Constant Velocity Vs. Constant Acceleration

This lab was to test the difference between constant velocity and constant acceleration. It gave us an idea of what the two were and what the difference between the two is; it helped further explain the definition because it showed it what it was not just being told what it was. Constant velocity is when an object (in this case the ball) covers the same distance in the same amount of time ( 0.5 seconds ), and the formula used for it is V= distance / time. Constant acceleration is when an object (the ball) is speeding up and covering more distance per time, and there are two different formulas used for it: how fast somethings going is V= a x t and how far somethings going is D= 1/2 a x t(squared). In the lab, we first tested constant velocity by rolling the ball on flat surface and marking every 0.5 second where it was. Then after we got our data, we put it into Microsoft Excel and found out our equation. Similar thing for constant acceleration, but instead we placed two books under one side of the table, so that the table was inclined, and rolled the ball down. For this, the ball had constant acceleration because the inclination was the same going down. Both lines, for constant velocity and constant acceleration, are increasing to the right. For constant velocity, my graph and data show that as time increases the distance also increases at a constant rate. For constant acceleration, the graph and data show the same thing, however, the distance does not increase at a constant rate. From this lab, I learned that when I am absent I day that I must email Ms. Lawrence and ask her what I missed. Also, I learned that it is important to pay attention to what is going on and make sure that you understand what to do, and if not make sure to ask peers questions and Ms. Lawrence questions. The third important thing I learned is the difference between the two constant acceleration formulas; the difference hadn't hit me until I actually looked at it and acknowledged that how far would be distance because far is going somewhere, while how fast is velocity because your covering the distance; knowing this made me really happy.

Hovercraft: Gliding on Air

a)
 Riding on a hovercraft feels like you're gliding on air. As you observe other classmates (or someone else) riding the hovercraft, you believe that the hovercraft is going very slow. However, you're observation is wrong as soon as you get on it and you begin to glide. One of the most important keys to riding the hovercraft is making sure your weight is evenly distributed throughout the hovercraft so that the hovercraft can be balanced through the air and have a smooth glide.

Riding a sled, skateboard, etc. is different than riding a hovercraft because on such transportations there is friction on the bottom of the objects, which because of friction the objects will eventually come to a stop. This is because of Newton's First Law, which says that an object in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. In this case, the friction is the outside force.

b)
Inertia: The more mass you have the more force you need to stop the hovercraft.
Net Force: As the hovercraft is moving forward there's a certain number of Newtons acting upon it that keep it continuously moving forward. However, when Walker becomes the outside force causing the hovercraft to come to a stop, his number of Newtons is higher than the hovercrafts, which is why the hovercraft stops.
Equilibrium: As you're on the hovercraft in the air, you can feel the how it's balanced; that it is actually gliding through the air.

c)
Acceleration depends on an outside force pushing the hovercraft to increase it's speed

d)
I would expect to have constant velocity as I'm gliding through the air on the hovercraft. For example if I'm on a skateboard I'd expect to have constant velocity as I'm gliding through

e)
The members of the group that were harder to stop were the ones that had the most mass.

The Art of Why Things Do

1) What do you expect to learn in Physics this year?

a. I expect to learn why the Earth's oceans have tides at certain hours and why the moon has anything to do with those tides.

b. I expect to learn why airbags keep us safe in cars, because my dad is a doctor and he will be impressed when I tell him what I have learned.

c. I expect to learn how an athlete hits a home run in a baseball game so that every time I see the Asheville School Blues baseball team hit a home run I can know how they did it.

2) Why do you think studying Physics is important?

a. I think Physics is important because it teaches you about everyday life and why things work the way they do.

b. Physics is important because it explains basic rules of our universe.

c. Physics is important because you need to know it for certain jobs.

3) What questions do you have about Physics?

a. What kind of jobs require the use of Physics?

b. Why is Physics as important as people make it out to be?

c. After learning Physics, what insights will it give me about life?

4) What goals do you have for yourself in Physics this year?

a. To make an A. No joke.

b. To work as hard as possible.

c. To understand the subject material.

In this video, the girl as a tower of blocks and blocks that she is going to flick at them to show an example of inertia. As the girl flicks the block at the bottom block, the tower of blocks move down, but it doesn't fall down. The blocks don't fall down because of Newton's first law, which says that when an object is at rest it like to stay at rest. Therefor, as the bottom blocks are removed and the tower continues to decrease, each of the blocks stay because they want to stay at rest, which is inertia.