Science KS 3 Unit 9L Pressure and Moments

In this unit pupils:

• study pressure on solids and describe applications of this in everyday appliances.
• study hydrostatic pressure in fluids and describe an application, e.g. hydraulic jack.
• describe the operation of levers, including examples from the human body, which depend on the turning effect of a force.
• learn about the principle of moments.

In scientific enquiry pupils:

• make an appropriate number of measurements with adequate precision.
• account for anomalous results in terms of experimental technique.
• investigate balance about a pivot, evaluating strengths and weaknesses in their methods.

This unit is expected to take approximately 7.5 hours.

OTHER RESOURCES

• examples or photographs of items which rely on high or low pressure, e g snowshoes, skis, drawing pins, camels' feet
• a hydraulic jack, or a video or model of a jack
• an aerosol air freshener
• video clip or photograph of a saline drip above a patient
• a tin with a lid, a lever to remove the lid, a range of household devices that operate on a lever principle, eg bottle opener
• photographs of gymnasts and cranes with counterbalance weights
• a household mop with string and pivot to model the human back