Methods II: Week 2 Lab

 

This week in lab we conducted investigations on what variables would impact the speed of going down a slide. We learned that having more weight means the object would move faster down the slide. 

In Lecture, we continued our investigation on motion when going down a slide. We talked about why a slide rider accelerates when sliding down a slide, and it is because they are being pulled by a force (gravity). We talked about why steepness of a slide affects the speed (more steep means it is more aligned with the force pulling you down—gravity). We also talked about the effects of friction on movement, and how it can hold back the movement of an object. There are 2 kinds of friction, static friction (nonmoving) and kinetic friction (moving). 

Textbook reading:

• What did you learn?

I learned that objects are acted on by force all of the time. Even if you are just laying down, your body is pushing down on the bed/ground but you don't move because the bed/ground is pushing back against your body with the same amount of force (Newton's First Law). Also, friction is a force that holds back the movement of an object. 

• What was most helpful?

"Something does not move when there are equal forces pulling on it"

Forces always come in pairs. 

• What do you need more information on?

I want more explanation on the table cloth being pulled off the table without the dishes sliding off example. If I were to apply the same amount of force in the same direction on the cloth but just slower, the dishes would come off and they would break. Why doesn't their inertia help them then?

Newton's Second Law helped more with this. 

• What questions/concerns/comments do you have?

It is important to emphasize that forces always come in pairs, object A pushes against object B and they push on each other with the same amount of force, which can keep it sitting still or cause a reaction (such as sitting on a chair is still and jumping on a diving board pushes you into the air is a reaction).