Science 8 – May 1
The students examined the difference between mass and force by hanging masses from Newton spring scales. Unfortunately the grade 8’s have not had much exposure to relationships yet, so they’re not ready for examining the slope of a line on a Force vs mass graph. However, they were able to use their graphs to predict the mass of other objects. The fact that g = 9.8 m/s^2 actually simplifies this experiment a bit too much. The students quickly realize that the mass x 10 equals the force. I wonder if it would be better to use a scale which measures force in pounds? I think this would cause the students to put a bit more thought into what a relationship is, and why a graph would be useful.
BC Physics 180 