It's a drag

It's a drag

TLF ID L51

Investigate the braking efficiency of cars and trucks. Test stopping distances under controlled conditions. Compare effects of vehicle type, tyres, road surface and weather conditions. Choose driving speed, then apply brakes and compare stopping distances. Answer questions about friction, tyres and driver fatigue. This learning object is one in a series of two learning objects.

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Educational details

Educational value
  • Simulates a vehicle driving along a road with interactive controls for type of vehicle, speed, type of tyres, road surface and weather.
  • Allows students to start the vehicle moving then respond to a signal to apply brakes so that reaction time is recorded.
  • Shows that stopping time is a combination of reaction time and braking distance.
  • Enables students to explore the variables that affect braking distance and stopping time.
  • Provides a sample results table to print out.
  • Provides a glossary and topics for further research.
Year level

5; 6; 7

Topics Motion Safety Reciprocal actions Machinery Tables (Data) Data processing Magnetism Data analysis Data representation Data collection Gravity Graphs (Data representation) Experiments Paper crafts Instrumentation (Technology) Fundamental forces Friction Predictions (Science) Instructions SI units Patterns Scaffolding (Teaching methods) Research questions Modelling
Learning area
  • Science

Other details

Contributors
  • Contributor
  • Name: Australian Science Teachers Association
  • Organization: Australian Science Teachers Association
  • Description: Subject matter expert
  • Address: ACT, AUSTRALIA
  • URL: http://www.asta.edu.au/
  • Name: The Swish Group Ltd\; Learning Curve Pty Ltd
  • Organization: The Swish Group Ltd\; Learning Curve Pty Ltd
  • Description: Technical implementer
  • Address: ACT, AUSTRALIA
  • URL: http://www.learning-curve.com.au/
  • Name: Education Services Australia
  • Organization: Education Services Australia
  • Description: Data manager
  • Person: Graham Coghill
  • Description: Subject matter expert
  • Publisher
  • Name: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Organization: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Description: Publisher
  • Address: VIC, AUSTRALIA
  • URL: http://www.esa.edu.au/
  • Resource metadata contributed by
  • Name: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Organisation: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Address: AUSTRALIA
  • URL: www.esa.edu.au
Access profile
  • Colour independence
  • Device independence
  • Hearing independence
Learning Resource Type
  • Interactive
Rights
  • © Education Services Australia Ltd, 2016, except where indicated under Acknowledgements. Unless otherwise indicated, this material may be used in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.