Exploring Force and Inertia with MYP 4 and MYP 5
One of the most exciting aspects of learning physics is discovering that the laws that govern the universe are not just ideas written in textbooks, they are present in the everyday objects around us. In our recent lessons with MYP 4 and MYP 5 physics students, we explored the concepts of applied force and inertia through a simple but very engaging classroom experiment that allowed students to see Newton’s laws in action.
For this activity, students were asked to bring a few common household items: an egg, a plate, a cup, and a paper roll. At first glance, these objects may not seem connected to physics, but they quickly became the perfect tools to demonstrate one of the most important principles in dynamics.
The setup of the experiment was both simple and intriguing. A cup filled with water was placed on the table, then a paper plate was positioned on top of the cup. On the plate we placed the paper roll, and finally the egg was carefully balanced on top of the roll. The challenge was to apply a quick horizontal force to the plate. According to Newton’s First Law of Motion, an object at rest tends to remain at rest unless acted upon by a net external force. This means that if the plate and the paper roll are moved quickly enough, the egg should remain almost in place momentarily and fall straight down into the cup of water.
Because the students brought raw eggs, we decided to first practice the technique safely using a rubber ball instead of the egg. This allowed the entire class to try the motion and understand how the experiment worked before attempting the final demonstration. One by one, students practiced applying a quick horizontal strike to the plate, observing how the ball dropped almost vertically into the cup.
After everyone felt confident with the movement, the excitement in the classroom grew. The moment had come to attempt the experiment with the real egg. As a class, we selected one student to perform the final demonstration, making sure all safety measures were in place. The whole room watched carefully as the plate was struck with a quick motion sending the plate and the paper roll sliding away while the egg followed the prediction of Newton’s laws and dropped neatly into the cup of water.
The classroom immediately filled with cheers and laughter. The students were thrilled to see that a principle they had just learned in theory worked perfectly in practice. Moments like these show that physics is not only about equations and formulas, but about curiosity, experimentation, and understanding how the world works.
Through this hands on activity, students strengthened their understanding of applied force, inertia, and Newton’s First and Second Laws of Motion. More importantly, they experienced the joy of discovering science in action. It was a wonderful reminder that some of the most powerful learning happens when students are able to experiment, test ideas, and learn together in a dynamic and fun environment.
