Design an AUV

Module 4: Lesson 1

Students will explore the engineering principles behind the design of underwater robots. Students will use Newton’s laws of motion to construct an explanation to describe the effects of forces on the motion of their autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). Students will also answer questions that provide evidence to support the claim that the amount of force needed to accelerate their AUV is proportional to its mass (inertia).

Lesson Plan

Essential Question(s): How do Newton’s laws affect the performance of an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV)? How are the concepts of mass, buoyancy, potential energy, kinetic energy, and power related to the performance of an AUV?

Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

  • Use Newton’s laws of motion to construct an explanation to describe the effects of forces on the motion of their AUV
  • Construct an argument from evidence to support the claim that the amount of force needed to accelerate their AUV is proportional to its mass (inertia)

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