Forces and Motion : Teacher Pages

Overview | Objectives | Curriculum Links | Cross-Curricular Links | Vocabulary | Suggested Topics | Learning Outcomes

This page provides background for teachers preparing the Making Waves lesson. If you are a student, or wish to see the student pages, click here.

Overview:

In this unit the students build upon their existing knowledge of forces in the context of Formula 1 cars and Grand Prix racing. The unit focuses on:

  • the forces acting on a Formula 1 car
  • factors which affect a Formula 1 car's performance, measured in terms of speed and acceleration,
  • basic car design and aerodynamic setup,
  • a Formula 1 car driver's preparation to race,
  • providing an insight into the racing environment.

Objectives:

The unit has been split into two lessons.
The first focuses on forces, the Formula 1 car and its design features.
The second places the car in a racing environment to consider performance, setup and safety aspects of the car and the factors affecting the aspects.

Curriculum Links:

Science

1E. 'Pushes and pulls'
2E. 'Forces and movement'
4E. 'Friction'
6E. 'Forces in action'

Cross-Curricula Links:

Geography

7. 'Weather around the world'

History

20. 'What can we learn from the life of a famous person?'

Design and Technology

2A. 'Vehicles'

Vocabulary:

In this unit the students will have the opportunity to use:

  • words and phrases relating to force, e.g. force, weight, friction, air resistance, grip, gravity, newton, down force,
  • words and phrases relating to motion, e.g. speed, kilometres per hour, acceleration,
  • race specific terms, e.g. qualify, pit stops, lap, circuit, track, grid,
  • near synonyms, e.g. stationary, still, not moving, at rest,
  • qualitative descriptions, e.g. maximise, minimise, faster, slower, more, less, increase, decrease,
  • other engineering topics, e.g. power, brake horse power, aerodynamic

Suggested Topics:

Suggested topics for class discussions or assignments:

  • What should a driver do to prepare themselves physically for a race? [Notes: race drivers need to have a high level of concentration, have to absorb a lot of vibrations from the car, lose a lot of water through sweating and will have large variations in heart rate. Drivers must be fit, healthy and strong.]
  • What should a driver do at a racetrack in preparation for a race? [Notes: Drink plenty of fluids, stretch, put on protective clothing, qualify, speak to press, etc.]
  • Compare the design features of a Formula 1 car with those of a road car. Identify similarities as well as differences. Refer to surroundings, safety, purpose, performance, driver skills and clothing.
  • Discuss how weather conditions may affect the performance of a Formula 1 car. [Notes: Consider track temperature, air temperature, sun, rain, altitude, is a racing car more likely to skid on a wet or dry track? There is less grip in the wet, but the driver may be closer to the performance limit in the dry.]
  • Suggest researching the life of a Formula 1 car driver, e.g. Jackie Stewart. Identify the changes in the rules and safety requirements.
  • Look at some numerical tasks, e.g. Estimation of cost of a pit stop / car component, etc. Take account of hourly rates and material costs in the calculation. Identify that overhead costs will be a factor to include in costings.

Learning Outcomes:

Students should learn about forces, motion and the design of Formula 1 cars. At the end of Lesson One the students will be set a short quiz. The questions will appear on their screens but can also be printed out as a worksheet using Microsoft Word.

To open a printable worksheet to give to students, click here.

To open a 'teachers worksheet' which includes answers and suggested topics for further discussion, click here.

Overview | Objectives | Curriculum Links | Cross-Curricular Links | Vocabulary | Suggested Topics | Learning Outcomes

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