraction on every other object
- recognize an object's weight is a measure of the gravitational force of a planet/moon acting on that object
- compare the amount of gravitational force acting between objects (which is dependent upon their masses and the distance between them)
- compare the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on an object's motion
- explain that when forces are balanced, objects are at rest or their motion remains constant
- explain that a change in motion is a result of an unbalanced force acting upon an object
- explain how the acceleration of a moving object is affected by the amount of net force applied and the mass of the object.
- work as a team to design, build and test an inexpensive vehicle to protect a raw egg from destruction after a drop from a three-story window. Your team will have succeeded if your egg remains whole and does not have a cracked shell (external injury) or a split yolk (internal injury). Then you will share your findings in a engaging multimedia format that science teachers at our school and throughout the world can use to help younger students grasp these concepts.
These tasks will be accomplished in part through the use of internet websites, virtual simulations and interactive games. Have fun exploring and learning!
Process
- Your will choose a group with two other students.
- You will split the duties of researcher and recorder, trading duties at the end of each class period.
- All members of the team will be responsible for turning in their own completed worksheet and the task 5 questions will be completed independently.
- Pick up a worksheet from the EngII basket (OR Click here to print worksheets if needed)
- Attach each page of the worksheet, in order, in your Science Notebook/folder and bring it with you to the class.
Web Questions...
Before you begin exploring Newton's Laws, you must first understand why you are here on Earth, literally. Why don't we float around as if we were in outer space? And how does this fellow, "Newton" relate to gravity with having a unit of force named after him. You will accomplish this through some online research and interplanetary simulations as you record your responses on your worksheet under task one.
Create your own solar system and see how gravity works
Newton's Laws of Motion
You will begin by learning about Newton's 1st law of motion, the Law of Inertia. You will discover what inertia is and how it affects motion. This will be done through the use of the following online sources and activities as you continue to record your responses on your worksheet under task two.
You will learn about Newton's 2nd law of motion, exploring how force, mass, and acceleration relate to each other. You will use these online activities and record your results on your worksheet.
Force, mass and accleration simulation
You will learn about Newton's 3rd law of motion, exploring how it works in action. You will use these online activities and record your findings on your worksheet.