How many of these items do you already have? We’ve tried to keep it simple for you by making the majority of the items things most people have within reach (both physically and budget-wise), and even have broken down the materials by experiment category so you can decide if those are ones you want to do.
Here’s an easy way to decide which materials to get: look over the list, and if the group of materials seems to difficult to obtain, just skip it for now and go onto the next group within the unit. Most items are obtainable from the grocery store, hardware store, and online! You do not need to do ALL the experiments – just pick the ones you want to do!
Shopping List for Unit 2: Velocity & Acceleration Click here for Shopping List for Unit 2.
NOTE: Radio Shack part numbers have been replaced. Click here for full chart.
Velocity
Vehicle with a licensed driver
Small ball (ping pong, golf ball, tennis ball, bouncy ball, etc.)
Wagon or skateboard
Friends
Hardcover book
Toilet paper tube
Plastic cup
A ball that is larger than the end of the toilet paper tube but smaller than the plastic cup
Stop watch or clock with a second hand
Feathers, small pieces of paper, plastic bag or anything light and fluffy (cotton or dust bunnies will work, too)
Tape measure or ruler
Calculator
Optional: broom
Acceleration
NOTE: YOU DO NOT NEED ALL THESE ITEMS! WE’RE POSTING A LOT OF ACCELERATION EXPERIMENTS, SO YOU CAN PICK AND CHOOSE THE ONES YOU WANT TO DO. JUST GATHER THE ITEMS YOU CAN GET EASILY RIGHT NOW AND SAVE THE REST FOR LATER. AGAIN – YOU DO NOT NEED TO DO ALL OF THESE! (Unless you are an over-achiever like Aurora…) Don’t stress – this is supposed to be fun!
At least 3 feet of fairly smooth board (a slightly sloping driveway works well too)
Books, wood chunks, something to prop one end of the board up on
A hard smooth ball (a golf ball, racket ball, pool ball etc.)
A timer
Pencil, paper (or your journal)
Measuring tape or yard stick
Chalk or masking tape to mark off distances
Empty 2-liter soda bottle
Clean wine cork (use the one from your compass from Unit 1)
Water
Hot glue gun with glue sticks
Bicycle wheel
Rope (about 3′)
Office chair that spins freely
10 balloons (get a pack that has the round 7-9″ ones as well as the long balloon-animal kind)
6 straws
6 thin, round, wooden skewers
1 sheet of copy paper
1 index card
Scotch tape and scissors
8 small, round film canister or milk-jug lids (anything round about the size of a quarter that you can punch a hole through the center and use for wheels)
Small piece of stiff cardboard (about 4″ x 6″) – you can use an old cereal box, too
2 foam cups
Fishing line (or heavy thread) – you’ll need to span a room in your house, so about 20′ is typically a good estimate
Heaviest rock you can throw safely
Baking soda (about 1/4 cup)
Distilled white vinegar (about 1/4 cup)
Alka seltzer (get a pack of 24 tablets)
Film canister or small M&M container with the snap-on lid (or use a plastic bottle with a tight-fitting cork)
Campbell’s Chicken broth soup in a can – make sure there’s no pieces, just broth (unopened – you won’t be eating this)
Campbell’s Clam chowder soup in a can (unopened – you won’t be eating this one, either)
Long (4’+) table or slightly slanted driveway
Additional Items for Advanced Students:
1/2″ or larger clear diameter tubing, 12-18″ long
Nylon (or metal, but it’s more expensive) barbed union – check the plumbing aisle in the hardware store
Food coloring (3 drops, any color)
Permanent marker