Lesson Plan | Technical Methodology | Kinematics: Uniformly Accelerated Motion

Objectives

Duration: 10 - 15 minutes

This stage of the lesson plan aims to introduce students to the concept of uniformly accelerated motion, highlighting the importance of understanding and calculating the fundamental variables of this type of motion. By focusing on the development of practical skills, the lesson ensures that students can apply this knowledge in a relevant way in the job market, especially in areas that require movement analysis and process optimization, such as engineering and logistics.

Main Objectives

1. Understand the concept of uniformly accelerated motion: Assist students in comprehending what characterizes this type of motion and the difference from other motions.

2. Calculate key variables: Teach students to calculate initial and final velocity, acceleration, change in position, and travel time in motion with constant acceleration.

Side Objectives

1. Apply mathematical concepts: Use formulas and mathematical concepts to solve practical problems related to uniformly accelerated motion.

Introduction

Duration: 15 - 20 minutes

The purpose of this stage is to introduce students to the concept of uniformly accelerated motion in an engaging and practical manner, connecting theoretical content to its real-world applications. By piquing student interest with an exciting and relevant example, it facilitates the understanding of the importance of UAM and prepares the ground for subsequent practical activities.

Contextualization

Uniformly accelerated motion (UAM) is a fundamental concept in physics that describes a motion in which the acceleration is constant. This type of motion is common in our daily lives, such as in cars that accelerate or brake consistently. Understanding UAM is crucial for analyzing and predicting the behavior of moving objects, which has wide applications across various fields of knowledge and industry.

Curiosities and Market Connection

One of the most interesting applications of UAM is in the automotive industry, where it is used to design more efficient and safer braking and acceleration systems. Additionally, traffic engineers use these concepts to optimize vehicle flow in cities, reducing congestion and improving road safety. Other areas benefited from understanding UAM include aeronautics, robotics, and even the management of production lines in factories.

Initial Activity

To start the lesson, show a short video (2-3 minutes) featuring a Formula 1 car race, highlighting how drivers accelerate and brake during the race. After the video, pose the following provocative question: 'How do engineers calculate the best way to accelerate and brake a racing car for optimal performance?' Encourage students to reflect on the importance of these decisions and how they relate to UAM.

Development

Duration: 40 - 45 minutes

The purpose of this stage is to provide a deep and practical understanding of uniformly accelerated motion, allowing students to apply theoretical concepts in real situations. Through the practical challenge and fixation exercises, students develop calculation, analysis, and construction skills, preparing them to solve real problems involving UAM in different contexts.

Covered Topics

1. Definition of Uniformly Accelerated Motion (UAM)
2. UAM Graphs: position vs. time, velocity vs. time
3. UAM equations: position equation, velocity equation
4. Calculation of variables: initial velocity, final velocity, acceleration, displacement, time

Reflections on the Theme

Guide students to reflect on how the knowledge of uniformly accelerated motion can be applied in daily life and different professions. Ask how understanding UAM can assist engineers in building safer vehicles or how it can help in urban planning to improve traffic flow. Encourage students to think of other everyday situations where UAM is relevant.

Mini Challenge

Practical Challenge: Building a Acceleration Cart

Students must work in groups to build a small cart using recyclable materials and a balloon to provide constant acceleration to the cart. The activity involves assembling the cart and conducting experiments to measure the cart's acceleration in different scenarios.

Instructions

1. Divide the class into groups of 4 to 5 students.
2. Distribute materials to each group: cardboard, skewers, bottle caps, balloons, tape, ruler, and stopwatch.
3. Ask students to build a cart using the provided materials, with a balloon attached to the rear to provide the acceleration force.
4. After construction, students should perform acceleration tests on the cart, measuring the distance traveled and the time taken to traverse that distance.
5. Instruct students to record the collected data and use the UAM equations to calculate the cart's acceleration.
6. After the tests, each group should present their results and discuss possible sources of error and how they can be mitigated.

Objective: Provide students with a practical experience of building and experimenting, allowing them to apply UAM concepts to calculate the acceleration of a moving object.

Duration: 40 - 45 minutes

Evaluation Exercises

1. Calculate the acceleration of a car that increases its speed from 0 m/s to 20 m/s in 5 seconds.
2. An object in uniformly accelerated motion travels 100 meters in 10 seconds, starting from rest. What is the object's acceleration?
3. A car uniformly decelerates from 30 m/s to 10 m/s in 4 seconds. What is the car's acceleration?
4. Draw the velocity vs. time graph for an object that starts from rest and accelerates uniformly to reach 15 m/s in 3 seconds.
5. Using the position equation, determine the position of an object after 5 seconds, knowing that it started from rest and has a constant acceleration of 2 m/s².

Conclusion

Duration: 10 - 15 minutes

The purpose of this stage is to consolidate students' learning, providing a recap of the content and connecting it to its practical applications and the job market. Through discussion and reflection, students have the opportunity to internalize the acquired knowledge and perceive its relevance in real contexts.

Discussion

Promote a discussion about what was learned during the lesson. Ask students how the knowledge of uniformly accelerated motion can be applied in their daily lives and future careers. Encourage them to reflect on the practical challenges they faced when building the acceleration carts and how they solved problems using UAM concepts. Discuss the fixation exercises and their solutions, addressing any questions and difficulties encountered by students.

Summary

Summarize and recap the main contents presented during the lesson, highlighting the definition of Uniformly Accelerated Motion, the hourly equations, the position vs. time and velocity vs. time graphs, and the calculation of variables such as initial velocity, final velocity, acceleration, displacement, and time. Reinforce the importance of understanding these concepts for practical application in various professional fields.

Closing

Explain how the lesson connected theory, practice, and real applications. Emphasize the importance of UAM for designing safer vehicles, optimizing traffic flow, and improving industrial processes. Highlight that the ability to calculate and analyze uniformly accelerated motions is crucial for many professions, including engineering, logistics, and robotics. Conclude by stressing that learning these concepts enhances students' ability to solve technical and scientific problems in the future.