Science 2: Week 2

  

1. The big question addressed in lab, and a description of what you did.
1. The big question that was addressed in lab was, "What affects a rider's speed down a slide?" This week in lab we created slides and we chose a variable to find. My group chose to find how the slope affects the speed. After calculating the speed of all of the different slopes, we found that the bigger the slope the faster the speed, and less time it took for our object to get down the slide. 
2. A description of what you learned in Thursday's lecture.
1. In lecture today, one thing we learned about was position vs time graphs. We talked about how the dots on a graph represent the acceleration where they are closer together initially, and then get further apart as the object accelerates. We also learned about the force lense on motion and how forces have a size and direction, how they can be represented by arrows, and how objects will accelerate in the direction of the unbalanced force acting on them. 
3. Answer questions about the weekly textbook reading:
1. What did you learn?
1. Something that I learned from this weeks textbook reading was what inertia is. Inertia is when a bigger object needs more force to change its motion and a smaller object needs less force to change its motion. 
2. What was most helpful?
1. The most helpful thing for me from this week's reading was the part about friction. I have learned about this previously from physics in high school, but this section was a good refresher for it. It helped remind me that friction is what stops an object in motion. 
3. What do you need more information on?
1. What I might need more information on is net force. I understand the concept, but I am a little confused on the science behind it. 
4. What questions/concerns/comments do you have?
1.  I think a question that I have is also related to my comment above about net force. Why do objects need equal net force to stay in place and unequal net force to move?