California State Content Standards

You Selected: Rube Goldberg Project: Motion and the Physics of Change

Science MF.1.a: Students know how to solve problems that involve constant speed and average speed.

Science MF.1.b: Students know that when forces are balanced, no acceleration occurs; thus an object continues to move at a constant speed or stays at rest (Newton's first law).

Science MF.1.c: Students know how to apply the law F = ma to solve one-dimensional motion problems that involve constant forces (Newton's second law).

Science MF.1.d: Students know that when one object exerts a force on a second object, the second object always exerts a force of equal magnitude and in the opposite direction (Newton's third law).

Science MF.1.e: Students know the relationship between the universal law of gravitation and the effect of gravity on an object at the surface of Earth.

Science MF.1.f: Students know applying a force to an object perpendicular to the direction of its motion causes the object to change direction but not speed (e.g., Earth's gravitational force causes a satellite in a circular orbit to change direction but not speed).

Science MF.1.g: Students know circular motion requires the application of a constant force directed toward the center of the circle.

Science MF.1.h: Students know Newton's laws are not exact but provide very good approximations unless an object is moving close to the speed of light or is small enough that quantum effects are important.

Science MF.1.i: Students know how to solve two-dimensional trajectory problems.

Science MF.1.j: Students know how to resolve two-dimensional vectors into their components and calculate the magnitude and direction of a vector from its components.

Science MF.1.k: Students know how to solve two-dimensional problems involving balanced forces (statics).

Science CE.2.a: Students know how to calculate kinetic energy by using the formula E = (1/2)mv².

Science CE.2.b: Students know how to calculate changes in gravitational potential energy near Earth by using the formula (change in potential energy) = mgh (h is the change in the elevation).

Science CE.2.c: Students know how to solve problems involving conservation of energy in simple systems, such as falling objects.

Science CE.2.d: Students know how to calculate momentum as the product mv.

Science CE.2.e: Students know momentum is a separately conserved quantity different from energy.

Science CE.2.f: Students know an unbalanced force on an object produces a change in its momentum.

Science CE.2.h: Students know how to solve problems involving conservation of energy in simple systems with various sources of potential energy, such as capacitors and springs.