Week 4

     In lab this week, we begun by finished discussing our findings from the previous week about how the slide surface or clothing of the rider as well as the rider weight affects the speed at which a rider goes down a slide. The big question we then addressed is how different factors affect the time it takes for a swing to go back and forth. My group tested how the length of the chain of the swing affects the period. This was our model and our findings: 



    In Thursday's lecture, we discussed the two main findings of Monday's lecture. We found that rider weight does not affect the period of a swing, but the length of a rope or chain does affect the period of a swing. The longer the rope or chain, the longer the period. We reviewed the ideas of Newton's First and Second Laws of Motion to make sure we understood how the force of gravity and the fact that objects with larger masses are harder to accelerate cancel each other out, which is why rider weight does not affect the period of a swing. We discussed the idea of how 2 swings with different rope or chain lengths have the same max speed at the bottom, but the longer rope or chain has a longer distance to travel, so the period is longer. We then looked at energy and learned how energy is transferred from something moving into the air, which is why eventually, a swing will slow down and come to a stop. 

    I learned through the textbook reading what pendulums are and how they are used. The force of the swing creates the highest kinetic energy at the bottom of the swing, which is why wrecking balls are set to make contact with what they are destroying at an angle parallel to what is being demolished. The most helpful part of the textbook was the video describing how potential energy turns to kinetic energy before turning back to potential energy in a pendulum. This was a great visual that added to my prior knowledge of energy in the viewpoint of a slide. I thought the reading this week covered a great amount of information and was able to answer any questions I had and at the moment, I feel as if I don't need any more information. 




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