Mechanics Coursework

Mechanics Coursework Scoring a Basket in Basketball Formulating my Model My task is to produce a strategy necessary for scoring a basket in basketball. I shall investigate the effects of throwing the ball at different angles and ascertain the ideal angle for scoring a basket. In addition, I shall investigate what would be the best angle for me to throw the basketball rather than just the basketball player as the angle will be different as I am much shorter than a basketball player. I will model the motion of the ball as it leaves the hands of the basketball player and falls through the hoop. I will model the basketball as a particle. Basketball is a ball game where if a free throw is taken a player will try and shoot a hoop from the free-throw line which is 4.61m from the backboard of the hoop. The centre of the hoop is then 382cm from the backboard. Therefore, the centre of the hoop is 4.22m from the free-throw line. I am taking the height of the basketball hoop as being 3.053m. I am taking the height of the basketball player to be 1.984m. My own height is 1.6m. This diagram of a basketball court has been taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball. In order to model the basketball as a particle I have made the following assumptions: * That there is no air resistance. I have made this assumption because the effect of air resistance on the speed of the

  • Word count: 1167
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Maths
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This essay neither examines a mathematical equation, nor does it analyze a distinguished mathematician. This essay explores a few philosophical aspects of math. Particularly, this essay covers the confound subjects covered by Zeno of Elea.

Mathematical Paradox Has Anyone Figured This Out Yet? Table of Contents: Introduction Page Background: Page Problems and Solutions: Page Implications and Uses: Page Conclusion: Page Abstract: This essay neither examines a mathematical equation, nor does it analyze a distinguished mathematician. This essay explores a few philosophical aspects of math. Particularly, this essay covers the confound subjects covered by Zeno of Elea. The math world has been disturbed, agitated, and even titillated by the mysteries of Zeno of Elea's paradoxes in questioning the laws of math and science. A Paradox, defined by Webster's dictionary, is "A statement that seems contrary to common sense and yet is perhaps true." In taking his arguments at face value, they may seem very logical. But they have each been repeatedly refuted, then stereotyped as nonsense or a mathematical incredulity by many a renowned mathematician. Zeno was a philosopher and logician, not a mathematician. He was the inventor of Dialectic and his greatest fame was for his Paradoxes. Zeno's Paradoxes have several complex philosophical aspects. But just as they have a philosophical and scientific approach, Zeno's paradoxes each have a profound mathematical twist. This essay will explain and analyze Zeno's paradoxes, as well as show arguments against them, as well as try and

  • Word count: 2028
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Maths
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Understanding Motion I – Distance and Time

Experiment P01: Understanding Motion I - Distance and Time (Motion Sensor) Concept: linear motion Time: 30 m SW Interface: 500 & 700 Macintosh(r) file: P01 Understanding Motion 1 Windows(r) file: P01_MOT1.SWS EQUIPMENT NEEDED • Science Workshop(tm) Interface • base and support rod • motion sensor PURPOSE The purpose of this activity is to introduce the relationships between the motion of an object - YOU - and a Graph of position and time for the moving object. NOTE: This activity is easier to do if you have a partner to run the computer while you move. THEORY When describing the motion of an object, knowing where it is relative to a reference point, how fast and in what direction it is moving, and how it is accelerating (changing its rate of motion) is essential. A sonar ranging device such as the Motion Sensor uses pulses of ultrasound that reflect from an object to determine the position of the object. As the object moves, the change in its position is measured many times each second. The change in position from moment to moment is expressed as a velocity (meters per second). The change in velocity from moment to moment is expressed as an acceleration (meters per second per second). The position of an object at a particular time can be plotted on a graph. You can also graph the velocity and acceleration of the object versus time. A graph is a

  • Word count: 1194
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Maths
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This investigation will look at the effects of air resistance on falling objects, where the objects will have the same dimensions but different masses.

DE COURSEWORK Introduction This investigation will look at the effects of air resistance on falling objects, where the objects will have the same dimensions but different masses. I will firstly model these situations to make predictions. This can then be experimented to obtain a set of results which we can use to test the models. The objects that we used were paper cake cups. We can change the mass by stacking these cups together, where stacking has no significant change on the overall profile as it drops. Modelling Assumptions As I am modelling this, there are assumptions that need to be made in order for the models to be more practical: * The value of g (the acceleration due to gravity) is constant (9.81 m/s). This is probably not very significant as the actual mass of the paper cups is small, and so the value of g will be quite constant. * The centre of mass remains the same. The assumption will not be very significant as the centre of mass would be quite constant. * The paper cups reach terminal velocity. This is important as if the paper cups do not reach terminal velocity, we could get inaccurate values of k. * The cups used are uniform with equal masses. Not very significant as masses of cups are very small variations in mass with other paper cups is very small. Also, the paper cups do have virtually the same surface area when stacked. * There are only two

  • Word count: 2223
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Maths
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One Dimensional Motion.

Lab Report 2 One Dimensional Motion By Ben Sefcik ID#2245154 Physics 200 Athabasca University Introduction Motion is everywhere: friendly and threatening, horrible and beautiful. It is fundamental to our human existence; we need motion for learning, for thinking, for growing, and for enjoying life. Like all animals, we rely on motion to get food, to survive dangers, and to reproduce; like all living beings we need motion to breathe and to digest. Motion is the most fundamental observation about nature at large. It turns out that everything, which happens in the world, is some type of motion. This lab looks at one-dimensional motion namely kinematics. This is when an object moves in relation to something else. It is the most basic of motions and a great starting point in researching motion. In looking at motion in a more scientific manner rather than just observing this lab will be taking measurements to look at relationships of distance, velocity and time. These measurements should agree with the known Galilean theories of motion. Method Part A A CBL unit was used with a motion sensor that could determine distance. The apparatus was placed on top of a table facing a long hallway with no obstructions. The CBL unit was then attached to a Ti-83 plus calculator to gather the data from the experiments. The HIKER program on the calculator was performed, which

  • Word count: 1593
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Maths
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Localization of Motion Perception the Cortex

Localization of Motion Perception the Cortex Are there any principles of cortical organization common to all the sensory areas of the cortex? What is the significance of topographic and nontopographic maps? What functions are represented in cortex and are there basic structural and functional uniformities in the organization of the cortex? Gregory (1974) discusses the difficulties in taking over engineering methods into biology and some implications of this approach for the study of the central nervous system and most importantly localization of function. Modern methods attempt to analyze the whole in such a manner that its activity can be completely described by the causal relations between the parts. When a feature of behaviour is said to be localized in a part of the brain, the intended meaning is that some necessary, though not sufficient, condition for this behaviour is localized in a specific region of the brain Gregory, R.L. (1974). In this essay the notion of localisation in the cortex is considered by examining the current experimental findings in relation to motion perception in the human cortex. Firstly the 'where' pathway for motion related information in the brain, the parietal stream will be explained and broken down. Continuing on to look at its individual parts MT, MST, FST and VIP. Following this evidence relating to the discovery of these specialised

  • Word count: 2714
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Maths
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