Everyday examples of constant speed
Classroom Activity
for 11-14
What the Activity is for
The purpose of this activity is for pupils to consider examples of everyday objects travelling at a constant speed and to talk about the forces acting on them.
What to Prepare
- a set of images to start pupils thinking
What Happens During this Activity
Working in groups of two or three, pupils should come up with as many everyday examples of people or objects travelling at a constant speed as they can think of (e.g. swimmers, runners in a race, a car travelling at 30 mph, parachutist falling). In each case, the group should identify the forces acting on the object and comment on their size and direction. Alternatively, this activity could be supported by a picture resource or video clips with examples of moving objects. Pupils should come to appreciate that many objects do travel at a constant speed and that the forces acting on those objects add to zero.
