Summary: The action of forces that act at a distance may be observed and related to everyday situations.
Field
“use the term ‘field’ in describing forces acting at a distance”
Notes
| Activity/Resource | Notes |
|---|---|
| [Practical] Experiment | Students investigate ‘forces acting at a distance’ using different objects (magnets, falling objects, rod + wool + balloon) |
Electrostatic Charge
“identify ways in which objects acquire electrostatic charge”
“describe the behaviour of charged objects when they are brought close to each other”
“investigate everyday situations where the effects of electrostatic forces can be observed, eg lightning strikes during severe weather and dust storms”
Notes
| Activity/Resource | Notes |
|---|---|
Gravity
“identify that the Earth’s gravity pulls objects towards the centre of the Earth”
“describe everyday situations where gravity acts as an unbalanced force”
“distinguish between the terms ‘mass’ and ‘weight'”
Notes
| Activity/Resource | Notes |
|---|---|
| [Practical] Model | Rubber band around ping-pong ball (Earth), marble (Moon) or tennis ball (Sun), thumb/index in between rubber band and ball Moving fingers away from the ball – different amounts of force required Model for gravitational force |
Magnets
“describe the behaviour of magnetic poles when they are brought close together”
“investigate how magnets and electromagnets are used in some everyday devices or technologies used in everyday life”
Notes
| Activity/Resource | Notes |
|---|---|
| [Video] Magnets | minutephysics. (2013). MAGNETS: How do they work? [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFAOXdXZ5TM Explanation of bar magnets/compass (multi-level explanation – requires scaffolding/review for scope and relevance) |
*Will continue adding/refining ideas here over time.
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