MS - PS2 - Newton's third law - ASSIGNED (CLF - 1/23/2014)

Module: Newton’s Third Law of Motion

DCI: PS2.A (A) For any pair of interacting objects, the force exerted by the first object on the second object is equal in strength to the force that the second object exerts on the first, but in the opposite direction.

PE: MS-PS2-1 Apply Newton’s Third Law to design a solution to a problem involving the motion of two colliding objects

No Clarification Statements

So the basic content is that, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Our focus, however, should be more on engineering applications and design solutions that use this idea.

Possible Questions:

- One question can get at whether or not kids have the concept, but NOT whether or not they can identify or restate the law.  So we don't ask "What does Newton's third law say?" We ask a question in which we describe the force one abject applies to another and ask about the other force. Bat hits ball with force of X in certain direction, what id force exerted by ball on bat?

- All the other questions should be about design applications. Here are some basic ideas.

- downward thrust of a rocket creates the lift

- car tires push the road backwards to make the car move forwards (perhaps we can relate this to designing tires with lots of friction/traction)

-maybe something about hammer or bats or the like. A hammer has a strong metal head, because the head receives the force of the nail pushing on it or baseball bats have to be able to be sturdy because they receive the force of a ball

- Propeller planes are pulled forward because the propeller pushes air backwards(?)