| Lesson Plan |
| Grade: Year 12 |
Date: 25/02/2026 |
| Subject: Physics |
| Lesson Topic: understand and use the terms light, critical and heavy damping and sketch displacement–time graphs illustrating these types of damping |
Learning Objective/s:
- Describe the physical meaning of light, critical and heavy damping in oscillatory systems.
- Sketch and label displacement‑time graphs for each damping regime.
- Write the appropriate mathematical solution x(t) for each type of damping.
- Explain how damping influences resonance and the quality factor.
|
Materials Needed:
- Projector and screen
- Whiteboard and markers
- Handout with damping diagrams
- Graph paper and rulers
- Simulation software (e.g., PhET Oscillations)
|
Introduction:
Begin with a quick demonstration of a mass‑spring system that slowly comes to rest. Ask students to recall how friction affects motion and to predict what the graph of displacement versus time might look like. Explain that today they will learn to classify damping types and accurately sketch their characteristic graphs, which will be the success criteria for the lesson.
|
Lesson Structure:
- Do‑now (5') – Complete a short worksheet identifying damping from given scenarios.
- Mini‑lecture (10') – Review equations of motion and introduce light, critical, heavy damping with visual sketches.
- Guided practice (12') – In pairs, draw displacement‑time graphs for each regime on graph paper; teacher provides feedback.
- Interactive simulation (8') – Use PhET to vary the damping coefficient and observe real‑time graphs; discuss observations.
- Mathematical application (10') – Match each graph to its corresponding solution x(t) and write the formula on a worksheet.
- Quick quiz (5') – Exit ticket: label a blank graph and state the damping type.
|
Conclusion:
Summarise how the damping coefficient determines the shape of the displacement‑time graph and its impact on resonance. Collect the exit tickets to check understanding, and assign homework to complete a set of practice problems on damping and resonance. Remind students to review the summary table for the exam checklist.
|