Forces 11th October
Lesson: Science
Year 5 are currently studying forces. Throughout the unit we will try to investigate these invisible pushes and pulls that influence every small particle in our universe.
We began by looking at gravity. We learned that gravity was originally discovered by Sir Isaac Newton after he observed how objects fell towards the ground - like an apple falling from a tree. We have practised measuring the pull of gravity by using a Newton metre and have investigated the relationship between an objects mass and its weight - take a look.
After gravity, we then moved onto styudying air resistance. We began thinking about how objects move in the air. Then the class were sorted into teams and were challenged to make the best parachute. In order to do this scientifically, each group measured one aspect of a parachutes design such as its shape, size, string length or the material it's made from. We found that the larger we made our parachute the more friction it created as it fell through the air. In addition, we found that the best parachute was a square, made from tissue paper and had a string length of 50 cm, giving it enough room to enable the parachute to inflate fully.
This week Year 5 have been studying water resistance. In order to test our understanding of streamline shapes, we modelled a variety of shapes from plasticine and timed how long it took for them to travel through water. Each time we made sure that the conditions of the test were the same making sure only to change the objects shape. We found, as with air, that the cone shape travelled quickest through the water as its shape helped to direct the water around it.
Our last lesson has focussed around friction. To test how friction effects moving objects, we constructed a small programmable robot out of lego which was able to pull a small sled. We tested its ability to pull on a smooth table and rough carpet using plastic wheels and rubber wheels. Our results showed us precisely what we had predicted - the grippy rubber tyres on the carpet created the most friction and helped us to carry the heaviest load. A great end to our unit!
