Physics in everyday life:
Classroom example
. Physics is the branch of science that deals with the study of the interaction between matter and energy. Not every student will grow up and study physics in-depth, but everyone uses basic concepts of physics to navigate everyday life. Here are 5 examples to help students understand how they are using the concepts of physics every day.
How everyone uses the concepts of physics every day.
Studying physics can feel overwhelming, but students are already familiar with many concepts. Coping with negative or frustrating behavior begins with giving students examples and ideas that will help them feel interested and excited about the “how” and “why” behind them.
5 Daily Physics Examples to Discover:
These five examples are the best way to make students mindful of how they are using physics daily.
1: Heat – the stove.
Heat is the energy that is transferred from a hot substance to a cold object. When you use the stove, the coil, flame, or cooktop transfers heat energy to the pot or pan placed on top of it. After that, the heat from the pot or pan is transferred to the food inside.
Other fun examples of using heat:
- Roast melted on fire
- Ironing the wrinkles of the shirt
- Wet clothes are dried by the hot air of the dryer.
2: Voice – Headphones
The small speakers in your headphones use electric and moving magnets to create sound waves. Sound waves from the speaker bounce off your eardrums, which your brain interprets as music. The sound waves you hear, whether they come from another person or a speaker, bounce objects and move through the air and into your ears. Your brain uses the waves to interpret where the sound is coming from and how loud it is.
Other fun sound examples:
- A dog barks from a distance.
- A knocking door on the other side of the room
- Tap the pen on your desk.
3: Gravity – Ballpoint pen
A ballpoint pen is a ball that spins when you push it down to write on a piece of paper. Inside the pen is ink that sits on top of the ball. Gravity pulls the ink down towards the paper, and as you write, the ball spins in the ink, taking a controlled amount from the inside of the pen to the surface of the paper as it turns. If you remove the ball holding the ink back, gravity will pull all the ink down and into the paper.
Other fun examples of gravity:
- You can jump over the excavation but gravity pulls you back.
- The water of the lake is kept in the right place by the force of gravity.
- Soccer players pin the ball and gravity pulls it down to catch the other team.
4 : Inertia – seat belt
When your body is moving, it needs more force to stop it. In your car, your body is moving as fast as the car is moving. Your seat belt, holding you firmly to your seat, is the force that prevents your body from moving when you apply the brakes. Without a seat belt, a sudden stop can send you out of your seat.
Other fun examples of inertia:
- The swing is attached to the sky, but gravity is a strong force that pulls it back to the earth.
- You throw the bowling ball and the pins are dropped because they are not strong enough to stop the inertia.
- A falling tree will squeeze anything in its path until it hits the ground (or something as strong as a house).
5: Electricity – batteries
The car stores electrical energy in its battery which is used to start the engine and to run the car’s electrical components such as the radio. The engine uses combustion to generate electrical energy which is stored in the battery when needed.
More fun examples of electricity:
- Luminous lights used as decorations transmit electricity from an outlet or battery to a wire so that all the small bulbs connected to it can be illuminated.
- A toaster uses electricity to generate heat in the coils that bake your bread.
- An alarm clock requires a constant current of electricity to show the correct time. When the power goes out, the alarm clock can’t work.
- How we use physics daily