Hit the Spot!

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This is a hands-on activity about the physics of tennis. Learners will discover that physics plays a big part in tennis, no matter what their skill level might be. The activity has learners investigate how the angle of their racket affects ball trajectory as they try to hit homemade targets. Best done outside, or in a large gym. [Activity is publicly available through a web crawler capture on Archive.org. Activity write-up only, images are unavailable.]

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
Under 5 minutes
Learning Time:
30 to 45 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$10 - $20 per student
Age Range:
Ages 8 - 14
Resource Type:
Activity
Language:
English

Materials List (per student)

  • A wall and a large hard/concrete surface outside (like a garage door and a driveway)
  • A tennis racket
  • A tennis ball
  • A tape measure or meter stick
  • 5 sheets of paper
  • Masking tape
  • Magic marker
  • A stopwatch (optional)

Keywords

Subjects

  • Physical Sciences
    • Motion and Forces
      • Momentum and Velocity
      • Acceleration
      • Projectile Motion

Informal Categories

  • Outdoor Activity
  • Physical Activity
  • Sports and Exercise

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • read
  • be mobile
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

Source Collection

  • TryScience

Rights: