FORCES CIRCUS

“Roll up roll up”……..

• You are going to carry out a lab to investigate the forces in a circus. You will carry out a number of activities and investigate which forces are involved and what happens if they are not balanced.

In your notebook….

• Activity 1 title e.g. tug of war• A sentence explaining the forces

involved in the activity. • 2 stick diagrams using arrows to show

the direction of the force: Forces balanced Forces

unbalanced

1) Tug of war

• Boys vs. girls• Tallest half of class vs. shortest half

class• Equal random distribution of students

• What did you see with each set? Who had the advantage? Why? How do you make it balanced?

Plate spinning

• Spin the ball or a paper plate on the point of your finger or a pencil. How long can you do this for?

• What is it necessary for you to find in order to do this?

• What is this force called?

Tight rope walking

• Walk over the beam or along a straight line on the floor without falling

off. Time how long this takes. • Repeat with a) your arms by your side,

b) arms held out for balance and c) carrying a bag on one side.

• What do you notice? What effects the balance most?

Hula hooping

• How many times can you spin the hoop? What do you have to do to

make it spin well? What’s the most number you can spin at one go? For how long?

• What force is involved in the hoop spinning? How do you balance it?

Conclusion

• In this lab you were looking at balanced and unbalanced forces.

• Write a paragraph explaining what you found out about ‘what a force is’ and what happens when they are balanced and unbalanced.

Tug of War

Types of forces involved:

Stick diagrams: (with labels)

1. Boys vs. girls

2. Tallest half vs.

shortest half

3. Equal random

distribution

Title: Lab: Forces Circus Date:

Summary: What did you observe with each set? Who had the advantage? How do you make it balanced?

Plate Spinning

Type/s of force/s involved:

Diagram: (with labels)

1. How long can you

do the spinning?

2. What is necessary

for you to find in

order to do this

(spinning)?

Title: Lab: Forces Circus Date:

Summary: Explain how the different forces affect “spinning”? What happens when the forces are balanced?

Spin the ball or a paper plate on the point of your finger or a pencil. How long can you do this for?

“Tight rope” walking

Type/s of force/s involved:

Diagram: (with labels)

Title: Lab: Forces Circus Date:

Summary: What did you observe? What affects the balance most? What happens when the forces are balance?

Walk over the beam or along a straight line on the floor without falling off. Time how long this takes.

Repeat with a) your arms by your side, b) arms held out for balance and c) carrying a bag on the side.

“Hula hoop”

Type/s of force/s involved:

Diagram: (with labels)

Title: Lab: Forces Circus Date:

Summary: Explain how the different forces affect “spinning”? What happens when the forces are balance?

How many times can you spin the hoop? What do you have to do to make it spin well? What’s the most number you can spin at one go? For how long?