Students will investigate Newton’s First Law of Motion by testing how different masses behave when the support beneath them is removed rapidly. Using an index card, a coin, and a cup, students flick the card to observe whether objects of varying mass drop straight into the cup or move with the card. Through repeated trials, data recording, percent-success calculations, class graphing, and a CER, students learn how inertia affects motion and why mass influences the likelihood of movement.

Learning Targets

• Plan and carry out a controlled investigation with repeated trials
• Record trial data and compute percent success for each mass
• Graph class averages to compare how mass influences motion
• Construct a CER explaining the relationship between mass and inertia using Newton’s First Law

What’s Included

• Teacher Guide: setup, timing, and background on Newton’s First Law; tips for running consistent trials (card overhang, flicking force, friction controls) to ensure reliable comparisons.
• Student Packet: hypothesis prompt, variable identification, data table, 3-trial recording per object, percent-success calculations, graphing task, structured CER response, and analysis questions.
• Class Data & Graphing Pages: class totals chart, percent-success bar graph (“Percent Drop Success vs Mass”), and one-sentence caption requirement identifying the most successful mass.
• Analysis & Answer Key: reasoning examples, expected mass pattern, error sources, sample CER paragraph, and teacher scoring suggestions.
• Rubric: experimental design, data quality, bar graph accuracy, CER strength, and safety/team collaboration.
  

Why Teachers Love It:

• Hands-on, simple-material inquiry with real scientific reasoning
• Easy prep — only index cards, coins, cups, and recording sheets
• Builds experimental design, consistency control, and variable tracking skills
• Natural entry point into forces, inertia, mass, and unbalanced forces
• Embedded CER + graph requirement promotes evidence-based explanations
• Perfect for stations, intro physics, or quick-hit STEM practice

➡️ You can get this STEM as well as all my other ones in this series inside my STEM Investigations Growing Bundle. As more labs are added, the price will increase. CLICK HERE to have a look

Best For

Physical Science (forces, motion, inertia), lab skills, graphing, CER writing, introductory Newton’s Laws, or sub-friendly science explorations.

Materials Needed

Index cards, coins/washers/bolts (various masses), a cup, a ruler, student lab sheet (included), calculator or percent chart. Optional: scale, stopwatch, high-speed video.

Estimated Timing:

1 class period for setup → trials → percent success → class graph. Add 20–30 minutes for CER writing, discussion questions, and error analysis.

➡️ You can get this activity inside my STEM Investigations Growing Bundle.

I also have the following STEM Labs in My Store:

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NGSS alignment

MS-PS2-2, MS-PS2-1 (forces & motion, Newton’s 1st Law)

Practices: Planning & Carrying Out Investigations; Analyzing Data; Using Mathematics & Computation; Constructing Explanations; Argument from Evidence

Assessment

Use the included rubric to score environment understanding, adaptation quality and plausibility, scientific accuracy, CER strength, and class data/graph work.