Practical 2:

Force and motion (4 hours).

Objectives:

1)
2)

To identify the different types of force in different contexts.

To measure the acceleration of a freely falling object.

Materials:
A wooden block, a ping-pong ball, a stretched wire on a wooden block, a beaker and a book
Activity 1:

Identifying different types of force in different contexts.

Procedures:
1.

Place a wooden block on the floor. Give the wooden block a push and record your
observations.

2.

Throw a ping-pong ball up into the air. Record your observations.

3.

Tie a piece of wire tightly between 2 nails hammered into a piece of wood. Touch the
wire. Record your observations.

4.

Place a ping-pong ball into a beaker of water. Try pushing the ball into the water.
Record your observations.

5.

Place a book on the palm of your hand. Record your observations

6.

State the inferences for each of these observations.

Results:
Observation

Inferences

Procedure 1
Procedure 2
Procedure 3
Procedure 4
Procedure 5

Activity 2:

Measuring the acceleration of a freely falling object.

Materials:
A ticker-timer, ticker tape, clamp, power pack, connecting wires, masses of 300 g, 450 g and
600 g and cello tape
Procedures:
1.

Place a chair on top of a table. Clamp a ticker-timer onto the upper side of the chair.

2.

Fix a piece of ticker tape through the ticker-timer and then cellotape a 300g mass to
the tape.

3.

Switch on the ticker-timer and let the mass fall freely downwards.

4.

Cut the tape into 2 dots strips and arrange them to form a graph.

5.

Repeat step 3 by using masses of 450 g and 600 g.

6.

For each case, build a graph from their strips and then determine their accelerations.
Mass (g)

Acceleration (ms-1)

300
450
600

Questions:
1.

Are the values of acceleration of the different masses obtained equal to g

(acceleration due to gravity on earth)? Explain.

2.

What conclusion can be made about the force acting on a freely falling object?

3.

If this experiment was done on the moon, will the value of acceleration of the different
masses obtained be equal to g? Explain

Mastery Of Knowledge And Skills Questions:

1.

At the end of the practical, answer the following questions:

(a) What have you learnt from the practical?
(10 marks)
(b)

Which part of the primary science curriculum teaches this particular topic?
(2 marks)

(c)

Discuss how you can use the above practical in your teaching and learning?

(10 marks)
(d)

What was the role of the teacher in the above practical?

(3 marks)