Motion in One Dimension Topic

A PASCO cart on a track with a motion sensor displays real-time position, velocity, and acceleration graphs simultaneously. Students see the derivative/integral relationships between kinematic quantities as the cart moves.

A nearly frictionless glider on an air track demonstrates constant velocity motion (Newton's First Law) and elastic collisions. The track is marked at regular intervals for quantitative measurement of position …

Photogates on a nearly frictionless air track measure instantaneous and average velocity with millisecond precision. Students see the operational distinction between these two velocity concepts and learn how flag width …

Shows that all objects fall at the same rate in the absence of air resistance, regardless of mass. Students see directly that air resistance — not mass — causes different …

Creates cognitive dissonance about free fall by first dropping a book and feather separately, then together. When the feather rides on the book, no air flows between them, eliminating drag …

Two ball bearings of very different masses are dropped simultaneously from 6.3 meters onto a sounding board. They hit at the same instant, demonstrating that gravitational acceleration is independent of …