Energy Machines and Motion (Middle School)

In Part 1, students investigate energy transformations and how forces do work to transform energy. They build a battery and develop evidence that there is energy stored in the battery. Students see how chemical energy can be transformed into light, heat, and mechanical energy and how charging time is related to the amount of energy stored in the battery. They investigate the nature of elastic forces, gravity, and sliding friction and learn how these forces can do work. Through experimentation they determine the optimum operation conditions for a small electric motor.

In Part 2, students conduct inquiries to learn how simple machines work. They explore the relationship between effort force and effort distance using inclined planes, pulleys, and levers. They then learn how to determine the mechanical advantage and efficiency of each machine.

In Part 3, students explore the motion of three student-built vehicles. They build a fan car, mousetrap car, and roller coaster and determine how the forces applied change the speed of these vehicles. They also describe the motion of the cars in terms of energy transformations and apply the principle of conservation of energy to explain their observations.

Additional Photos

Energy Machines & Motion Lesson Sequence (pdf)

Supplemental Literacy Lists

Teacher Recommended Resources

Sponsored By

The Energy, Machines & Motion units have been generously sponsored by Dominion.