Feel the force

Age range

9-11 years

Science topic

Forces

Type of enquiry

Comparative/fair tests, Problem solving

Publication description These activities provide an opportunity for children to think about the properties of air and in particular, the frictional forces it exerts. The ideas are put into a real-life context, that of a transport company looking for ways to reduce the fuel consumption of its lorries.

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Feel the force

Science topic: Forces
Type of enquiry: Comparative/fair tests
Keywords: Air reistance, forces, push, pull, compare

The children are introduced to the concept of air resistance as a force by running in playground with sheets of paper.

Measuring the force 1

Science topic: Forces
Type of enquiry: Comparative/fair tests
Keywords: Air resistance, forces, friction, measuring, compare

Children compare toy vehicles with different sized front areas to discover that vehicles with a larger front have greater air resistance.

Measuring the force 2

Science topic: Forces
Type of enquiry: Comparative/fair tests
Keywords: Air resistance, air flow, forces, measuring, compare

Children investigate the impact of adding various shapes of card to the lorry front (known as fairings) to find out whether there is any impact on the air resistance.