Students experimented with Newton's 3 Laws of Motion 1) An object in motion stays in motion and an object at rest stays at rest unless acted upon by an outside force 2) Force=Mass x Acceleration 3) For every action there is an opposite and equal reaction.
Students completed 3 trials testing out the distance the roller skates traveled. Test 1 was with an empty skate. Test 2 was with a 3 pound weight inside the skate. Test 3 was on carpeting. Students measured how far each skate traveled with a small initial push. A group discussion followed to determine that the friction on the carpet slowed the skate down. Students also found the empty skate on the roller rink traveled the furthest. Finally, students created balloon rockets to show air being forced out the back of the balloon in return pushed the balloon forward. Students who blew more air into the balloon noticed a larger distance traveled.