Docking Clearance: worksheet
Write about the activity only. Leave out names, class periods, emails, and other personal details.
Play Docking Clearance with your partner. Before each launch, write your prediction. After each launch, record what happened, then answer the questions for that check. Show your math.
HS-PS2-1: Analyze data to support the claim that Newton's second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration.
Check 1: Engine test
| Predicted a (m/s²) | Mass (kg) | Thrust (N) | Actual a (m/s²) | Passed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Show your calculation for the thrust: F = m × a, with your numbers. HS-PS2-1
Check 2: Cargo loaded
| Predicted a (m/s²) | Mass (kg) | Thrust (N) | Actual a (m/s²) | Passed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2. Show your calculation for the thrust: F = m × a. HS-PS2-1
3. The drone's acceleration didn't change, but the ship got heavier. How did the thrust you needed change, and why? HS-PS2-1
Check 3: Speed gate
| Predicted speed at gate (m/s) | Mass (kg) | Thrust (N) | Actual speed (m/s) | Passed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
4. What acceleration does the ship need during the 5.0 s burn to reach 10.0 m/s? HS-PS2-1
Answer: ________ m/s²
5. What thrust gives that acceleration? Show F = m × a. HS-PS2-1
6. After the engine shut off, the ship kept moving at a steady 10.0 m/s. Which idea explains that? HS-PS2-1
- With no net force, the velocity stays the same (Newton's first law).
- Something must still be pushing the ship forward, or it would slow down.
- The engine's force gets used up gradually after the engine shuts off.
- The exhaust keeps pushing back on the ship (Newton's third law).
Check 4: Stuck thruster
| Predicted a (m/s²) | Mass (kg) | Stuck thruster (N) | Thrust (N) | Actual a (m/s²) | Passed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
7. Show your math: the net force the ship needs, then the engine thrust. HS-PS2-1
8. Why does the engine have to push harder than the net force the ship needs? HS-PS2-1
Check 5: Docking
| Predicted stopping distance (m) | Mass (kg) | Braking force (N) | Actual distance (m) | Passed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
9. What deceleration stops the ship from 4.0 m/s in exactly 20.0 m? HS-PS2-1
Answer: ________ m/s²
10. What braking force gives that deceleration? Show F = m × a. HS-PS2-1
Bonus: Mystery cargo
| Predicted a (m/s²) | Test burn (N) | Test burn a (m/s²) | Mass (kg) | Thrust (N) | Passed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
11. How did your test burn tell you the hidden mass? Show your math. HS-PS2-1
When a launch missed
12. Pick one launch that missed. Which check was it, and what went wrong? Use the rule the game showed you. HS-PS2-1
Wrap-up: Newton's second law
13. How are net force, mass, and acceleration related? Use numbers from at least two flight checks as your evidence. HS-PS2-1
| Claim | |
|---|---|
| Evidence | |
| Reasoning |