General Directions for Preparing the Narrative Portion for the QuickTime Presentation Recording:

1. Answer each of the key concepts for the “The Human Vacuum” challenge, by putting the question and
response to the question in the speaker’s notes in the group’s Google slides where they fit best.

2. Incorporate the key terms into your group’s responses where they apply and put the terms in bold.

Key Concepts

1. How is each type of speed displayed?

Instantaneous Constant Average

Instantaneous speed was displayed when we sucked up the paper, because it accelerated and did not move
at only one speed.
Constant speed was displayed when we dropped the paper, because friction caused it to move at a relatively
constant speed down.
Average speed was displayed when we walked the paper across the table before dropping it into the cup,
because we applied an equal force while transporting it.

2. What are 3 examples of acceleration? as in speed up, slow down, and change direction?

Three examples of acceleration in “The Human Vacuum” challenge were.

From our reference point we saw
1: When we sucked the paper through the straw we wanted to get to the cup fast, so we ran faster to the cup
2: When the paper was at rest on the end of the table and we sucked it up with our straws- it went from being
at rest and holding potential energy to moving towards the straw, which converted into kinetic energy.
3: When we dropped the paper into the cup, the paper went from staying at an almost constant speed to
decelerating while dropping into the cup.

3. How do friction and gravity affect motion?

Gravity affected our motion because the paper could not naturally stay at our straw, so it was pulling the
paper in the opposite direction that we were sucking, creating a vacuum. Gravity also affected our motion
when we dropped the paper– it pulled the paper down using its downward momentum and into the cup.
Friction affected our motion when the particles in the air (air friction) slowed us down gradually, therefore
making us take a longer amount of time to go back and forth.

4. How do Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion apply?

When you suck up on the straw it “pulls” the paper toward it, therefore making the sucking an action and the
“pull” a reaction. This is an example of Newton’s third law of motion– For every action, there is an equal and
opposite reaction.

The paper being at rest on the end of the table until it gets sucked up by the straw is an example of Part 1 of
Newton’s first law of motion, or the Law of Inertia– an object at rest will stay at rest and resist changes in its
motion unless acted upon by a net force. Dropping the paper into the cup is an example of Part 2 of this law,
because it would continue at the same velocity until we let it go.

Because we sucked in, or applied force, the paper moved in the same direction of our breath. This is an example of
Newton’s second law of motion, which states that the force acting on an object is equal to the mass of the object
multiplied by its acceleration. Because paper is made up of matter, it has mass, meaning that it will need force to
be moved.

Key Terms

motion
vacuum
matter
energy
Force
reference point
inertia
mass
resistance
net force or unbalanced force
equal force
speed
velocity
acceleration
momentum
exert or apply
friction
gravity
opposite
direction