SHS1 Physics · Semester 1 Week 12: Dynamics

Lesson notes

Learning Objectives

Indicator: 1.1.4.LI.2

By the end of the lesson, learners can:

Explain how pressure acts as an agent of force in the braking system of a vehicle, tracing the path from the brake pedal to the wheels.
Describe the operation of a hydraulic press, identifying how a small force applied over a small area produces a large force over a larger area.
Compare and contrast the brake system of a vehicle and the hydraulic press, identifying the shared principle of pressure transmission in each.
Apply Pascal’s principle in qualitative terms to predict the effect of changing the area of a piston in a hydraulic system, without yet stating the principle formally (which comes in a later lesson).
Work collaboratively in mixed groups to explain, using scientific reasoning, how a driver’s foot force is multiplied to stop a moving vehicle or compress a load in a hydraulic press.

Sign in with your phone number to read the full note and download the GES plan - free.

Sign in with phone number

Curriculum details

Strand: Mechanics and Matter (Strand 1)
Sub-strand: Dynamics (1.4)
Content standard: 1.1.4.CS.2 - Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of pressure. 1.1.4.LO.2 Recognise pressure as an agent of force.
Indicator: 1.1.4.LI.2 - Explain the operation of brake systems in vehicles and the operation of the hydraulic press.
Suggested placement: Semester 1, Week 12 (Week 12 of the year)
Our suggestion, laid out in curriculum order across three terms of twelve weeks. NaCCA does not fix the week, so follow your school's scheme of learning.
Source document note: The official curriculum document has a fault in this entry, so the curriculum text above is transcribed exactly as printed:

content standard text - p.43: the document prints this content standard code as 1.1.4.CS.1
Curriculum reference: NaCCA curriculum document, p. 43

Exemplars (from the NaCCA curriculum)

Ask learners to watch a video of the braking systems of cars and the hydraulic press. Employ the services of an auto mechanic if necessary.
Engage learners in discussions and activities that examine prevalent myths or misconceptions surrounding gender and disabilities in the context of physics, encouraging critical thinking and dispelling these misconceptions through evidence-based exploration.
Assessment (1.1.4.AS.2). The document marks these depth-of-knowledge levels for this indicator: Level 3 Strategic reasoning.
Teaching and Learning Resources:
- Audio-visuals
- Internet
- Projectors
- YouTube
- Interactive virtual laboratory