Engineering Car Crash Safety with Newton's Third Law
Grade Range
6th-8th
Group Size
2-3 students
Active Time
2 hours
Total Time
2 hours
Area of Science
Physics
Mechanical Engineering
Key Concepts
Newton's third law of motion, engineering design
Learning Objectives
- Use the engineering design process to iteratively design, build, and test a product
- Apply knowledge of Newton's third law to explain what happens in a car crash
Credits
Ben Finio, PhD, Science Buddies
![]() OverviewCombine Newton's third law of motion with engineering design in one fun lesson! Your students will learn about equal and opposite reaction forces as they design and build a bumper to protect a toy car during a crash.NGSS AlignmentThis lesson helps students prepare for these Next Generation Science Standards Performance Expectations:
Materials![]() This is an engineering design project, so there is not a specific list of required materials. You can make different materials available to your students, or allow them to bring materials from home. In general, recycled items, craft supplies, and office supplies work well. At a minimum, make sure your students have materials available to make and connect the main parts of the car.
You will also need materials to build a ramp to roll the cars down:
Reviews |
Grade Range
6th-8th
Group Size
2-3 students
Active Time
2 hours
Total Time
2 hours
Area of Science
Physics
Mechanical Engineering
Key Concepts
Newton's third law of motion, engineering design
Credits
Ben Finio, PhD, Science Buddies
Learning Objectives
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