Skip to Content Go to sign in Skip to Primary Navigation Skip to Secondary Navigation Skip to Page Navigation Skip to Header Navigation Skip to Footer Navigation Read more about accessability options and our navigation

Physics Classroom is making strides to make our site accessible to everyone. Our site contains 6 navigation areas. The Primary, Secondary, and Page Level navigations have a screen reader version of their nav structure that allows using the left and right keys to navigate sibling navigation items, and up or down keys to navigate parent or child navigation items. The others can be navigated using tabs. The Primary Navigation handles the first 2 levels of site pages. The Secondary (which is not always available) handles the 3rd and 4th level of structure. The Page level navigation allows you to navigate the current page's headings quickly. The Header Navigation contains the Light/Dark Mode toggle, Search, Notifications and account login. The Breadcrumb Navigation contains the breadcrumb of the current page. If the current page has a breadcrumb, you can get to it by skipping to the content and tabbing in reverse (shift plus tab). The Footer Navigation contains links such as Privacy, Contact, about and terms. Some resources contain an Audio Player that can be activated by holding down the T key for 3 seconds, and then using K to pause and resume. While not every area of Physics Classroom is usable purely from keyboard and screen reader, we are committed to continue work on making this possible. If you have questions or need additional help, please use this link to contact us.

Return to screen reader navigation
Home Interactives Newton's Laws Elevator Ride Notes

Elevator Ride Notes

Notes:

The Elevator Ride Interactive is an adjustable-size file that displays nicely on tablets such as the iPad, on Chromebooks, and on laptops and desktops. The size of the Interactive can be scaled to fit the device that it is displayed on. The compatibility with iPads, other tablets, and Chromebooks make it a perfect tool for use in a 1:1 classroom. This Interactive does not display well on all smart phones and so we do not recommend its use on smart phones.

Teaching Ideas and Suggestions:

The topic of weightlessness is almost certain to arise at sometime during an introductory physics course - whether it is part of the curriculum or simply a topic of students' curiosity. The sensations that a person experiences on a roller coaster ride or a elevator ride are explained by Newton's laws of motion. Thus, the topic of weightlessness could be introduced during a Newton's Laws unit. Alternatively, the topic of weightlessness could be treated during a unit on satellite motion since occupants of satellites experience circular motion. This interactive is all about those sensations of weightlessness and weightiness. It is intended for use near the middle to later stages of a learning cycle on either Newton's second law or satellite motion. It can be used as a demonstration, an open-ended student exploration, or as a guided activity. The accompanying Activity page is an example of how the Elevator Ride Interactive can be used as a guided activity.


Our Elevator Ride simulation is now available with a Concept Checker. Do the simulation. Then follow it up with the Concept Checker.

Related Resources:

There are numerous resources at The Physics Classroom website that serve as very complementary supports for the Elevator Ride Interactive. These include:
 
  • Minds On Physics Internet Modules:
    The Minds On Physics Internet Modules include a collection of interactive questioning modules that help learners assess their understanding of physics concepts and solidify those understandings by answering questions that require higher-order thinking. Assignment CG9 of the Circular Motion and Gravitation module provides great complements to this Interactive. They are best used in the middle to later stages of the learning cycle. Visit the Minds On Physics Internet Modules.
     
  • Curriculum/Practice: Several Concept Development worksheets at the Curriculum Corner will be very useful in assisting students in cultivating their understanding, most notably ...

    Weightlessness

    Visit the Curriculum Corner.

     
  • Labwork:
    Simulations should always support (never supplant) hands-on learning. The Laboratory section of The Physics Classroom website includes several hands-on ideas that complement this Interactive. One notable lab idea includes ...

    The Mini Drop Lab

    Visit The Laboratory.
  • Science Reasoning Activities:
    Science classrooms should be filled with reasoning activities. There is one related activity in the Circular Motion section of the Science Reasoning Center that will challenge students to employ close reading, data analysis, and logical reasoning. The activity is named ...

    Weightlessness Training

    Visit the Science Reasoning Center.
     

Additional resources and ideas for incorporating Elevator Rider into an instructional unit on Newton's Laws or Circular Motion can be found at the Teacher Toolkits section of The Physics Classroom website. Visit Teacher Toolkits.

Visit: Elevator Ride Interactive