Newton Workshop Slides Base Newton's Workshop
Engineering the Three Laws of Motion
1
The Law of Inertia
An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
The Challenge
How will your toy start moving? How will it eventually stop?
Status: Stable
2
Acceleration & Mass
Force = Mass × Accel.
More Force = More Acceleration
More Mass = Less Acceleration
The acceleration of an object depends on the net force acting upon it and the mass of the object.
Think Like an Engineer:
Should your racer be heavy or lightweight? Why?
3
Action & Reaction
"For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."
Forces always come in pairs. If Object A pushes Object B, Object B pushes back with the same amount of force.
Action
Air rushes out back
Reaction
Car moves forward
Your Engineering Mission
Phase 1: Design
Sketch your balloon-powered racer. Label your materials and identify where the 3 laws will occur.
Phase 2: Build
Construct your prototype using recycled materials. Test the seals and wheel alignment.
Phase 3: Analyze
Conduct 3 test runs. Measure distance and time. Explain the physics of your success (or failure!).
STATION ACCESS: GRANTED
Toy Design Blueprint Worksheet Base Toy Design Blueprint
Project: Newton's Workshop | Phase: Design
Engineer:
Date:
Mission Objective
Design a balloon-powered vehicle that demonstrates Newton's 3 Laws of Motion. Your vehicle must travel at least 2 meters and be made entirely of recycled materials.
Scrap Material List
Chassis (Bottle, Box)
Axles (Straws, Skewers)
Wheels (Caps, CDs)
Engine (Balloon)
Custom Scraps:
Technical Sketch: Prototype v1.0
Scale: 1:1 Engineering View
Label Action Force Label Reaction Force Label Net Force
Physics Predictions
1st Law
What unbalanced force starts it?
2nd Law
If you double the Force, how will it change?
3rd Law
Identify the Action / Reaction pair.
Newton's Workshop Design Bureau DOC_ID: BLUEPRINT_FINAL
Laws in Action Log Base Laws in Action Log
Experimental Data & Physics Analysis
Testing Station
DEPT-402
Lead Investigator
Test Date
I. Performance Data
Trial # Distance (m) Time (s) Observations 1 2 3
Average Distance: _________________ m Fastest Run Speed: _________________ m/s
II. Post-Test Analysis
01
Newton's First Law: Inertia
How did your car demonstrate inertia at the start and finish?
02
Newton's Second Law: Acceleration
If you added mass (e.g. washers), how would it change your car's acceleration? Why?
03
Newton's Third Law: Action/Reaction
Describe the specific pair of action and reaction forces in your engine.
Final Review
What one design change would you make for "Prototype v2.0" to increase efficiency? Explain using physics.
Workshop Facilitator Guide Base Facilitator Guide
Newton's Toy Workshop Project
Unit: Forces & Motion
Instructional Purpose
This project moves Newton's Laws from abstract equations to physical reality. Students must reconcile the design of a balloon-powered vehicle with the constraints of inertia, mass-force ratios, and equal/opposite thrust.
Pacing (3-Day Cycle)
Day 1
The Blueprint
Introduce Newton's Laws using the slide deck. Distribute Blueprint Worksheets. Students brainstorm and sketch designs.
Day 2
The Build
Construction phase. Teachers rotate to troubleshoot wheel alignment and balloon seals (the most common points of failure).
Day 3
The Trials
Official testing. Students complete the Laws in Action Log, calculating speeds and documenting observations.
Materials List
Chassis: Water bottles, cardboard boxes, juice cartons.
Wheels: Bottle caps (drill holes), old CDs, toy wheels.
Axles: BBQ skewers, straws, chopsticks.
Engine: 9-inch balloons + duct tape.
Pro-Tip
Ensure the balloon exhaust (straw) is pointing directly backwards. Even a slight angle will cause the car to spin rather than travel in a straight line.
Assessment Rubric
Category Target (4) Approaching (3-2) Incomplete (1) Scientific Analysis All 3 laws correctly identified and explained using experimental evidence. 1-2 laws identified correctly; explanations may lack specific evidence. Mistakes in basic physics concepts; analysis incomplete. Engineering Design Vehicle travels >2m; design is sturdy and uses materials efficiently. Vehicle moves but struggles with distance or straight-line travel. Vehicle failed to move; design was structurally unsound. Technical Blueprint Blueprint is detailed, labeled correctly, and shows clear planning. Blueprint lacks labels or scale; design is vague. No blueprint provided or sketch is unreadable.
Common Pitfalls
Too much friction: Wheels rubbing against the chassis.
Too much mass: Bottle is filled with liquid (must be empty!).
Poor seal: Air leaking from the balloon-straw junction.
Extension Ideas
Force Fundamentals Reading Force Fundamentals
Pre-Lab Engineering Briefing
Engineer:
Date:
I. The Nature of Force
In physics, a force is any interaction that, when unopposed, will change the motion of an object. Put simply, a force is a push or a pull. Forces are vectors, meaning they have both magnitude (strength) and direction.
Measurement Standards
Standard Unit
Newton (N)
Equivalent to
1 kg • m/s²
II. Force Classification
Contact Forces
Occur when two objects are physically touching.
Applied Force (Fa)
A force applied to an object by a person or another object.
Normal Force (Fn)
The support force exerted upon an object that is in contact with another stable object.
Friction (Ff)
The force exerted by a surface as an object moves across it (opposes motion).
At-a-Distance Forces
Occur even when objects are not in contact.
Gravitational Force (Fg)
The force with which a massive object attracts another object towards itself.
Magnetic Force
Attractive or repulsive force that is exerted between the poles of a magnet.
III. Engineering Calculations
Newton's Second Law
The acceleration of an object depends on the Net Force acting upon it and the Mass of the object:
F = m × a
F
Net Force (N)
m
Mass (kg)
a
Accel. (m/s²)
Weight Calculation
Weight is the force of gravity acting on an object's mass. On Earth, the acceleration due to gravity (g) is approximately 9.8 m/s².
W = m × g
Net Force (ΣF)
Most objects have multiple forces acting on them. The Net Force is the total sum of all forces in a single direction.
10N
25N
= 15N Right
Engineer Review Briefing
1. If a balloon car has a mass of 0.5 kg and an acceleration of 4 m/s², calculate the net force being applied by the balloon engine.
2. Name one contact force and one non-contact force that will act on your vehicle during the workshop test runs.
3. Why does your car eventually stop moving after the balloon runs out of air? Which specific force is responsible for the deceleration?
Newton's Workshop Technical Document Archive // Reference Code: PHY-F1-26
