top picks
Detailed practical instructions and other notes that explain how to make a forcemeter
An experiment to show that an object falling through water reaches a constant terminal velocity.
This demonstration is an exploration of which factors affect the force of friction when one surface slides across another and which do not.
Ideas on how to introduce the concept of density. Note that not all links work. Direct pupils to click on
An outline of a fun activity. Pupils design and launch a water powered plastic soft drinks bottle with an egg attached. there are points for length of time in the air and survival of the egg. You could use the
4 web pages about friction in everyday life. This could be useful as a homework activity. There is a lot to read through and not a lot of visual impact.
How to make the world's simplest Cartesian diver.
Detailed practical instructions and other notes that explains how to demonstrate the drag effect of fluids.
Short video clip from 'Bang Goes the Theory' showing the effect of friction. Lesson plan also provided with great ideas that can be adapted for your age group. Very effective to try (with care!) in the classroom with telephone directories or shopping catalogues.
Using a power drill, a basketball, a smelly sock, and a range of other bizarre props, Dr Ken Farquhar hosts a science workshop for Year 9 pupils, Ken helps the pupils understand principles such as gravity, friction, air resistance and gyroscopic forces.
Detailed practical instructions and other notes that explain Newton's Law
A pack of lesson plans that can be downloaded, together with video clips from the BBC children's science show that are linked to each lesson. The pack has worksheets and suggested activities for KS3 and 4.
A pack of lesson plans and linked video clips from the lectures, which can be used to teach a variety of science concepts.
Detailed practical instructions and other notes that explain how to draw out ideas about muscles and levers.
Information about moments and calculations with printable worksheets
A 15 min video of tips on delivering forces concepts in an interesting manner. A thought provoking introduction to moments at the beginning. Requires registration to download
A five minute video that demonstrates a lesson idea for using Cartesian divers to demonstrate pressure and density
A lesson plan from the Science Museum that shows how to use marshmallows to demonstrate changes in pressure
How to make the world's simplest Cartesian diver.
A 'Bang goes the theory' activity with lesson plan, suggested activities and video clips. Aimed at 11-14 year olds, though some aspects can be used with 9-11 year olds.
A pack of lesson plans that can be downloaded, together with video clips from the BBC children's science show that are linked to each lesson. The pack has worksheets and suggested activities for KS3 and 4.
A lesson plan exploring issues of measurement, such as precision, range of values, uncertainty or error, repeat measurements and mean values.
Force applied to a load can produce ?balanced? and ?unbalanced? force scenarios and an unbalanced force can cause the load to speed up or slow down.
Traditional experiment where time, distance and velocity can all be measured and displayed, and the idea of acceleration can be introduced.
This activity gives students some practical experience of terminal velocity and streamlining.
The motion of objects in one-dimension is described using words, diagrams, numbers, graphs, and equations in this series of
Practical experiments for the more able using a datalogger.
A worksheet of speed calculations based on rides on Thorpe Park, with interpretation of distance time graphs
Powerpoint that test understanding of distance time graphs
Detailed practical instructions and other notes that explains how to demonstrate the drag effect of fluids.
Information page on the difference between mass and weight. Nice exercise to calculate pupils' weight on different planets. Reference to 'other worlds' could lead to misconceptions.
Information about aerodynamic drag as a consequence of surface friction on the cyclist.
Three page slideshow summary of this learning objective. Very short but still quite useful
A new interactive game tackling the interpretation of distance/time graphs in the context of a football match.
Fun activity looking at forces acting on a toy car with a short quiz.
Explore the physics behind Kung Fu with this very visual multimedia site. Some quite difficult science for this age group but might inspire some.
A series of pages explaining the physics of amusement park rides, includes a number of interactive activities.
An online experiment to investigate the effect of different surfaces on friction.
Pupils use jets of gas to control a cosmonaut in space. An excellent way of demonstrating Newton's Laws of motion.
4 short videos on friction. Quicktime required
An interactive problem solving activity about gynmastics
An animated interactive site on balanced and unbalanced forces.
An introduction to forces and motion. Pupils could explore pages 1 - 8
An explanation of balanced forces. Pupils can explore pages 5 and 6
A site to revise unbalanced forces,
An applet that shows the effect of thinking and braking distances on overall stopping distance
A site that revises frictional forces.
Students use their knowledge of air resistance, balanced forces and gravity to play the game
Students use their knowledge of friction to play the game
An excellent interactive animation that allows you to investigate the effect of forces on motion.
Fun game balancing objects on a mobile.
Printable crossword on pressure and moments (no solution supplied). Assumes force & pressure done first.
Animated guide to simple machines and how they make work easier. Note; the units are in imperial.
A fun game using mechanical components to complete activities.
Getting a Heath Robinson type machine to work. Requires flash 6.0 or higher.
Calculate the weight of a car by using air pressure. This activity is not in metric.
An interactive moments experiment. Students should see the similarities between this and levers they use in daily life. Use the resource to explore how to best lift a heavy load with the least effort.
A resource linking force to transport and vehicles
A site that revises pressure.
A site that revises moments.
An excellent animation that enables you to practice the law of moments then test yourself with a game.
An animation that shows the difference in stability of objects of different centres of mass.
Pupils use jets of gas to control a cosmonaut in space. An excellent way of demonstrating Newton's Laws of motion.
This one of the best of the on-line games. A beautiful and simple set of scientific Flash challenges that engage and stimulate. Pupils can play on this for hours and then create their own puzzles to send to their friends.
Bitesize page that tests use of the formula with rearrangement of the formula
An applet that shows the effect of thinking and braking distances on overall stopping distance
A blockbusters quiz about Speeding Up
A resource linking force to transport and vehicles
An explanation of balanced forces. Pupils can explore pages 5 and 6
A site to revise unbalanced forces,
A site that revises frictional forces.