Episode 7 – Zoom Zoom

#CouchPotatoLab

First, you will need to download the Zoom Zoom Lab Manual.

May the Fourth Be With You! Aka, Happy Star Wars Day! When the phrase “May the Force Be With You” was first introduced in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, this became a classic line in the popular series. The phrase essentially translates to “good luck”. What does Star Wars have anything to do with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) you may ask? Well, the simple answer is that they both utilize forces.

A force is anything that causes a change in energy, motion or shape of an object. It is a push or pull acting on an object. A contact force is a force that results from two things contacting each other. A person applying a force to an object is a contact force. Non-contact forces are forces that result when two objects do not come into contact with each other but a force is still present. Non-contact forces are gravity or magnetic forces.

In Star Wars, characters who are able to use the force have the ability to move objects, play mind tricks, make large leaps or jumps, among many other things. What kinds of forces are being used here? Why are forces important? Our activities today will answer these questions and more!

Saskatchewan Curriculum Connections:

FM5.1: Analyze the effects of gravitational, magnetic, and mechanical forces, including friction, on the movement of objects. (CP, SI) (a,d,e)