Day 1: Physics in the Kitchen

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It's important to understand the world around us to help with the engineering design process. When we understand how things work, we can make better decisions. Understanding matter and energy (physics) will help to make us better students in STEM.

Watch the video. Try the demonstrations at home (please post your demonstration on Flipgrid). Go back to the Google Classroom stream and post questions, ideas, thoughts, or explanations. I will schedule a Google Meet so that we can discuss these concepts and principles.

Day 2: Ride or Fly

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Remember: Physics is the study of matter and energy and what better place to see physics in action than inside a moving car? Engineers need to know and understand physics when solving problems. Repeat the exercise and post it on Flipgrid.

Day 3: Weekend at Bernoulli's

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Physics is a part of our every day life. Watch the video, repeat the experiment and post it on Flipgrid. Why do you think the balloon stays suspended in the air?



Bonus: Research Daniel Bernoulli (At least see what he looks like and when he lived)

Day 4: That's a Wrap! Air Pressure

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Think of the air around you as an ocean. We are at the bottom of that ocean. Air is pressing down on top of us. Air pressure, at sea level, is about 15 pounds of force on every square inch. This is something that engineers need to take into consideration when they are designing and building. We saw air pressure at work when we flipped the glass of water over; it was the air pushing against the card. We saw air pressure when we smashed the paint stirrer. The air was pressing down on the paper holding the wood in place. We saw air pressure crush the soda can because there was less air pressure inside the can than there was outside of the can. Air pressure pushed the helium to the front of the car and air pressure, through the Bernoulli principle, held the balloon in place with the hair dryer. There are many more experiments that you can do with air pressure. Now that you know about air pressure, I hope that you look at the world around you a little differently.

Let's design and build.

Watch this video on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge a.k.a. Galloping Gertie. This was a 6.5 million dollar mistake. This shows the importance of knowing and understanding science when designing and building. This bridge collapsed in 1940.

Day 5: Keep Rolling, Rolling, Rolling, Rolling...

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  1. What do you know about gravity?

  2. Which way will the wheel roll?

Choice 1: Watch the video and post your hypothesis about what happened on Flipgrid. Take what you already know about gravity and apply that to your conclusion.

Choice 2: Watch the video and recreate the demonstration on Flipgrid. Can you produce the same result that I did? Explain your conclusion.

Day 6: Fun with Funnels

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Why are these objects disobeying the laws of gravity?

Watch the demonstration and then try to recreate it. Post your thinking on Flipgrid. I want to hear your explanation. What is going on? Good engineers are problem solvers.

Day 7: Nailed It....AGAIN!

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The video to the left is from the days of the Phoenix. You can skip this video if you want to. I am posting this in case anyone wants to try to solve this puzzle first, before watching the solution to the problem. The main challenge for the day is to explain how the nails stay balanced and don't easily fall. Remember, gravity is pulling down on all of the nails, but somehow they all stay balanced on top of a tiny nail head.


The main video that you need to watch is the below this one. That video gives the solution to the nail challenge, but asks you to explain how they are balanced.

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This is a puzzle that we did in the 'Train Your Brain Bootcamp'. Today, we will look at the solution, and try to explain what is happening through science.

Explain why you think all of these nails balance so easily on the top of one standing nail.

Recreate this demonstration if you can. You can always post it later on Flip, You can also try to improvise. You can also try it will smaller nails. You don't need longs ones for this.


Use this QR Code if the link to the Flipgrid does not work.

Day 8: Stick a Fork in it.

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Balancing a bunch of nails on another nail may have been easy. How about balancing two forks and a cork on the tip of a toothpick? Can you do it?


What is the reason that this object doesn't tip or fall?

You can recreate this demonstration using skewers, chopsticks, metal hangers and clay.

Try scanning this code with you phone or computer if you're having trouble with Flipgrid.

Day 9: Center of Mass

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All week we have been playing with gravity. What we really have been doing is manipulating the center of gravity also known as the center of mass.

It's time to learn about center of mass.

Simple definition: The center of mass or the center of gravity is a point at which the objects mass is assumed to be concentrated.

Take what you have learned about the center of mass and use it to construct a tower from cups. Do your best to ensure that the center of mass rests above the base of the object. You cannot use glue or tape.

Scan the code if you're having trouble with Flipgrid.

The Magnus Effect

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What is the Magnus Effect?

  1. Check out this video demonstration of the Magnus Effect

  2. Can you build it better? Try it...Experiment with your design and technique.

  3. Research what the Magnus Effect is. Become a self-guided learner. You don't need a teacher to teach you "stuff"; You can teach yourself.

  4. Post your Magnus Glider on Flipgrid and tell me something that you learned from your research.