Low-Friction Car Lab

Low- Friction Car Lab
Hello! Recently, I conducted a very fun lab in Physics class using something called a Low-Friction Car. It looks like a rectangle with tiny wheels, but is apparently extremely expensive. If you set it on a flat surface and give it a tiny push, it will be able to move far. In this lab, my group set a ramp on a higher surface. We pushed the car down the ramp, but I'm making it sound way easier than it really was... We used an app that gave us a beat (called hocks, I think) and we used a whiteboard marker to quickly mark five dots while the car was rolling down the ramp. This was a very difficult process, and our "dots" often ended up looking like dashes which didn't provide us with completely accurate data. Anyways, we found the position of where the car was at each mark. We graphed our data and found out that it was polynomial (looks like a curved line going up). Next, my teacher told us that we would be doing the same thing again, but using a motion sensor to give us accurate data. Motion sensors are my favorite! We received a packet which showed different ways we had to use the car and the ramp. Unfortunately, my group isn't finished with that packet yet, so I will save it for a different post.

This is kind of what the car looked like!

Velocity

Hi, everyone! Today I am going to be talking about velocity. So first of all, what is velocity? Velocity is speed, but with a direction. To find the average velocity an object is going, you divide displacement by time. What is displacement? Displacement is the total distance the object covered. We often look at velocity vs time graphs. These graphs show us how fast the object was going and in which direction it was going. It tells us how much time it took for the object to travel how far it did. Go to this website to see more velocity vs time graphs and to learn more about them: Velocity vs Time Link   Also, watch the video to find out more about it. Velocity vs time graphs seem hard at first, but once you understand what's going on, they're easy to understand.

Scientific Notation

Hi everyone! This is going to be a short and simple post. I just wanted to talk about a concept that some people don't know about; scientific notation.

Scientific Notation

	If the number is 10 or greater, the decimal point has to move to the left, and the power of 10 will be positive.
	If the number is smaller than 1, the decimal point has to move to the right, so the power of 10 will be negative.  Here are some examples:  10000 = 1 x 10424327 = 2.4327 x 1041000 = 1 x 1037354 = 7.354 x 103100 = 1 x 102482 = 4.82 x 10210 = 1 x 101 1 = 1001/10 = 0.1 = 1 x 10-10.32 = 3.2 x 10-1 (not usually done)1/100 = 0.01 = 1 x 10-20.053 = 5.3 x 10-21/1000 = 0.001 = 1 x 10-30.0078 = 7.8 x 10-31/10000 = 0.0001 = 1 x 10-40.00044 = 4.4 x 10-4 If you need more help, click this link. Scientific Notation

Ultrasonic Motion Detector Lab

Hello, everyone! Today I am going to be telling you about one of the most fun labs I have conducted. I was in a group with two other people, and we were given a packet which had many position v. time and velocity v. time graphs on it. One of the graphs has a line on it and the other was blank. We had to find out how a person must move to get the graph, make a motion map (check out my last post to find out about motion maps), and show what the other graph's line looked like.

Supplies:
- Motion Detector (it makes a weird beeping noise!)
- Laptop with the Program
- Explorer (A calculator like device that is plugged into the laptop to give data)

The program on our laptop gave us both the Position v. Time graph and the Velocity v. Time graph. Each of us had to align the motion detector which was set on the table with our body. Next, we walked in a line in different ways for each graph. Sometimes we had to stand still, like when the Position v. Time graph had a straight horizontal line on it. We found that when the line on the Position v. Time had a negative slope (went downwards), a person must walk from the starting position towards the motion sensor at a constant speed. When the line on the same graph had a positive slope (going upwards), a person didn't start at the origin and walked at a constant speed in one direction. When the line on the Velocity v. Time graph was a straight, horizontal line, the person had to stay in one place and not move. The corresponding Position v. Time graph was also a straight horizontal line.

What I Thought About This Lab
Like I said before, I thought this lab was really fun and interesting. I liked having to think about how a person has to walk to match the graph. It was fun to walk it out and compare my graph results with the other people in my group. This was my favorite lab that we did so far. It was easy most of the time, but sometimes the way we walked wasn't accurate and we had to try to walk again.

~If you want more information about this, click the link below~ 

More About Motion Detectors

Motion Maps!

Hi, everyone! We have been learning about something called 'motion maps' in class. First of all, lets talk about what a motion map is.

Motion Map: Represents the position, velocity, and acceleration of an object at various clock readings.

The velocity and direction the object is moving in is represented by dots and arrows. If the object is going left, you draw the arrow to the left. If it is going right, then you draw the arrow to the right. If the points on a motion map are spaced farther apart, and the arrows are longer, then you know that the object is moving faster. If there are multiple dots in a line at one time, then you know that the object has stopped moving and is resting in that position for some time.

Reflection on Motion Maps:
I personally think that motion maps are very simple and easy. I like drawing what an object was doing and figuring out how an object is moving on a motion map. I am actually very happy that we are learning about this, because it is both fun and easy.

Are you having trouble with Motion Maps? Don't stress out. This video really helps explain the concept; you'll be a master in no time!

If you want more help and an in depth explanation on motion maps, click this link. It will really help!

More About Motion Maps!

(My next blog post is going to be about something very exciting and fun.... Motion sensors!) Hope you all have a great weekend, goodbye!

All About Graphs

In this post, I am going to revisit the topic of graphs. There are many different types of graphs and there are many ways you can describe a line on a graph.

First, lets talk about independent and dependent variables. The independent variable is the 'x' and it goes on the x-axis (horizontal axis). It is the variable that the scientist changes in the experiment. The dependent variable is the 'y' and it goes on the y-axis (vertical axis). This is the variable that changes in the experiment because the independent variable changed.

*Direct Relationship- As 'x' increases, 'y' also increases. 
*Indirect Relationship- not direct. Example; as x increases, y decreases.
*Proportional Relationship- If x doubles, y doubles. It is a linear relationship.
*Inverse- When x increases, y decreases. Y=k/x. Inverse is proportional.

If you want to know more about graphs, click here: More About Graphs!

New Lab and More!

Hello, everyone! Today in my Physics class, we did a lab including a battery powered car which can go at different speeds. The question we had to answer was: "Is there a relationship between the amount of time a car runs and its position?" We were put into groups with two to three people each and asked to do two different trials. In the first trial, a group had to let the car go at one speed for a certain distance. Next, the group had to find the speed of the car when it was at five different positions. The group was not told a specific way to record the speed, and people recorded it many different ways. In the second trial, the speed of the car was changed, but the same procedure was to be performed. My class also came up with a new definition for the word 'position' today. We said that position is the distance from a reference point in a specific direction. We also learned about the Fermi Quiz, which seemed a bit complicated at first. The questions we were given seemed impossible to find out, such as: "How many marbles can fit in a bus?" Click on the link below to find out more about the Fermi Quiz. Basically, we have been learning a lot of new things in Physics! 

More About the Fermi Quiz

Whiteboard Discussions

Hello, everyone! I thought it would be interesting to let you know about what goes on in my Physics class. When my fellow classmates and I conduct an experiment, we collect data and info about the lab in our notebooks (obviously). Then, on a whiteboard, each group writes down their data, draws a graph, and writes all the needed information such as what kind of equation we have. After that, we all put up our boards on a stand and discuss our questions and what we think about each other's boards. I feel as though I do not contribute as much to the discussion as I would like to. Most of the reason is because I am new and don't know many people well. I also don't want to say something and be proved wrong, and I am just nervous to talk. I realize now that being wrong is part of the learning experience. Even if I am wrong, I can learn from my mistake. Next time my class has a whiteboard discussion, I will definitely try to contribute more to the discussion!

Standards in My Physics Class (Standard 2)

Hello, reader! In my Physics Class, we have to know specifically 9 standards. We will be quizzed on these standards, so it is very important to know them well. The second standard that I have to know for my Physics Class is how to convert between metric units. Now, you may be thinking, doesn't everyone know how to convert in metric units?! I know how to do this, (hopefully I pass the quiz..) but the truth is that many people don't know how to. I found this amazing video from Khan Academy that describes how to convert between metric units. So if you need help with your conversions, watch this helpful video!

Converting Between Metric Units (Standard 2)

Physicists Created 'Molecules' of Light

      An amazing physics discovery has just been conducted... What exactly is a photon? Great question! The Free Dictionary states that a photon is the quantum of electromagnetic energy, regarded as a discrete particle having zero mass, no electric charge, and an indefinitely long lifetime. Two physicists in the U.S. created the first 'molecules' that are made of photons. The team was led by Mikhael Lukin and Vladan Vuletić. The experiment the two physicists conducted included firing the two photons through an ultracold atomic gas. The photons attract and stick together. "The breakthrough could allow both conventional and quantum computers to encode and process information using photons." (Johnston 1) Photons are not very easy to stick together, but a photon has an electromagnetic field which modifies its surrounding medium. The team sent the photons through a gas of rubidium atoms which was a few degrees above absolute zero. 

       The physicists used blue laser light which had a wavelength of 479 nm. A Rydberg state is created because the rubidium atoms shared some of its energy with many atoms. The result of this state is the two photons bounding together forming a molecule, and travelling through atomic gas. Photon molecules can really help our world in many ways. Creating interactions between photons can lead to faster and more efficient computers. The computers would use light pulses to process information! These molecules could even help in the development of quantum computers! 

 Click this Link to find out more about this breakthrough!: Molecules of Light 


Explanation of a Photon (Video)

Helpful Picture!