Honors Physics Projectile Motion and Newton's Second Law Starter
A short honors-level warm-up with three multi-step problems: projectile motion, Newton's Second Law with a free body diagram, and Newton's Second Law combined with kinematics to solve for acceleration. It is designed for a brief starter at the beginning of class, and students must show algebra before substituting numbers and label their free body diagrams.
“Honors physics starter with one projectile motion question, one Newtons 2nd law question, and one newtons 2nd law using kinematics to solve for acceleration question.”
Teacher Guide & Tips
- Use as a 15-20 minute starter at the start of a physics class, either individually or in pairs, before reviewing the solutions together.
- Discussion question: Why does the vertical component of the drone's velocity change at impact while the horizontal component stays constant, and how does that shape your answer for direction?
- Scaffold for struggling students: Have them first list known and unknown variables for each problem and sketch the free body diagram before writing any equations.
- Extension for advanced students: Ask them to generalize Problem 3 by deriving an expression for acceleration in terms of the net force and mass before plugging in values.
- Estimated time: about 20 minutes for all three problems, with an additional 5 minutes for a whole-class check of key steps.
What is Diffit?
Teachers use Diffit to get quality materials for their unique classrooms. Adjust difficulty, add scaffolds, or change the topic to get started.
Try Diffit for free“Honors physics starter with one projectile motion question, one Newtons 2nd law question, and one newtons 2nd law using kinematics to solve for acceleration question.”
Teacher Guide & Tips
- Use as a 15-20 minute starter at the start of a physics class, either individually or in pairs, before reviewing the solutions together.
- Discussion question: Why does the vertical component of the drone's velocity change at impact while the horizontal component stays constant, and how does that shape your answer for direction?
- Scaffold for struggling students: Have them first list known and unknown variables for each problem and sketch the free body diagram before writing any equations.
- Extension for advanced students: Ask them to generalize Problem 3 by deriving an expression for acceleration in terms of the net force and mass before plugging in values.
- Estimated time: about 20 minutes for all three problems, with an additional 5 minutes for a whole-class check of key steps.
Honors Physics Projectile Motion and Newton's Second Law Starter
A short honors-level warm-up with three multi-step problems: projectile motion, Newton's Second Law with a free body diagram, and Newton's Second Law combined with kinematics to solve for acceleration. It is designed for a brief starter at the beginning of class, and students must show algebra before substituting numbers and label their free body diagrams.
What is Diffit?
Teachers use Diffit to get quality materials for their unique classrooms. Adjust difficulty, add scaffolds, or change the topic to get started.
Try Diffit for free