Forces and Motion Engineering Challenge
Grade 5 STEM Adventure Exploring Motion Through Engineering Design
What is Motion?
Motion is when something changes position Speed tells us how fast something moves Direction tells us which way something moves Forces can start, stop, or change motion
Think About It!
What forces can you use to make a ball move? How could you make a toy car go faster? What happens when you push harder vs. softer?
Engineering Design Process
ASK: What problem are we solving? IMAGINE: What are possible solutions? PLAN: Choose the best idea and sketch it CREATE: Build your prototype TEST: Try it out and measure results IMPROVE: Make it better!
Today's Engineering Challenge
Design a machine to move a ball down a ramp Goal: Make the ball travel as far as possible Materials: ramps, balls, rubber bands, tape, straws Time: 15 minutes to plan and build Test and improve your design!
Forces That Affect Motion
{"left":"Gravity pulls objects down toward Earth\nFriction slows down moving objects\nApplied force from pushes and pulls\nAir resistance can slow things down","right":"Smooth surfaces reduce friction\nSteeper ramps increase speed\nHeavier objects have more momentum\nElastic force from rubber bands adds energy"}
Test, Measure, and Improve
Measure how far your ball travels Time how long it takes to reach the end Try different ramp angles Adjust your design based on results What made the biggest difference?
Engineering Success
"The best engineers learn from every test, even when things don't work as planned. Each try teaches us something new!"