It's All Uphill
Notes:
The It's All Uphill Interactive is an adjustable-size file that displays nicely on tablets such as the iPad, on Chromebooks, and on laptops and desktops. The size of the Interactive can be scaled to fit the device that it is displayed on. The compatibility with iPads, other tablets, and Chromebooks make it a perfect tool for use in a 1:1 classroom. This Interactive does not display as nicely on all phones and we do not recommend its use on many phones.
Teaching Ideas and Suggestions:
This Interactive is intended for use near the early to middle stages of a learning cycle on work and energy. The Interactive provides a simulated lab activity in which learners answer the question as to how does the incline angle affect the amount of work required to pull a cart up the incline to the same height for each angle. The force is displayed on the Interactive and the displacement can be measured using the provided scale. The Interactive can also explore the related question: how does the incline angle affect the amount of force required to pull a cart up the incline at a constant speed. There is an activity sheet for this Interactive that guides learners through the data collection and analysis process. The Interactive can be used as a springboard into the concept of work and its connection to energy. It can also be used as a makeup lab to the actual hands-on version of the lab (see Related Resources - Labwork below). The Interactive should be post-processed. Concepts to be related to this lab include the meaning of theta in the work equation, kinetic and potential energy changes, power (a steeper angle requires more force and more power), and the connection between work and energy.
Our It's All Uphill simulation is now available with a Concept Checker. Do the simulation. Then follow it up with the
Concept Checker.
Related Resources
There are numerous resources at The Physics Classroom website that serve as very complementary supports for the It's All Uphill Interactive. These include:
- Minds On Physics Internet Modules:
The Minds On Physics Internet Modules include a collection of interactive questioning modules that help learners assess their understanding of physics concepts and solidify those understandings by answering questions that require higher-order thinking. Assignments WE1, WE2, WE4, and WE9 of the Work and Energy module provide great complements to this Interactive. They are best used in the middle to later stages of the learning cycle. Visit the Minds On Physics Internet Modules.
- Curriculum/Practice: Several Concept Development worksheets at the Curriculum Corner will be very useful in assisting students in cultivating their understanding, most notably ...
Work
Work-Energy Relationships
Visit the Curriculum Corner.
- Labwork:
Simulations should always support (never supplant) hands-on learning. The Laboratory section of The Physics Classroom website includes several hands-on ideas that complement this Interactive. Three notable lab ideas include ...
It's All Uphill Lab
It's All Uphill - The Sequel Lab
All Work and No Play
Visit The Laboratory.
Additional resources and ideas for incorporating It's All Uphill into an instructional unit on work and energy can be found at the
Teacher Toolkits section of The Physics Classroom website. Visit
Teacher Toolkits.