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    Physics: Investigate the Forces of Nature
    Physics: Investigate the Forces of Nature
    Physics: Investigate the Forces of Nature
    Ebook199 pages5 hours

    Physics: Investigate the Forces of Nature

    By Jane P. Gardner and Samuel Carbaugh

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    About this ebook

    Have you ever noticed that the physical world works in certain ways? Skateboarders use force and motion to perform tricks. If you jump up as high as you can, you'll quickly fall back to the ground. Baseball players use gravity to bring the ball back down when they throw it. When you flip a switch, electricity powers your toaster. Rock bands use electricity to put on a show. The fascinating science of physics helps you understand why forces, motion, gravity, electricity, light, and sound work in predictable ways.

    Combining inquiry-based activities with physics topics, Physics: Investigate the Forces of Nature features graphic novel illustrations, fascinating sidebars, youtube links, and a glossary of important vocabulary to illuminate the complex world of physics and bring it to life. Projects include designing a skateboard park that maps the forces at work on the skateboarder and the skateboard, and creating a stage design for a rock band that places electric current where it is needed. Additional materials include a timeline, a list of current reference works, and Internet resources.

    This title meets Common Core State Standards for literacy in science and technology; Guided Reading Levels and Lexile measurements indicate grade level and text complexity.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherNomad Press
    Release dateMay 19, 2014
    ISBN9781619302297
    Physics: Investigate the Forces of Nature
    Author

    Jane P. Gardner

    An Adams Media author.

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      Book preview

      Physics - Jane P. Gardner

      What Is Physics?

      Why is the science of physics important?

      Do you have a younger sibling at home? Perhaps you volunteer in a kindergarten room or babysit for younger children. If so, you know that kids are full of questions. Why is the sky blue? Why doesn’t the roller coaster fall off the track? Why does a fire truck make that noise? Why do the stars glimmer? How can I pull you in a wagon? The next time you are hit with these kinds of questions, you’ll know that the answer can be found in physics.

      Many people think of physics as a very complicated science with lots of formulas to memorize and diagrams to draw. Yes, there are mathematical formulas, such as

      E = mc² and F = ma

      But memorizing a few formulas is a small price to pay for a deeper understanding of the world around you, isn’t it? Pretty soon these formulas won’t seem that strange or difficult.

      Physics is the study of the properties and interactions of matter and energy. Matter is anything that takes up space and has mass. Energy is the ability to do work.

      KEY IDEA

      Use the QR codes throughout this book as takeoff points for further exploration. When a QR code is provided, you can use a smartphone or tablet app to access the suggestion directly.

      WHAT IS PHYSICS?

      If you consult a dictionary or a textbook, you will probably discover that physics is defined as the study of matter and energy and their interactions. And that’s basically it! Physics is a part of almost every interaction we have with the world around us. While physics seeks answers to some very big, complicated questions in science, there is a practical and useful side to physics as well.

      Understanding physics is essential to comprehending a lot of what goes on in our everyday lives. Computer technology, weather forecasting, medicine, and bridge and building design are all areas of study built on a foundation of physics. Physics can be theoretical and studied using computers, estimations, and probability. But it can also be hands-on and practical, using rulers, stopwatches, construction materials, and maps.

      There is a lot of new vocabulary in this book! Turn to the glossary in the back when you see a word you don’t understand. Practice your new vocabulary in the VOCAB LAB activities in each chapter.

      FROM THE GREEK WORD

      The word physics is from a Greek word, physis, which is written φύσις in Ancient Greek. Physis means nature. Physics as a science originated in ancient Greece with philosophers such as Aristotle. At the time, philosophers sought to explain the world around them and to understand outer space. This was the beginning of what we now know as physics.

      TRY IT OUT

      The activities in Physics: Investigate the Mechanics of Nature will introduce you to the physics concepts that are used to explain interactions in nature and the world around you. Like physicists in a lab, you will learn to use these concepts to solve problems and explain events and phenomena. You will discover how physicists apply the properties of matter and energy to explain the world around them. Are you ready to use physics to explain how common things around you work?

      Forces

      What are forces and how do they work in the sport of skateboarding?

      Take a trip to the local skateboard park on a Saturday afternoon and you are sure to see a lot of activity. There will probably be beginners there, cautiously rolling down some of the smaller, more gradual ramps. And chances are there will be more experienced skateboarders there too, performing complicated and impressive tricks on the bigger, steeper ramps.

      Without even thinking about it, skateboarders utilize forces, which are some of the fundamental concepts of physics. If you can talk about forces, then you can describe what happens when someone is skateboarding. And you can use forces to your advantage when trying out tricks at the skateboard park!

      A force is a push or a pull. Using forces to your advantage can help you excel in sports.

      BIG AIR

      Tony Hawk was the first skateboarder to complete a 900-degree aerial spin in 1999. This involves spinning two and half turns in the air and landing in the opposite direction he started from. He really knows how to make forces work for him!

      SKATEBOARDS AND PHYSICS

      Skateboard parks are built with the skateboarder, inline skater, and BMX rider in mind. They typically consist of ramps of different shapes, sizes, and angles, with rails where you can do more tricks. The ramps can be made of wood, plastic, sheet metal, concrete, or some combination of these materials.

      Some skateboard tricks look like science fiction—the maneuvers seem to defy the earth’s gravitational pull! But these tricks can all be explained with a discussion about forces. Force is more than just a push on the board, though. In order to accurately discuss force, it needs to be described in terms of strength and direction.

      Skateboarding is a great sport, as long as you are well prepared and careful. Be sure to always wear a helmet, knee pads, and elbow pads while skateboarding.

      PHYSICS FACT

      When a skateboarder pushes on the end of a skateboard, he or she is exerting a force on the board.

      BALANCED OR UNBALANCED?

      A skateboarder needs to be aware that forces do not work independently or in isolation. Forces might act in the same direction or in opposite directions. There are combined forces working together or against each other, creating what is known as a net force. The net force determines if an object will move and, if it does, in which direction.

      The amount of a force is measured in newtons, which can be abbreviated as N. In a diagram, direction is typically shown with arrows that point in the direction of the force. A longer arrow represents a greater force than a shorter one.

      Forces may act in the same direction or in opposite directions. Consider the examples below.

      When these two forces combine, a 16N force will move the object to the right.

      But when these two forces combine, a 7N force will move the object to the right.

      These two are examples of unbalanced forces. When two unbalanced forces work on an object, the object moves. There is a change in the direction of the object.

      But this object here won’t move at all.

      The net force is 0N—the forces cancel each other out. This is known as a balanced force.

      PHYSICS FACT

      Newtons are named after Sir Isaac Newton, an English scientist who lived from 1642 to 1727. He discovered laws of motion and gravity. A newton is defined as a unit of force required to accelerate something that weighs 1 kilogram at 1 meter per second squared.

      Unbalanced forces produce a nonzero net force. This changes the motion of an object.

      Balanced forces are not that exciting if you are trying to perfect your skateboard tricks. Perhaps your mom would rather have more balanced forces in your skateboarding bag of tricks, but it just isn’t that much fun! Skateboarders want forces that are unbalanced. This is what allows them to stop, turn, and do many of the best tricks.

      Friction is the force that resists motion between two objects in contact. It helps you stay on the skateboard. But too much friction between the wheels of your skateboard and the ramp will slow you down!

      PHYSICS OF THE OLLIE

      What are the physics behind an

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