**6. Physics curricula and** *Angry Birds*

**Figure 1.** *Angry Birds* gameplay showing an example how to shoot a bird to destroy pigs hiding inside the walls. Stone, wood, and glass are the basics materials. How hard are they to destroy is not always dependent on the material but also on the shape of the material. Small square-shaped blocks are mostly harder to destroy than long square-shaped

Physics is not very popular among students, and consequently, the educators all over the world are facing the same problem in stimulating students to study physics (Figure 2). Most of the countries have shortage of physics teachers and scientists. The question is why is physics so unpopular among the students? The common beliefs that we encounter about physics are that physics is not an easy subject, it requires a high degree of dedication, and it is mostly meant for intelligent people who are sometimes socially discriminated, and because of that, they are discouraged to study physics. The most common replies that we get about physics when we ask people who finished high school or are still studying are as follows: "physics is boring," "physics is difficult," "physics is for boys," and "physics is strange and only crazy people are doing it" [16]. Why are most responses so negative? What is the problem? It seems that pupils in elementary school show big interest in physics when you ask them about topics that can be found in physics curricula like, for example, electricity, magnetism, force, universe, and others. However, it seems that interests are greatly lowered in high school when they are actually faced with a higher degree of knowledge about them, which includes the use of mathematic at higher degree and this causes students difficulties at understanding physics and also

It seems that teaching methods and math involvement at a higher degree of education are the origin why students get lack of interest in physics. The question is What can we change to motivate students and to show them that physics is one of the essential science disciplines that not only brings great results at developing technologies but also gives us understanding how nature is working? Also, physics teachers often do not enjoy teaching physics. The main reason may be hidden behind physics curricula, which give really small flexibility at lesson distribu‐ tion during the year, and the teacher really does not have time to improve their lessons because they have to deal with the lesson schedule for the year. There seems to be two crucial problems.

blocks.

**5. Why is physics not popular?**

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discourage them [17].

All over the world in every school, teachers must follow a teaching plan called curriculum. In every curriculum, there are mandatory themes that consist of subthemes that are building the whole teaching process in certain order. How this process consists may differ from country to country. We may also say that the system of learning physics is concentric (Figure 3). Each physics curriculum is constructed from basic themes. The most important difference between curricula in different countries is in subthemes and their order. In physics, cores of concentric circles are the main themes, which are mechanics, matter, waves and optics, thermal physics, electricity and magnetism, modern physics, and astronomy [19].

The basic themes of physics curriculum are defined, so we studied which of those we may find in the computer game *Angry Birds* and which of them we can analyze.

**Figure 3.** Example of concentric circle in physics. Outer layers may differ in number of subthemes and variety of sub‐ themes titles, but the core stays the same.

## **7. Mechanics**

#### **7.1. Forces and Newton's law, collision, and explosion**

We know that when we launch a bird from the slingshot, the only force that is affecting the bird is the force of gravity *Fg* <sup>→</sup>. The air resistance force is in the game excluded. We also know that when the bird will collide with a wooden wall, it will be affected with the force of wall *Fw* → that is resisting bird's movement in the opposite direction of its movement (Figure 4). Children can monitor and watch examples of collisions and explain how forces are working on the observed object. We already mentioned that black bird has an ability to explode from which we could observe effects of explosion to teach children the basic physics behind it.

**Figure 4.** We can see that the force of gravity *Fg* <sup>→</sup>. is the only force that affects the bird in the flight. Also, we can predict that when the bird hits the wall, it will slow down because the force of the wall is resisting the bird's motion.

#### **7.2. Friction and motion**

With the help of *Angry Birds*, we can also explain friction. After finishing the flight, the bird is touching and then rolling on the ground with some speed in the direction of the vector of velocity *v* <sup>→</sup> . The bird is slowing down because of friction *Ff* <sup>→</sup>, which is working on the bird in opposite direction and causing the bird eventually to stop (Figure 5). With this example, we could explain how friction is working on a (rolling) bird.

**Figure 5.** We can see that force friction is working in the opposite direction of the bird, causing the bird to slow down.

#### **7.3. Circular motion and gravity**

**7. Mechanics**

bird is the force of gravity *Fg*

themes titles, but the core stays the same.

**Figure 4.** We can see that the force of gravity *Fg*

**7.1. Forces and Newton's law, collision, and explosion**

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We know that when we launch a bird from the slingshot, the only force that is affecting the

**Figure 3.** Example of concentric circle in physics. Outer layers may differ in number of subthemes and variety of sub‐

that when the bird will collide with a wooden wall, it will be affected with the force of wall *Fw*

that is resisting bird's movement in the opposite direction of its movement (Figure 4). Children can monitor and watch examples of collisions and explain how forces are working on the observed object. We already mentioned that black bird has an ability to explode from which

we could observe effects of explosion to teach children the basic physics behind it.

that when the bird hits the wall, it will slow down because the force of the wall is resisting the bird's motion.

<sup>→</sup>. The air resistance force is in the game excluded. We also know

<sup>→</sup>. is the only force that affects the bird in the flight. Also, we can predict

→

We mentioned before that Rovio entertainment released many sequels. One of much known sequel is called *Angry Birds Space* (Figure 6), where the game environment is in space and the gravity of objects affects the bird's flight. In designing this sequel, Rovio Entertainment worked with NASA, which helped at programming gravity effects and also tested them in actual space. In the game, we could learn the effects of gravity. Also, we can learn the basics of circular motion if we launch the bird in the angle where the bird would circle around the small planet, which is affecting the bird with its microgravity.

**Figure 6.** We can see that the force of gravity is pointing in the center of the small planet's mass, therefore also affect‐ ing the path of the bird's movement, which would circle for longer time if the force of gravity would be smaller or the velocity of the bird would be higher.

#### **7.4. Work, energy, and power**

We know that birds are moving with certain velocity *v* <sup>→</sup> when we launch them. We also know that they change height when they are launched (Figure 7). From that aspect, we can also explain the change of kinetic and potential energy, where potential energy is changing according to change of height:

$$E\_p = mgh\_\prime \tag{1}$$

**Figure 7.** If we know height and velocity, we can determine potential and kinetic energy; therefore, we can also know how much work and power the birds need when we shoot them.

where *Ep* is the potential energy, *m* is the mass of bird, *g* is the gravitational acceleration, and *h* is the height where the bird is located in correspondence to the ground. We could also explain the change of kinetic energy as follows:

1 <sup>2</sup> <sup>2</sup> , *<sup>k</sup> E mv* <sup>=</sup> (2)

where *Ek* is the kinetic energy of bird and *v* is its velocity. We can also determine work as a result of energy change as follows:

$$\mathcal{W} = \Delta E\_{\prime} \tag{3}$$

where *W* is work and Δ*E* is change of energy. From that, we can also determine average power as follows:

Physics Learning in Primary and Secondary Schools with Computer Games—An Example — Angry Birds http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/60604 215

$$P\_{\text{avg}} = \frac{\Delta W}{\Delta t} \,\,\,\,\,\tag{4}$$

where *Pavg* is the average power, and Δ*W* is the change of work in time interval Δ*t* [20].

We can see that with the computer game *Angry Birds*, we can cover and explain most of the mechanics. Other themes are not so well covered, but we can still can find something. For example, we can explain buoyancy.

#### **7.5. Buoyancy**

**7.4. Work, energy, and power**

according to change of height:

We know that birds are moving with certain velocity *v*

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how much work and power the birds need when we shoot them.

the change of kinetic energy as follows:

result of energy change as follows:

as follows:

that they change height when they are launched (Figure 7). From that aspect, we can also explain the change of kinetic and potential energy, where potential energy is changing

**Figure 7.** If we know height and velocity, we can determine potential and kinetic energy; therefore, we can also know

where *Ep* is the potential energy, *m* is the mass of bird, *g* is the gravitational acceleration, and *h* is the height where the bird is located in correspondence to the ground. We could also explain

1 <sup>2</sup>

where *Ek* is the kinetic energy of bird and *v* is its velocity. We can also determine work as a

where *W* is work and Δ*E* is change of energy. From that, we can also determine average power

<sup>→</sup> when we launch them. We also know

, *<sup>p</sup> E mgh* = (1)

<sup>2</sup> , *<sup>k</sup> E mv* <sup>=</sup> (2)

*W E* = D , (3)

We can explain that buoyancy is upward force *Fb* <sup>→</sup> exerted by a fluid that opposes the weight of an immersed object, which is shown by gravity force *Fg* <sup>→</sup>. We can also see that one piggy is floating, which is the result of comparison of the average density of piggy to density of liquid in which piggy is located. For floating of the piggy, its density has to be smaller (Figure 8).

**Figure 8.** Here we can see an example where force buoyancy is working in the opposite direction as gravity force, caus‐ ing the material and the pigs to float to the surface [21].

We showed some examples where we could use the computer game *Angry Birds* as a didactical tool for main topics in physics curriculum. However, we did not talk about experimental work and measurement, which is the main topic in following chapter.
