Ramp Car Lab vs. Flat Surface Car Lab

Our class has done 2 car labs in the past few classes.  In the one on a flat surface, the car had a constant speed, velocity, and acceleration.  In the one on a ramp, the velocity, speed, and acceleration all increased more as it went on.  Both have a constant starting position.  The difference between the position graphs was that the one across a flat surface had a linear function since the slope (m/s) was constant.  The ramp car's slopes gradually increased more and more so it resulted in a quadratic function.  What exactly are the slopes in the position graphs for the quadratic? We wrote out what they could be on the board but didn't come upon a definite answer.  They could represent velocity, speed, or acceleration but I think we should all come to an agreement and maybe do another lab with the ramp to go more into depth and be more accurate with our answers.

Motion Maps

Motion maps are yet another way of showing an object's motion. The image below displays a motion map:

(via https://salttheoats.wordpress.com/category/motion-maps/)

The labels show what the different elements of a motion map are.  The x represents a reference point and the thick black line shooting from the x shows the position.  The white circles represent the object's position in relation to the vector.  The arrows coming from the white circles are the object's velocities at that position and time.  Each white circle and arrow is documented by a time interval (usually seconds).  In class, we created motion maps and graphs based off of data given that was displayed in other types of graphs or a written description.  Were there certain graphs that didn't provide enough data to create the others?

Velocity vs Time and Position vs Time Reflection

This we created velocity vs time graphs and position vs time graphs then labeled how distance, time, displacement, velocity, and position could be found on them.  Our graphs looked like this:



We used the equation for velocity (D/T) and re-wrote it to find the displacement in our second graph, which we learned how to do last quarter with other types of equations (solving for one variable out of many variables in an equation).

After creating these, Battaglia gave us a situation with these types of graphs:



We used the methods from the first graphs to calculate different components of the situation.

Buggy Lab

In class this week, we did the buggy lab to show the difference between position and distance.  For part one, my group measured how far the buggy went every ten seconds from a reference point for a minute.  For part two, we did the same thing but almost double the speed.  Both of these created linear graphs.  Other groups had different scenarios for part two, like moving the the buggy a meter behind their reference point.  This created graphs with the same slope and y-intercepts as the starting points.  (0,0) would be the reference point.  In class we discussed if we should add (0,0) as a point into excel but i don't think we should because the y-intercept would show if you were off like if you didn't actually start the buggy on the reference point.  A question asked in class was if the graph was affected by either speed or velocity.  I think it was speed because it didn't really matter from which way the car was coming and some of the cars went off track to the left or right but nothing in the slope displayed that.  I understood everything pretty well so I don't have any further questions.

Lab Relationships and Questions

In Circle Lab #1, we discussed that the graph is positive and linear.  My group's equation ended up being y=3.03x-0.325 and as we were discussing we realized that it would be C=3.14d which is the actual relationship for circumference and diameter, so my group was pretty accurate with our measurements because we were close to that equation.  The graph would look very similar to the one my group originally came up with but with a y-intercept of zero.  I fully understood the relationship once we discussed it as a class because the equation seemed random compared to the C=3.14d equation that we found in the end. 

  

In the Pendulum Lab, the class discovered that, on average the, mass of the nuts wasn't really affecting the time it took to swing on the pendulum so the graph was mainly constant.  I'm wondering if the mass really was affecting the time because it seemed not to, but it could have been human error or that the groups only increased by one nut each time.   Would the graph look different if we used larger intervals of nuts?    

  

In the Lever Lab, the graph formed a negative power line.  This is because you never apply 0 force with 0 mass because then it would be a lever with nothing affecting it.  The class ended up discovering that as you decrease your distance from the mass, you increase your force on the lever to keep it level.  Would the graph be affected if we used a different lever?  

I feel like I understood the lab procedure and how the results represented them.  To get more out of the discussions, I should ask more questions/ participate more.   

Growth and Fixed Mindsets

I believe that I tend to have a growth mindset in everything.  Although I tend to get A's on my report card, I always think that I can improve in some way and I try to put as much effort into my work as possible.  For example, in the past I always got an A in band because I would turn in all of my practice charts and do fairly well on playing tests.  But I would always go home and practice to try and understand more rhythms or try to find some more advanced music to enhance my playing abilities.  With any subject, I practice a lot, especially if I don't succeed at first.   I have a growth mindset because I think that  I can always improve my skills with hard work.