STEM in Context

Resources on Physics and Aerospace

Image showing the physics of flight on a drone.

Image of the physics of flight on a drone (©2019 Let’s Talk Science)

Image showing the physics of flight on a drone.

Image of the physics of flight on a drone (©2019 Let’s Talk Science)

Physics,  Kinematics,  Dynamics,  Space Science,  Space exploration,  Technology & Engineering

How does this align with my curriculum?

Resource page including articles and career profiles related to physics and aerospace.

Humans are explorers. From the beginning of our existence, we strived to reach out and explore new frontiers. Once we had traveled across the globe, we set our sight on reaching higher up. From the Wright Brothers to interstellar probes, none of this would have been made possible without unraveling the laws of physics that govern our world. 

Physicists are turning the mysteries of Earth and space into principles we can use for building and engineering devices that allow us to fly, to build stations orbiting the earth, land on Mars and send probes outside of the solar system. 

Below are are some of Let’s Talk Science resources that will allow you to explore the vast world of aerospace physics.

Articles, Backgrounders and Hands-on Activities

Artist’s conception of NASA’s Space Launch System

Escape Velocity

Why do a baseball and a rocket need the same launch speed to get from Earth into space? It has to do with physics and gravitational force.

Cartoon aircraft in flight

Cosmic Radiation and Aviation

Learn how people came to understand the source of cosmic radiation, as well as how this radiation impacts those who work in and travel on airplanes.

Hubble Space Telescope as seen during a servicing mission in 2009

Airborne & Space Telescopes

Learn about telescopes that do their work high in Earth’s atmosphere and in space.

Planet and asteroid orbits around the Sun

Orbital Mechanics

This backgrounder helps explain the laws of Orbital Mechanics, including Newton’s Laws.

Eruption on the surface of the Sun

What are Cosmic Rays?

This backgrounder has information about both cosmic & neutron radiation.

The Jodrell Bank Lovell Telescope located in Cheshire, England

Telescopes and Astronomy

Visible light is only part of what astronomers study. They use different types of telescopes to study the entire electromagnetic spectrum.

Keplers Supernova. Image © NASA

The Life and Death of Stars

The life and death of stars form the chemical elements that make up Earth, making stars critical to life as we know it.

Radiation shielding garment on the International Space Station

Radiation and Human Space Exploration

One of the greatest hazards that humans in space face is cosmic radiation. Learn what cosmic radiation is, why it's dangerous, and ways that we are looking at protecting humans in deep space.

Space lander

How can we land a model space probe?

Design and build a model space probe.

Asteroids

Where Can We Find Asteroids and Comets?

This backgrounder explains the difference between planets, dwarf planets and small solar system bodies, such as asteroids and comets.

Canadian pilot

From Sky to Space

Canadian astronauts Jeremy Hansen and David Saint-Jacques explain how learning to fly an aircraft prepared them for the challenges of living in space.

Above: Tires on a Boeing 737 (Wikimedia Commons/Politikaner)

How do an Airplane's Tires Help It Land Safely?

Manufacturing and engineering airplane tires is important work! Learn how airplane tires keep the aircraft safe during takeoff and landing.

 

Careers

Learning about the professionals involved is ideal to establish relations between STEM studies and skills, and the real world. Below are some suggested career profiles to show the variety of people involved in different areas of physics and aerospace.

 

Teaching Resources

  1. What principles of physics are involved in flight?
  2. Where can an aerospace physicist work? Do you know any aerospace companies in your area?
  3. What does an astrophysicist study?
  4. Can you think of recent news about aviation and space?
  5. What challenges can physicists help with concerning the mission to set a base around our Moon? And to set the first human settlement on another planet, Mars?

  • You can use the KWL: What I Know, What I Want to Know, and What I Learned Learning Strategy to introduce the topic.

  • Initial discussion

    • Using the questions above, discuss the topics with students. This can be done in the classroom or online, you can also have an asynchronous discussion by using a collaborative platform in which students can share their thoughts and opinions on the different questions. This option gives more space for introvert expression.

  • Articles

    • Teaching suggestions can be found  at the bottom of each of the articles. Learning strategies can also be used with the suggested videos.

Questions for Discussion with Students

  1. What principles of physics are involved in flight?
  2. Where can an aerospace physicist work? Do you know any aerospace companies in your area?
  3. What does an astrophysicist study?
  4. Can you think of recent news about aviation and space?
  5. What challenges can physicists help with concerning the mission to set a base around our Moon? And to set the first human settlement on another planet, Mars?

Teaching Suggestions

  • You can use the KWL: What I Know, What I Want to Know, and What I Learned Learning Strategy to introduce the topic.

  • Initial discussion

    • Using the questions above, discuss the topics with students. This can be done in the classroom or online, you can also have an asynchronous discussion by using a collaborative platform in which students can share their thoughts and opinions on the different questions. This option gives more space for introvert expression.

  • Articles

    • Teaching suggestions can be found  at the bottom of each of the articles. Learning strategies can also be used with the suggested videos.

Related Topics

Aircraft
Kinematics
Dynamics
Human Spaceflight
Mechanical Engineering