Force and Motion
FORCE AND MOTION
Ronald Steven DuBois
5th Grade
St. Michael's Catholic School
2009
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Abstract
2. Introduction
3. Background Information
4. Procedure
6. Data and Observations
7. Results
8. Conclusion
9. Bibliography
ABSTRACT
I thought it would be fun to fling things like raw eggs and rocks with a catapult. Guess
what, it was! By flinging these items I tried to find out if heavier things would travel farther than
lighter ones. Basically how force effects motion.
With the catapult as the force, I sent items soaring, after weighing them, and then
recorded how far the items travelled. This showed me how Newtons Three Laws of Motion
work.
Force causes change is Newton's First Law of Motion which I saw from the catapult
flinging the items.
My hypothesis that heavier items would go farther was not correct, because Newton's
Second Law of Motion says that the force applied is equal to mass times acceleration. For
instance, if you push a skateboard it will roll away, but if you push a car with the same amount
of force, it will barely move. So heavier items do not travel farther.
Newton's Third Law of Motion is that for every action there is an equal and opposite
reaction. In my experiements this is shown clearly by the graphs in my research paper where I
recorded the weight of the items I flung with the catapult, and then recorded the distance the
items traveled. So when I sent an item soaring gravity was pulling it down and acting as the
equal and opposite reaction.
I really had fun with this project and conducting the experiments.
-1-
INTRODUCTION
I did my Science Fair Project on Force and Motion. I wanted to find out how far different
items would travel when given the same amount of force. Would the size of an item or the
weight of an item be more important? Would the shape of an item change anything? If I
Ronald Steven DuBois
5th Grade
St. Michael's Catholic School
2009
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Abstract
2. Introduction
3. Background Information
4. Procedure
6. Data and Observations
7. Results
8. Conclusion
9. Bibliography
ABSTRACT
I thought it would be fun to fling things like raw eggs and rocks with a catapult. Guess
what, it was! By flinging these items I tried to find out if heavier things would travel farther than
lighter ones. Basically how force effects motion.
With the catapult as the force, I sent items soaring, after weighing them, and then
recorded how far the items travelled. This showed me how Newtons Three Laws of Motion
work.
Force causes change is Newton's First Law of Motion which I saw from the catapult
flinging the items.
My hypothesis that heavier items would go farther was not correct, because Newton's
Second Law of Motion says that the force applied is equal to mass times acceleration. For
instance, if you push a skateboard it will roll away, but if you push a car with the same amount
of force, it will barely move. So heavier items do not travel farther.
Newton's Third Law of Motion is that for every action there is an equal and opposite
reaction. In my experiements this is shown clearly by the graphs in my research paper where I
recorded the weight of the items I flung with the catapult, and then recorded the distance the
items traveled. So when I sent an item soaring gravity was pulling it down and acting as the
equal and opposite reaction.
I really had fun with this project and conducting the experiments.
-1-
INTRODUCTION
I did my Science Fair Project on Force and Motion. I wanted to find out how far different
items would travel when given the same amount of force. Would the size of an item or the
weight of an item be more important? Would the shape of an item change anything? If I