SILO 4.2 (DRAFT)Year 4, Term 2: TransportationFocus: Motion Scope
and sequence: Exponents,
Velocity, Acceleration, Hydraulics
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Learning
intention: Students
explore common modes of transportation to develop an
integrated understanding of forces, materials, energy and
design factors.
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NSW Syllabus
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Australian Curriculum
(version 9.0)
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"A
student describes how contact and non-contact forces affect an
object’s motion." (ST2-9PW-ST)
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"Students learn to describe how
forces and the properties of materials affect function in a
product or system." (AC9TDE4K02)
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Friction revisited
The following video (3:44) discusses some of
the factors involved in choosing tyres for Formula 1 car racing.
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If increased
surface area increases grip, what is the ideal type of tyre
for achieving maximum speed? |
Ratios are comparisons. The following scenario involves a ratio of 1:7.
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There
were 24,000 people at a concert. For every 7 adults there
was 1 child. How many children were at the concert? |
Power to weight ratio
The ratio between power and weight is a common consideration when
dealing with the performance of an engines and motors. This principle
can even be seen in humans when competing in competitions such as
Ninja Warrior. The following video (3:13) discusses the power to
weight ratio in terms of cycling.
Newton's three laws of motion are explained in the following video (3:32). These laws were first stated by Isaac Newton in 1687. The three laws may be summarised as follows:
This interactive rocket sled simulation allows you to change certain variables in real time and see the results.
This video shows a simple experiment investigating density and buoyancy (3:19).
This TED-Ed video (4:42) is an animated depiction of Archimedes
and his pioneering work with buoyancy.
The following video (2:33) explains how submarines work using air to change their buoyancy.
This video (2:02) explains how acceleration is the rate
at which velocity changes over time. It also features some examples of
how to use mathematics to calculate the average acceleration.
Skateboards, roller skates and roller blades
The law of conservation of energy states that energy can
neither be created nor destroyed - only converted from one form of
energy to another. The following video (1:36) demonstrates this with
vivid examples of kinetic and potential energy.
Kinetic energy is the energy that an object has because of its motion. The formula for kinetic energy is:
Gears are a common way to utilise mechanical
advantage in transportation. What are some forms of
transportation that you can think of that use gears?
Activity:
For today’s activity, everyone is going to be divided into groups of
two, and each group will receive a Lego kit. Your task is to build a
gear system. Use your creativity to create something interesting!
There is no one way to do it – try different options!
This video (5:18) is more advanced than Year 4 children would normally encounter but the main points are that wheels turn at different speeds when cornering and that gears are one way to enable this. Students will also explore how wheels on a non-fixed axle such as on a pram or billy cart are free to turn at different rates.
Electric vehicles
Internal combustion engines
Motorcycles
Cars
Planes, helicopters and gliders are some of the more common types of air travel. The following video (3:00) explains why the wind blows which is an important consideration for weather patterns and air travel.
Air travel and the Earth's rotation
The following video (3:15) explains the effect of the
Earth's rotation on air travel.
Lift
Rockets
Space ships
The following video (10:18) is about straws and it explains that suction is really a difference in pressure. It also makes the point that "Nothing sucks in science".
The following video (6:26) on relative motion is an
important introduction to the idea that everything is in constant
motion. Related terms include 'frame of reference'.
Pascal's principle states that the pressure applied to
any part of an enclosed liquid will be transmitted equally in all
directions through the liquid. The following screenshot is from a
video (3:22) about the application of Pascal's law in hydraulics. It
shows the formula for comparing both sides of a hydraulic jack.