Week 2 Lab (Physics)

 1. Big Question: What affects a rider's speed down a slide? Our scientific investigation involved testing some variables that may affect the rider's speed down a slide. Examples of these variables were slide heigh, the surface of the slide and clothing kids wear, the weight of the rider, and the steepness of the slide. We then tried to come up with some conclusions on what actually affects the rider's speed down a slide.

2. In lecture we learned about acceleration in relation to going down a slide. Acceleration is the change in velocity divided by the time it took to get to the next position. If the slide height is taller, then the rider will go faster because they have more time to speed up. Force also plays a role in the rider's speed down the slide. Friction and gravity are forces that act on the rider going down the slide.

3. Textbook reading

1. The reading gave me insight into Newton's three laws of motion. The first law states that an object will stay at rest until acted on by an unbalanced force. Newton's second law of motion states that the greater the mass of an object, the more force it will take to accelerate the object. Newton's third law states that forces come in pairs, and two objects are simultaneously pushing against each other. Inertia is the idea that heavier objects tend to resist change in motion. They have more inertia as compared to small objects. The titanic crashing into the iceberg is an example of the ship having high inertia.
   
2. The most helpful part of the reading were the simulations because I could manipulate the forces to see the outcomes of what happens.
3. I think I want more information on how all kinds of force interact with each other. For example, friction and gravity are always there, but how will they affect the object's motion?
4. What does 9.8 m/s2 mean in terms of gravity?