Bubble Gum Physics
I love Physics!!! The stigma attached to physics can make some individuals recoil. Some people tend to think that they are "not smart enough" to understand such a heavy subject. This simply is not true. There isn't anything within physics that can't be understood if we just stick to the basics, and take one step at a time.
I came across this website when I was looking for a lab to teach middle schoolers about Newton's Laws of Motion. The website contains unique Physics labs for middle school science classrooms. My favorite is Bubble Gum Physics!
Bubble Gum Physics is an experiment encompassing bubble gum, speed, and acceleration. What kid wouldn't love the opportunity to chew gum in class and learn at the same time? What a great way to show students that Physics is PHUN!!
Part 1: Students use a timer to determine the number of "chomps" they can make in 10 seconds. The data collected is used to collect their chomping speed and used to make predictions for different amounts of time.
Part 2: Students collect data about their chomping power and use the information to investigate speed as well as acceleration.
The The Science Spot: Science Classroom website provides a student worksheet for the Bubble Gum experiment. It contains data tables for the investigation as well as questions to guide the experiments objectives. Enjoy!
