In this activity children learn about the different forces acting on an object and how those forces will affect the movement of that object.
Description
A group of primary school children have launched a potato into space in a 'shuttle' made from a two-litre plastic drink bottle attached to a helium weather balloon. It soared 17 miles up - reaching 90 000ft - before the balloon burst and the shuttle floated back down to earth on a parachute and landed 140 miles away in Hampshire. Spudnik2 was located due to its GPS tracking system and teachers and children were delighted to discover the camera had captured stunning images from space.
Children will learn about the different forces acting on an object and how those forces will affect the movement of that object.
Learning Objective:
- to recognise a variety of forces.
Children will learn:
- that several forces may act on one object.
- that forces act in particular directions and the direction of the force can be represented by arrows.
- to draw conclusions.
These resources were initially developed in partnership with the Centre for Science Education, Sheffield Hallam University.