Marshmallow Catapults

Trebuchet Project

Benchmark on Projectile and Rotary Motion

Build a trebuchet that is capable of launching a large marshmallow from a distance of 3 to 5 meters, and hitting a target that is .30 m high +/- .10 m. You will have 5 trials to hit your target, and will be graded according to your building design, accuracy, and analysis.

The Trebuchet Page

Trebuchet Physics:  A Student View

Trebuchet Simulators

hTrebuchet Experiments (needs Java)

Nova Builds a Trebuchet

Questions for Analysis

(To be completed individually)

1. Where is the biggest frictional issue in your machine?  Explain why this matters to the momentum of the mallow.
2. Determine the maximum range for your trebuchet, t(calc), and the initial values of v(x) and v(y) including a diagram  using logger pro
3. How could you determine F(net) of the mallow?
4. How will the momentum of the projectile change if we use jawbreakers instead of marshmallows?  An orange?  Why?
5. Pick a time frame for your catapult.   Determine the change in t, the acceleration due to gravity, and the distance traveled.  Based on this, calculate v(i) at the beginning of the interval and v(f) at the end of the interval in the x and the y directions.   Choose your interval carefully so you are not mixing y(up) and y(down)
6. Write a three to five paragraph summary of how you would change the design if you built another machine, and what you have learned about physics.  Include the following terms:  potential energy, kinetic energy, frictional force, net force, acceleration of gravity, vector errors, kinematic equations, independent x and y motions.

STATICS

Reflection on Bridge Building

1. How much did your bridge hold?
2. How much did it cost, and how did you minimize your costs?
3. What is the mass of your bridge?
4. Calculate the force weight of the bridge, and the force weight of the load applied.
5. Calulate a ratio to show me the strength of the bridge (load/bridge)
6. Using the member data sheet, which bridge member held the greatest load? How do you know?
7. Can a member experience both compression and tension? Explain.
8. IS your bridge model a good fit for the bridge you made in the program? Why or why not?
9. Draw a force diagram for your bridge when the truck is on the left-hand side of the structure.
10. How does friction matter in this project?
11. What have you learned in this project about statics, force diagrams, angles, and vectors.

This entire sheet should be 1-2 pages long, hand-written or typed, and due on Monday, November 8.

Dream Vacation Vector BM

A Dream Vacation: Courtesy of Vectors and Google Earth

You are headed on a dream vacation! Start at Manchester, and zoom around the globe using Google Earth in the North Lab. At least one place must be south of the equator. As you travel (on at least five stops), keep track of the latitude and longitude for each place, and create a scrapbook of activities and interesting highlights (You can print photos, and please write down 2 or 3 observations for each place. Ask other classmates who scrapbook for ideas...

Note the length and the angle of each leg of your trip. You must resolve this into component vectors.

NOTE: You can take a partner on your trip, but the component vectors and the reflection must be done individually.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

• When you are finished, determine the net displacement from Manchester to your last location. Include a vector heading. Compare this to the value created by your component vectors. DO THEY MATCH? WHY or WHY NOT?

• Reflection questions that must be answered INDIVIDUALLY on the back of one of the graph sheets.

a) Would Google Earth or the component vector method be better for pilots?
b) Based on the component vectors and the curvature of the earth, could we easily determine a scale where 1cm = _____ miles. Why or why not?
c) How does a GPS use vector determinations as it calculates location? Did this give you any unexpected results? Explain.
d) Give three examples where a vector must be exact to the nearest mm.
e) Give three examples where a vector must be exact to the nearest m.
f) Give three examples where a vector must be exact to the nearest km.
g) Given what you have learned about vectors, when are scale drawings useful? When should you switch from a paper map to a digital device?

h) What did you learn during this project?

Vector Golf 2010

Step 1: You, along with one or other designers , will be putting together a 9-hole golf course. The maximum area available for the golf course is a land area that is 1760 yds by 2650 yds (you do not need to use all the land). A lovely creek (not a river) runs through the land, and there are trees on two edges, and a housing development on a third. You will need to have PAR information to do this, but these values are approximate, so you do have some leeway.

For the purpose of this activity, cost is no object, so trees and sand traps can be added at will.

Establish a scale: __________ yards = 1 cm

Draw a detailed sketch of your course using the paper by the meter sticks and hand in. Make sure you have added a compass rose and have marked the scale on your paper. Color the course using colored pencils or crayons.

Provide a vector length and heading for the first leg of each hole (We will do this on Monday).

Hints: Club houses are often 6000-15000 sq. ft. Houses are often 1800-4000 sq. ft., with the upper range representing a mansion-style home.
If you choose to make a mini-golf course, you have an area that is 100 yds by 500 yds, and must include a clubhouse, a parking lot, 9 holes of golf, and a snack shop On one side of the course must be a go-kart course.

Hint: Google 'golf course design' if you need a sample to get ideas.



Step 2 :
Each person in your group will make a scale drawing of one hole, using a scale of 3 cm = 120 yards, in Power Point. The scale drawing will be done digitally using Power Point, but three copies of the hole must be handed in. Label the drawing with a hole number, mark the tee with a T, and the hole in a flag. Make sure the compass rose on this drawing matches the orientation of the hole on t he master course. The master course must also be handed in.

Thursday and Friday Cartoon Physics

Thursday: The kind substitute has the key to the review test. You can check it if you wish. Test Friday (unless you have talked to me. If you don't understand, call me)


Today you need to use Excel to generate an x-y scatter graph for each of your three data sets. Save the file and then send it via email to marciarpowell AT gmail.com. Print a copy of each graph for your team to use.

JOURNAL WORK
Write in your journal about the following problem: Are videos made with computer animation better than those drawn by hand? Write this as a hypothesis, in INK.

Then, take a look at each graph you made with Excel. How well did the animator achieve what s/he was trying to do? Create an a-t graph for one of the acceleration sets in your journal...is it realistic? Create a d-t graph for the constant velocity motion and copy into your journal...is that realistic?




On the remaining data set that you have not used, try to identify as many of the five formulaic variables as possible, and include these in your journal. Why are these important?
MORE ANALYSIS
Click here for the computer generated video to analyze. Again, make three x-y scatter graphs and email to marciarpowell AT gmail.com for your group
MORE JOURNALING (Whew!)

Which is better: hand animated or computer animated cartoons? Answer this question for horizontal acceleration, vertical acceleration, and constant speed.

Study for test

==========
Friday: test


Write a one to two page summary of your and ideas about animation techniques in your journal, and how the laws of physics are replaced by the laws of cartooning, found below. What have you learned about reality vs. cartooning?

Cartoon Law I

Any body suspended in space will remain in space until made aware of its situation. Daffy Duck steps off a cliff, expecting further pastureland. He loiters in midair, soliloquizing flippantly, until he chances to look down. At this point, the familiar principle of 32 feet per second per second takes over.

Cartoon Law II

Any body in motion will tend to remain in motion until solid matter intervenes suddenly. Whether shot from a cannon or in hot pursuit on foot, cartoon characters are so absolute in their momentum that only a telephone pole or an outsize boulder retards their forward motion absolutely. Sir Isaac Newton called this sudden termination of motion the stooge's surcease.

Cartoon Law III

Any body passing through solid matter will leave a perforation conforming to its perimeter. Also called the silhouette of passage, this phenomenon is the speciality of victims of directed-pressure explosions and of reckless cowards who are so eager to escape that they exit directly through the wall of a house, leaving a cookie-cutout-perfect hole. The threat of skunks or matrimony often catalyzes this reaction.

Cartoon Law IV

The time required for an object to fall twenty stories is greater than or equal to the time it takes for whoever knocked it off the ledge to spiral down twenty flights to attempt to capture it unbroken. Such an object is inevitably priceless, the attempt to capture it inevitably unsuccessful.

Cartoon Law V

All principles of gravity are negated by fear. Psychic forces are sufficient in most bodies for a shock to propel them directly away from the earth's surface. A spooky noise or an adversary's signature sound will induce motion upward, usually to the cradle of a chandelier, a treetop, or the crest of a flagpole. The feet of a character who is running or the wheels of a speeding auto need never touch the ground, especially when in flight.

Cartoon Law VI

As speed increases, objects can be in several places at once. This is particularly true of tooth-and-claw fights, in which a character's head may be glimpsed emerging from the cloud of altercation at several places simultaneously. This effect is common as well among bodies that are spinning or being throttled.
A wacky character has the option of self-replication only at manic high speeds and may ricochet off walls to achieve the velocity required.

Cartoon Law VII

Certain bodies can pass through solid walls painted to resemble tunnel entrances; others cannot. This trompe l'oeil inconsistency has baffled generations, but at least it is known that whoever paints an entrance on a wall's surface to trick an opponent will be unable to pursue him into this theoretical space.
The painter is flattened against the wall when he attempts to follow into the painting. This is ultimately a problem of art, not of science.

Cartoon Law VIII

Any violent rearrangement of feline matter is impermanent. Cartoon cats possess even more deaths than the traditional nine lives might comfortably afford. They can be decimated, spliced, splayed, accordion-pleated, spindled, or disassembled, but they cannot be destroyed. After a few moments of blinking self pity, they reinflate, elongate, snap back, or solidify.

Corollary:

A cat will assume the shape of its container.

Cartoon Law IX

Everything falls faster than an anvil.

Cartoon Law X

For every vengeance there is an equal and opposite revengeance. This is the one law of animated cartoon motion that also applies to the physical world at large. For that reason, we need the relief of watching it happen to a duck instead.

Cartoon Law Amendment A

A sharp object will always propel a character upward. When poked (usually in the buttocks) with a sharp object (usually a pin), a character will defy gravity by shooting straight up, with great velocity.

Cartoon Law Amendment B

The laws of object permanence are nullified for "cool" characters. Characters who are intended to be "cool" can make previously nonexistent objects appear from behind their backs at will. For instance, the Road Runner can materialize signs to express himself without speaking.

Cartoon Law Amendment C

Explosive weapons cannot cause fatal injuries. They merely turn characters temporarily black and smokey.

Cartoon Law Amendment D

Gravity is transmitted by slow-moving waves of large wavelengths. Their operation can be wittnessed by observing the behavior of a canine suspended over a large vertical drop. Its feet will begin to fall first, causing its legs to stretch. As the wave reaches its torso, that part will begin to fall, causing the neck to strech. As the head begins to fall, tension is released and the canine will resume its regular proportions until such time as it strikes the ground.

(thanks to http://funnies.paco.to/cartoon.html for the digital version of these)

Modeling and Questions about Radioactivity

1. a) Using things available in the classroom, construct a model of the Rutherford experiment.

2. On a whiteboard,

   a) Explain the difference between a detector and a probe.

   b) Explain the difference in half life between I-123 and Th-229. (Use yesterday's sheet).

   c) Contrast fission and fusion.

   d) How would you respond to an extremely obsessive person who wanted to avoid radiation at all costs.



 
 Ideas from the video:

 *Secrets of the universe
 - 27 km circumference (about 5,000 trips/second)
- Experiments, not just 'Theory'.
- 270 degrees (brrrrrrrrrrr).
 -Billions of dollars.
 - 5,000 pharmacists, plus computer staff, plus maintenance, housing, food workers, constructors.
 - Magnets 'Steer' particles.
 - 10,000 EB data/second.
- International collaboration particles.

Twitter Quiz #1

Today's Twitter Quiz question:

Tweet to 40404 as follows:
@mapowell Name, B1. 1. 2. 3.
(me) (you) (block) (answers)

1. List three benefits of radioactivity.
2. Which type of radiation do you believe is most dangerous and why?

The Story thus far....8/23/2010

Thus far we have covered:

alpha decay
beta decay
gamma decay
fission
fusion
parent isotope
daughter isotope
half-life curve
radiation dangers
benefits to society

Designing a Rollercoaster

http://www.funderstanding.com/coaster

Create a roller coaster that work. Using TE = PE + KE, and the speed at the bottom of each of the three hills, determine the PE at the top of each hill. SHOW WORK BY TAKING A SCREEN SHOT and printing, then determine the math for Hill 1, Hill 2, and the Curve. Does this account for friction?

Check the height of your coaster against records at

http://www.ultimaterollercoaster.com/

http://www.rcdb.com/

What is the average mass of a single roller coaster car with 4 passengers? What would be the Force weight in Newtons? (Remember, 1 kg = 2.2 lbs)
What is the critical factor in going around the curve?
Are today's coasters TRUE coasters (depending on PE only), or coasters with a booster system (chain drive)? Explain.
What type of wheels are best for a roller coaster, in your opinion. Explain, using the concept of moment of inertia.

Find out the dimensions of a roller coaster you have actually ridden using the Roller Coaster database. What observations can you make on its thrill factor, it's material construction, and its length? Based on the information found in the funderstanding coaster, which of them is more of a thrill and WHY?

April 19

You will be completing two labs today. These must be handed in individually. Your effort is graded on a) your logic, b) your sketches for each question and c) your evidence (data).

Lab 1: Directions are found here. The simulation is located at http://phet.colorado.edu/sims/the-ramp/the-ramp_en.jnlp

Lab 2: The simulation is located at http://phet.colorado.edu/sims/lunar-lander/lunar-lander_en.html Your goal is to create a net force math problem that uses data collected from the lunar lab simulator, with an accompanying force diagram.. This data must be collected as the lunar lander is moving DOWN. If I enter in this data, the lunar lab must not crash.

Andy, you need to read the material on induction in the physics book. Then, go to here and here to test out your ideas.

PHYSICS 1 TEST TOMORROW

Bungie Barbie

Set up the equipment as shown . Remember that you need to tell the Logger Pro what type of force probe is attached...it will not do so automatically. You can use a motion detector below Barbie to determine Barbie's a(net) (hint: the slope of the v-t graph)

Figure 1

Procedures:

Produce as many different graphs as possible by dropping Barbie with at least 3 different cords(rubber bands, yard, fishing line, tape, or other materials are in the cupboard underneath and between the two sinks) and materials. Describe your procedures in 3-6 sentences.(Rubber bands are in a box under the left side of my desk.

Data / Observation:

Sketch, describe, print or save your graphs for each "jump". Clearly indicate which cord or material was used. Also include information such as the amount of force and the time over which the force was applied. Record any relevant observations you saw during the jump. Autoscaling the jump will help

Calculations:

These will be done tomorrow in class.

Conclusions:

State which cord you believe to be best for bungie jumping. Support your choice with your data.

Questions:

Record any questions that arose in the lab. Include any answers to the questions you may have found.





=============

Physics 3: Andy, you will be working with 2 sims

http://phet.colorado.edu/simulations/sims.php?sim=Resistance_in_a_Wire

and

http://phet.colorado.edu/simulations/sims.php?sim=Circuit_Construction_Kit_DC_Only

Your house has new thick wiring that has very little resistance. Right click on the bulb and select change value to adjust the resistance of the bulb.

i) (0.5 pts) With the resistance of the bulb at 37 ohms, how much power is going into the bulb? ii) (1 pt) How does this bulb brightness compare to the brightness of the bulb when the resistance of the bulb is 1 ohm? Explain the physics reasoning behind why the bulb brightness changes. iii) (0.5 pts) If you had a 100 Watt bulb plugged into one outlet and a 1500 Watt electric heater plugged into another outlet, how would the resistance change?

b) New heavy duty wires will have only a small resistance. If your house is an older home (i.e. built 100 years ago), the old thin wires will have larger resistance. This increase in resistance in the wiring has several effects. In the simulation, select the developer panel under the options menu and begin increasing the resistance of the wires. You can measure the voltage drop between any two points in the circuit by using the volt meter.

i) (2 pts) Set the bulb resistance to be about 2 ohms. As you increase the resistance in the wires, what changes do you see in (1) the current, (2) where the electrons loose their energy, and (3) the amount of power (energy per second) that is being used by this circuit? (Hint: use all of the visual cues and the tools you have like the volt meter to explore the changes). Be sure to explain the physics reasoning behind why these changes make sense given an increase in the resistance of the wires. ii) (1 pt) Given your observations in the previous question, how would using old thin wires affect the brightness of the bulb and the temperature of the wires compared to using new, thick wires with very little resistance? Explain.


======
Kelly, go to http://phet.colorado.edu/simulations/sims.php?sim=Geometric_Optics and do the activity found here

West Point Bridge Designer

PART 1:  Start by working with ONE partner to work on free body diagrams, found here

The quiz that we will have later this week will assume you have done this materials.  To do it well will take 15-30 minutes.

PART 2:

Go to the lab, and then download the West Point Bridge Designer software.  Your goal today is to make a truss bridge at a height of at least 12 meters that has the lowest cost possible.  You may work with ONE PARTNER ONLY.  When you get done, optimize your bridge, than forward the bridge design file as an attachment to me at marciarpowell@gmail.com The bridge with the lowest cost will receive the most points. 

PART 3:  You will want to print a copy of the bridge design, as you will be making a model, so when you get done, your next step is to use a sheet of paper and make a usable scale drawing, where 1cm= 1m  (Use the member list on the program to see the lengths that you will need). 

PART 4:  If you get done early, please look at the first 10 pages of the link on 5 Steps to Building a Bridge, which explains truss vocabulary.  Turn in the scale drawing at the end of the hour.

 On Wednesday, we will build the bridge.  You can use manila file folders or balsa wood (popsicle sticks) as your material of choice.  The glue used will be Elmer's white glue or Elmer's wood glue.  DO NOT bring Gorilla glue for this project.  The emphasis is on the building process, and accuracy, not on how strong Gorilla glue is.  You may wish to bring some clothes pins to use as clamps.

The links below are very helpful.  Tweet me if you have questions.

Hints on Building Bridges

5 Steps to Building a Bridge

Optimizing your West Point Bridge

Vector Golf

Step 1: You, along with one or two other designers (NO GROUP BIGGER THAN 3), will be putting together a 9-hole golf course. The maximum area available for the golf course is a land area that is 1760 yds by 2650 yds. A lovely creek runs through the land, and there are trees on two edges, and a housing development on a third. You will need to have PAR information to do this, but these values are approximate, so you do have some leeway.

For the purpose of this activity, cost is no object, so trees and sand traps can be added at will.

Establish a scale: __________ yards = 1 cm

Draw a detailed sketch of your course using the paper by the meter sticks and hand in. Make sure you have added a compass rose and have marked the scale on your paper. Color the course using colored pencils or crayons.

Provide a vector length and heading for the first leg of each hole (We will do this on Monday).

Hints: Club houses are often 6000-15000 sq. ft. Houses are often 1800-4000 sq. ft., with the upper range representing a mansion-style home.

If you choose to make a mini-golf course, you have an area that is 100 yds by 500 yds, and must include a clubhouse, a parking lot, 9 holes of golf, and a snack shop On one side of the course must be a go-kart course.

Hint: Google 'golf course design' if you need a sample to get ideas.



Step 2 (to be done Monday):
Each person in your group will make a scale drawing of one hole, using a scale of 3 cm = 120 yards, in Power Point. The scale drawing will be done digitally using Power Point, but three copies of the hole must be handed in. Label the drawing with a hole number, mark the tee with a T, and the hole in a flag. Make sure the compass rose on this drawing matches the orientation of the hole on t he master course. The master course must also be handed in.

Cartoons in the last 10 years

Click here for the video to analyze Again, make x-y scatter graphs and email to marciarpowell AT gmail.com

Cartoon Physics, Monday

Today you need to use Excel to generate an x-y scatter graph for each of your three data sets. Save the file and then send it via email to marciarpowell AT gmail.com or print it off. You will then analyze your video using the LoggerPro Software.

Next, Tweet me a series of hypotheses about the following: Are videos made with computer animation better than those drawn by hand? Include separate tweets for horizontal acceleration, vertical acceleration, and constant velocity. Include group member names on your hypotheses.

Complete the TEST in the Unit Packet. You may use formulas as is convenient for you...there will be a test on Friday of this week.

How to look at Ticker Tape Diagrams

Ticker Tape Reading

Read the ticker tape information. Then, using the diagram at the front of your packet, create 5 total distance vs. time graphs on a sheet of graph paper. Graph paper is found in the drawer immediately to the right of the second sink. Use colored pencils to distinguish between the four colors, and measure in millimeters.

Do the first 4 sides of the packet worksheets, as you are able.

Quiz 1

CLICK HERE

The Future of Physics Research

Physics is used daily in engineering, architecture, astronomy, and bio-medicine. But the FUTURE of pure physics happens at supercolliders. Today, you will be exploring supercolliders at Particle Adventure.

First, take a look to see HOW a particle accelerator works, and what the Strong force is all about. You will need to also find out about antimatter, E=mc^2, and quarks.

Then, pick one of the major accelerators, and a partner: SLAC, Fermilab, CERN, BNL, CESR, DESY, KEK, IHEP, Brookhaven, JINR.

Create a poster detailing the following (Note: some of this information is HARD to find. DO your best)

a) Shape of the accelerator, including its dimensions. Remember, many of those accelerators have more than one pathway, so you might be focusing in on only one part of the accelerator
b) Location
c) Major discoveries from this accelerator and when.
d) What helps direct the motion of the particles.
e) If it is a fixed-beam or colliding target atom-smasher.
f) Operating costs and/or energy needs
g) Keep track of a bibliography of resources used.

Grading: This is a poster. Create INTEREST. Don’t write too small. DO your best to convey information. You can put extra facts/research on the back of the poster….as well as your bibliography.

My Personal Radiation Dose

Radiation Dose Calculator


Should We Irradiate the Food we Eat?

Irradiated Food Causes MS?

What's wrong with food irradiation?

Wikipedia's take on it all


Con Europe

Pro Europe

The Rutherford Detector

Rutherford experiment

Unit 1: Particles Abound

Particle Hunters




Particle Adventure