Science KS 3 Unit 9K Speeding up

In this unit pupils:

• use the concept of speed.
• consider the relationship between forces (including balanced forces) on an object, and its movement.
• study the effects of water and air resistance on speed, and how streamlining reduces these effects.
• use ideas of balanced and unbalanced forces to explain the movement of falling objects.

In scientific enquiry pupils:

• measure and calculate, with appropriate precision, the speed of objects in a range of situations.
• consider a range of techniques for measuring time and evaluate their relative accuracy and appropriateness for different situations.
• construct and interpret speed-time graphs, describing patterns or relationships.

This unit is expected to take approximately 8 hours.

OTHER RESOURCES

• pictures from local traffic police of speeding cars captured by speed camera
• a video of athletic events, with times or similar data
• a video of movement in space and of a spacecraft re-entering the Earth's atmosphere and of skydivers, including free-fall parachute descents
• stopwatches or datalogging sensors for measuring time and speed
• performance data for different cars, including fuel consumption, mass
• speed-time graphs for parachute descents and other contexts
• secondary sources about vehicle design and safety