Newton & A Discrepant Event

For a small amount of money, you can purchase a toy that consists of 5 metal balls that touch each other and swing from a bar. Newton's basic third law clearly emerges in the minds of studen... See More

For a small amount of money, you can purchase a toy that consists of 5 metal balls that touch each other and swing from a bar. Newton's basic third law clearly emerges in the minds of students as they 'play' with this toy and explore Newton's Cradle. The chapter fully invites teachers to make students take a stake in their learning by making predictions and then explaining how one, two, or three of these metal balls can swing from side to side while illustrating basic laws of conservation of momentum and energy. Teachers may use computer simulations to gather data to test these conservation laws and lead students to build 'bigger toys' or to devise additional ways to measure and test Newton's third law using the toy. Don't shy away from this chapter if you do not have a strong physics background. Your personal knowledge will be enhanced by the explanations and illustrations and you will craft stronger lessons for your students. This chapter has applications for teachers from middle school through high school and it is 'phun.'