IPC at Presbyterian School: February 2011

The Physics Project

Motion: what is it? How do we know when an object is moving? How can we measure motion? How does Newton's thoughts on motion differ from Einstein's? What forces are necessary to create motion? What is gravity?

These are just some of the questions that you should be able to answer as you complete this project.

The project has 5 components:

1.) Observations
2.) Research
3.) Design and Build
4.) Test
5.) Conclusions

You and your partner will document each component in a blog. You may use drawings, writings, photos, videos, and more. The more creative the better.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Which will hit first, the feather or the hammer?

Watch this YouTube video to see how MythBusters answers this question.

How will air resistance affect your egg drop contraption? How will it affect the flight of your rocket? Using vectors, sketch the forces acting on the egg drop contraption and the rocket as they fall towards the earth. Don't know what a vector is? See this website: http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/vectors/u3l1b.cfm

OBSERVATIONS

The observations you make will include videos on this blog as well as observations you make at the OEC as you drop the egg drop contraption and blast off the rocket. You MUST record these observations, describe them, and post them on your blog.

Watch the following video on Newton's First Law of Motion. Reflect on what you learned from this video on your blog.