Newton's Third Law & Collisions Interactive Simulation | Physical Science | Grades 6–8

This Interactive Simulation has grades 6–8 Middle School Physical Science students run a hands-on classroom model of Newton's Third Law & Collisions.

Driving question: "How do variations in bumper material and cart mass affect momentum transfer and peak collision force?" Objective: Investigate Newton's Third Law and energy transfer by colliding dynamic carts with different bumper stiffnesses and mass loads.

What's inside: objective and background, a materials list (1.5-meter aluminum collision track with…; Two 500 g dynamics carts with sensor…; Pair of dual-range digital force…; Pair of steel spring bumpers (for…), an 8-step protocol, a data table, 4 analysis questions, and teacher notes.

Resource type: Interactive Simulation (.docx). Format: editable Microsoft Word lab handout with approximately 640 words (~5 pages).

Classroom use: a team investigation in a Middle School Physical Science course. Grades 6–8.

Format note: These files are delivered in Microsoft Office formats (Word and/or PowerPoint). If you open a worksheet that includes tables in Apple Pages or another non-Microsoft app, table formatting may not display correctly. For best results, use Microsoft Word or PowerPoint (or upload the file to Google Docs). If you run into any formatting issues, contact us and we can send a PDF version.