Constant Velocity vs. Constant Acceleration

The purpose of this lab was to introduce us to the ideas of having a constant velocity versus having a constant acceleration. From this lab, I learned that having a constant velocity is having a speed that does not change how fast it is or the direction that it is going. However, having a constant acceleration means the object is accelerating at a constant rate but tends to get faster depending on the slope its on.I did both of these tasks by using simply a marble and a piece of chalk. To test out constant velocity, I rolled the marble on a flat surface and at every half second, I would mark where it was using the chalk. 

This is an example of what the graph looked like from my results of marking where the marble was at every half second. To measure a constant acceleration, we did something alot similar to the first experiment, but instead of having a flat surface, we made an incline and let it roll like normal. This graph looked something like this:

The formula for constant acceleration is d=1/2 at^2 while the formula for constant velocity is V= d/t.

From this lab, I learned the difference between constant acceleration and constant velocity, I learned that whenever I see a straight lined graph it is because the object in motion has a constant velocity and whenever I see a curved line it is because the object has a constant acceleration. 

Inertia

In this video, it shows an example of how inertia works in a car. Knowing Newton's 1st law, an object in motion/rest stays in motion/rest unless acted on by an outside force. In this example we see the car and you are in motion, and once the driver presses on the breaks you continue to want to go forward because you were already in motion. Inertia is the property of matter by which it retains its state of rest or its velocity along a straight line so long as it is not acted upon by and external force (dictionary.com).

Acceleration and Velocity

This is a video of the 2008 Olympic 100 meters finals in Beijing. This race shows acceleration because starting out of the blocks a runner must speed up by changing his velocity. If you noticed in Usain Bolt's last 20 meters when he knew he was going to win he stopped accelerating and driving, but he was still going the same speed. How is this possible? Usain Bolt decreased his acceleration yet his velocity stayed constant, thus allowing him to when the 100 meters .2 seconds before everyone else.

The Hovercraft

In physics class, we were given the opportunity to ride a hovercraft to get a feel for an object in motion that has no force pulling it. Riding a hovercraft was a unique experience. Before riding one I had no idea what to expect. It was weird because I'm so used to riding in a car or on other things that typical slow down to stop, however this did not. It kept moving at a constant speed until hit by an outside force. From this lab i learned that an equilibrium has 0N and this is seen if the object is moving at a constant speed or is staying still. A net force is the force that pushes an object that is measured in newtons (N). Based off the lab, on can hypothesize that acceleration all depends on the first phase. Based off the lab, you would expect to see the hovercraft having a constant velocity in the second phase when there is no push or pull on it. Some of the people riding the hovercraft however, went faster than others. This was because the bigger people were harder to push than the smaller people therefore I didn't have to exert much force.

Why Physics

In chemistry this year, I hope to learn how a bowling ball in a bowling alley tends to either speed up or stay the same speed, but never seems to slow down, how the longer a long jumper stays in the air affect his or her jumping distance, and lastly all three of Newton's laws. Physics is a very important thing to study during your high-school careers because alot of the things we talk about in physics will relate to our everyday life, it open our eyes up to view things in a new perspective, and it is just a fun topic/section in high school that shouldn't go unstudied. Although physics seems to be the well liked science course at the Asheville School, there are still questions that seemed to have gone unanswered like who started the study of chemistry, what do chemist on college do, and after college what job opportunities are there for chemist? This year in chemistry class, I hope to grasp the full definition of chemistry, learn the differences in the Newton laws, and have fun.