A starting point: visually comparing speeds, distances, and times
Start with Alice and Bob, and click “Animate” to watch them go for a run. Then answer the three questions shown. After this, watch Clare and Dan go for a run, and answer the same three questions, before finally doing the same with Euan and Freya. You can check your answers below.
Answers to the above questions:
Alice and Bob
(a) Bob runs faster.
(b) Neither; they run the same distance.
(c) Alice spends more time running.
Clare and Dane
(a) Neither; they run at the same speed.
(b) Dan runs further.
(c) Dan spends more time running.
Euan and Freya
(a) Freya runs faster.
(b) Freya runs further.
(c) Neither; they run for the same time.
Part 1 – Speed, distance, and time
Click slide to play video
Click slide to play video
Click slide to play video
Teacher resources - Part 1 - Speed, distance, and time
Slides in PDF (one slide per page, suitable for importing into IWB software)
You can probably think of several real-world situations in which an understanding of speed, distance and time is helpful.
The concept of density is applicable to floating and buoyancy – which has many serious real-life applications. Can you think of some?
Objects less dense than water will float on water. But water is not the only medium things can float on. Here is a video of a cannonball floating in mercury, a metal which is liquid at room temperature:
Why do helium balloons float? Here is a video of an attempt to use helium balloons to lift a man off the ground:
What next?
An understanding of speed is needed before considering kinematic graphs:
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