Activity: Investigating the Relationship between Speed and Energy

Topic: Forces, Electricity, and Waves

Desired Outcome: I can use appropriate methods to measure, calculate, and display graphically the speed of an object and show how these methods can be used in a selected application.

Level: Fourth Level (Scottish Curriculum)

Focus: Use evidence to construct an explanation relating to the speed of an object to the energy of that object.

Materials Needed: 1. Toy cars (at least two) 2. Stopwatch or timer 3. Measuring tape or ruler 4. Graph paper 5. Pencil or pen 6. Energy sources (e.g., batteries, solar panels, wind-up mechanisms)

Introduction: 1. Begin the activity by discussing the concept of speed and energy with the students. Explain that speed is a measure of how fast an object is moving, while energy is the ability to do work or cause a change. 2. Ask the students if they think there is a relationship between the speed of an object and its energy. Encourage them to share their thoughts and ideas.

Procedure: 1. Divide the students into small groups and provide each group with a toy car, stopwatch or timer, and a measuring tape or ruler. 2. Instruct the students to measure the distance their toy car will travel. They can choose a suitable distance, such as 1 meter or 2 meters, and mark the starting and ending points. 3. Ask the students to calculate the speed of their toy car by dividing the distance traveled by the time taken. Remind them to record their measurements and calculations. 4. Once the students have calculated the speed of their toy car, ask them to discuss and record their observations. Do they notice any patterns or trends? 5. Provide the students with graph paper and ask them to create a line graph to display their data. The x-axis should represent time, and the y-axis should represent speed. Each group should plot their data points on the graph. 6. After the graphs are completed, ask the students to analyze their graphs and look for any relationships between speed and time. Are there any similarities or differences among the graphs? 7. Now, introduce the concept of energy sources. Discuss different types of energy sources, such as batteries, solar panels, or wind-up mechanisms. Explain that these energy sources can be used to power objects and affect their speed. 8. Instruct the students to choose an energy source and repeat the previous steps, measuring the speed of their toy car using the selected energy source. They should record their measurements, calculations, and create a new graph. 9. After completing the second set of measurements, ask the students to compare their new graphs with the previous ones. Do they notice any differences in speed? Can they explain the relationship between the energy source and the speed of the toy car?

Conclusion: 1. Gather the students together and discuss their findings. Encourage them to share their observations and explanations regarding the relationship between speed and energy. 2. Summarize the activity by emphasizing that the speed of an object can be influenced by the energy source used to power it. Different energy sources can provide different amounts of energy, which can affect the speed of an object. 3. Reinforce the importance of using appropriate methods to measure, calculate, and display graphically the speed of an object when investigating such relationships. 4. Finally, relate the activity to real-life applications, such as the use of different energy sources in vehicles or the impact of energy efficiency on speed and performance.

Extension: To further extend the activity, students can explore other factors that may affect the speed of an object, such as friction, weight, or surface conditions. They can design additional experiments to investigate these factors and analyze their impact on speed and energy.