High school

Impulse, momentum, forces

What are concussions and how can we reduce concussion events?  It’s All in Your Head explores the physics of collisions through the lens of concussions. Students will analyze the effect of forces on a brain model, gather collision data from tested materials, and go through the engineering process to design a new helmet.

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Learning Objectives

Students will know

  • Newton’s three laws.
  • The impulse-momentum theory and its equation.
  • The conservation of energy.
  • Potential and kinetic energy and their equations.

Students will understand

  • The dangers of concussions and their lasting impact.
  • How the application of force to the head can cause trauma.
  • How helmet materials reduce the chances of concussions

Students will be able to

  • Complete the engineering design process in designing a football helmet.
  • Calculate averages from trial data collected
  • Analyze collision data (including average force and time of impact) to determine the most protective material.
  • Describe how padding materials reduce concussion events using the impulse-momentum theorem
  • Use the impulse-momentum theory to calculate for missing data sets.
Standards Alignments + Connections

Next Generation Science Standards Connections

HS-PS2-3: Apply science and engineering ideas to design, evaluate, and refine a device that minimizes the force on a macroscopic object during a collision.

HS-ETS1-3: Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills Connections

PHY4(D): Calculate the effect of forces on objects, including the law of inertia, the relationship between force and acceleration, and the nature of force pairs between objects using methods, including free-body force diagrams.

PHY6(C): calculate the mechanical energy of, power generated within, impulse applied to, and momentum of a physical system;

PHY6(D): demonstrate and apply the laws of conservation of energy and conservation of momentum in one dimension

Louisiana Standards for Science Connections

HS-PS2-3: Apply science and engineering ideas to design, evaluate, and refine a device that minimizes the force on a macroscopic object during a collision.

UNIT PLAN

Pre Laboratory Engagement

Pre-Laboratory Engagement (30 minutes)

  1. Students will watch the Momentum and Impulse Explained video (7:49) by High School Physics Explained and complete the accompanying handout.
  2. Students will conduct their own Egg Drop experiment, collecting data in this handout.

Laboratory Exploration

Laboratory Exploration (30 minutes)

  1. Students will watch the lab intro video, “It’s All in Your Head: Part One” (2:54)
  2. Students will then watch the lab video, “It’s All in Your Head: Part Two” (13:23)

Post Laboratory Extension

Post-Laboratory Extension (30-45 minutes)

  1. Students will watch the post-lab explanation video (6:28) and then use the Helmet Design worksheet to design a helmet that meets the criteria without breaking the constraints.