IAL PHYSICS - UNIT 01 - L1 Momentum

IAL Physics: Momentum – Lesson 1

Teach momentum and collisions with this engaging IAL Physics lesson PowerPoint. Designed to support classroom teaching and revision, this resource covers linear momentum, conservation of momentum, impulse, explosions and Newton’s third law of motion.

What’s included?

• Starter and retrieval tasks to activate prior knowledge.
• Clear learning objectives and success criteria for different levels of achievement.
• Linear momentum: understanding momentum as the product of mass and velocity, including its vector nature and direction.
• Conservation of linear momentum: exploring how total momentum remains constant in a closed system.
• Impulse: understanding the relationship between force, time and change in momentum.
• Explosions and collisions: applying momentum conservation to interactions between objects.
• Newton’s third law: linking equal and opposite forces to changes in momentum and acceleration.
• Collaboration and discussion prompts to encourage scientific reasoning.
• PhET simulation activity to explore collisions and momentum interactively.
• Plenary and exit ticket to assess understanding and identify misconceptions.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to calculate momentum, explain how objects gain or lose momentum, and perform calculations using the principle of conservation of linear momentum.

This resource is suitable for Physics teachers delivering IAL Physics and for students revising the fundamentals of momentum and collisions. It can be adapted to suit different classroom needs and teaching approaches.