Collision Course

This resource, from the Association for Science Education (ASE) is a Key Stage Four investigation into kinetic and potential energy, based on a real-life context. If a large asteroid hit the Earth, could it cause a global catastrophe? In this unit, on a table-top scale, students simulate what an impact would be like. They can investigate how the energy of their 'asteroid' affects the distance the debris travels and the size of the 'crater'. The unit is an adapted version of a popular brief from the Pupil Researcher Initiative.

Collision Course is an easy to use investigation, which can:

*Reinforce and apply the concepts of kinetic and potential energy and teach the formulae for them.
*Address the full range of investigative skills e.g. P (making predictions, controlling variables), O (taking sufficient measurements, judging uncertainty), C (drawing conclusions) and E (considering reliability and validity of evidence).
*Develop numeracy skills, through practice in doing calculations.