Lesson 1: Forces

Lesson 2: Energy

Challenge - Basketball and the Hierarchy

Curriculum Connections.pdf

Formulas and More.pdf

Lesson 1.pdf

Lesson 2.pdf

Challenge.pdf

Quiz.pdf

Quiz Answer Guide.pdf

Worksheet.pdf

Worksheet Answer Guide.pdf

This project allows students to experiment with foundational Physics concepts like mass, velocity, forces, and energy within Unity, a powerful real-time physics engine. This provides students with a fun and interactive way to tinker with various physical constants and immediately see their impact in a simulated environment. Not only is this an excellent way for students to solidify their understanding of these concepts, but it will also open their eyes to the possibility of using 3D engines like Unity to grapple with real-world scenarios.

CatapultPhysics .unitypackage.zip

In this project, you will have a chance to explore the physics involved in a catapult launch. Lessons on forces and energy will guide your exploration and a final challenge will test your knowledge. You will be manipulating multiple variables in the engine itself to produce changes in velocity, acceleration, distance and more!

This project is powered by Enable Education. You can find a link to the Enable Education website in the Project Materials to the right.

Catapult Physics; Forces, and Energy

266ff1d9-436b-51b2-b5f4-38c2d214a4c5:LykMeJMWYc0kxDfQUMWZpx

Score a basket

The catapult simulation has set variables

The catapult launches at a 45-degree angle

The catapult and cannonball have predetermined settings

The simulation also has set time and gravity values

The simulation is built with code

Use the skills you’ve learned in the previous two lessons to score on a basketball hoop. After you’ve scored, you will have to use the hierarchy and inspector windows to manipulate the way your catapult works. When you’ve found out how to make changes to your catapult, try the Free Play activities again using different catapult settings. When you’ve finished working with the catapult settings, look at the code that calculates the values you see inside the simulation.

Catapult will throw a cannonball through a basketball hoop

Catapult settings and characteristics will be manipulated

In this challenge, you will reinforce the following skills/concepts:

Using mass and force sliders to send a cannonball to a specific location

Use the hierarchy menu to select elements of your catapult

Adjust the launch settings of your catapult using the inspector window in Unity

Complete the Free Play activities without the use of the force and mass sliders

Adjust the project settings and investigate the effect of your changes in the Free Play activities

Look at the code that allows the physics editor to make calculations

See attached file labelled "Curriculum Connections.pdf"

See attached file labelled "Challenge.pdf"

Adjust the project settings and investigate the effect of your changes on the Free Play activities

CatapultPhysics.zip

Use the force and mass sliders to launch the cannonball into the basket

Hint: Use what you've learned in the previous free play activities and manipulate the spring force and mass sliders

Find the catapult settings (mass, force, launch angle, launch speed etc.)

Hint: You can find the hierarchy and inspector windows in the Window-> General tab at the top of your screen. Open the hierarchy and inspector windows and dock them.

Hint: In the hierarchy menu, click on Catapult -> Arm -> Cannonball

Look through the project's hierarchy to find a way to adjust your cannonball's mass and score a basket without using the mass slider

Hint: In the hierarchy menu, click through the catapult options and find a way to change your cannonball settings

Knock down the boxes in Free Play [Boxes] without hitting them with the cannonball

Hint: Using the menu bar at the top of the screen, click on the Edit -> Project Settings and locate the gravity and time values

Find a way to open the code for the catapult simulation and look for the physics formulas being used

Once you've opened the code, do not make any changes

Hint: Open the project window by going to Window -> General -> Project and open the script file

Challenge - Basketball and the Hierarchy

1. Score a basket

2. The catapult simulation has set variables

3. The catapult launches at a 45-degree angle

4. The catapult and cannonball have predetermined settings

5. The simulation also has set time and gravity values

6. The simulation is built with code

Complete this tutorial