The physics involved with a rollercoaster.
Introduction As part of my physics investigation into the physics involved with a rollercoaster I was given the privilege to see some live rollercoaster's at work in Thorpe Park. Although at the end I chose a ride which was not a strictly a rollercoaster; however it did have some key aspects and physics of a normal rollercoaster. I decided to investigate two rides; these were the 'Detonator' and the 'Tidal wave'. Out of the two I decided to base my investigation on the 'Tidal wave'. This ride had more key aspects of physics involved and seemed more plausible for such an investigation in order to gain a stimulus, development and a detailed/analysed conclusion and evaluation. The physics principles of roller coasters haven't changed much since the original roller coasters. "Most coaster physics comes from Isaac Newton's law of motion. Roller-coaster designs rely on the acceleration caused by forces to make a roller coaster ride both thrilling and safe." (According to the Hyper coaster) The most important factor in designing roller coasters is how to balance out these forces. For example, a large up-force may cause you to faint because your heart can not pump enough blood to your head so balancing the forces is key. Roller-coasters are a small car lifted or driven to the highest point of the track. When set free it starts rolling down under the force of gravity, and then goes
Experiment to prove that a falling body has a constant force of gravity on it, no matter what the distance or time taken for the object to fall
AIM The aim of this experiment is to prove that a falling body has a constant force of gravity on it, no matter what the distance or time taken for the object to fall. The value of gravity or "g" will be determined. THEORY The most simple example of linear motion is a body falling to Earth. When the body is dropped from a height we know that the object will always fall directly towards the centre of the Earth. This though will not happen if a feather is dropped as due to its shape and the forces of drag, upthrust and various others act upon it with greater effect. So providing these forces in our experiments and calculations are negligible by using suitable materials it is fair to say an object falls towards the Earths centre. When the plastercine passes through gate A the computer will immediately start the clock. When the light is broken at gate B the clock will stop. The computer will then process this information and display the starting velocity through gate A and the final velocity through gate B. The readings that the computer shows will have only a 1% error. To make sure that the values of "g" I calculate does not just apply to that one situation the distance will be a variable. The light gates will be attatched to a clamp stand and the distance altered. This will be measured by hand with a ruler which has again a 1% error as it is measured to the nearest
Investigation into the factors that affect acceleration.
Investigating into the factors that affect acceleration Planning I have chosen to investigate the affect changing the amount of force applied to an object has on acceleration. Hypothesis I predict that as the amount of force applied to the trolley increases, the acceleration will increase in direct proportion. I believe this will happen because according to Newton's Second Law, increasing the force increases the acceleration, provided the mass stays the same. Therefore, acceleration is directly proportional to the force applied. Fair Test Without fair testing the experiment would be useless because the information gathered would not be accurate or reliable. Here are the things we did to ensure our experiment was a fair test: * The distance travelled; the mass and weight of the trolley shall remain constant, as these are not the factors we will be changing. * The only thing we will change will be the force applied to the trolley. No force will be applied to the trolley when it is at the top of the runway, instead we will just let go of it and let gravity be the force. * When putting the trolley at the top of the runway we will make sure that the back wheels of the trolley are touching the ticker timer - this way each experiment will start in the same place. * We will test the trolley beforehand to ensure all wheels were working, because if one or more wheels are
Objectives: To determine the center of gravity of a body of irregular shapes
Experiment 2A: Centre of gravity of a body(irregular shape only) Objectives: To determine the center of gravity of a body of irregular shapes Experimental Design Apparatus: Name of apparatus Number Remarks Irregular shape board 3 pic Optical pin of cork pc Cellulose tape roll Scissors pair A4 sheet 3 pic Meter -rule pic Stand Clamp Experiment Set-up Description of design: In this experiment, we will determine the center of the gravity of the irregularly shaped wooden boards by setting up the apparatus as above. In this experiment, we have to find out the center of gravity of three irregularly shaped boards. On each board, there are three holes for us to hang them on stand and clamp. After marking and drawing the points and lines on the A4 sheet paper which is fixed on the wooden board by the cellulose tape. The intercept point of the lines is the center of the gravity of that irregularly shaped wooden board. Theory: Before finding the center of gravity of the irregularly shaped boards, we should know about the background of the experiment and the center of gravity: The center of gravity is a geometric property of any object. The center of gravity of system is the point where the gravitational force by the earth acts at. The center of gravity is the average location of the weight of an object. We can completely describe the motion of any object
Gravity, Electricity, and Magnetic Force.
Albert Einstein is one of the greatest physicists we know. He created the theory of relativity, and then worked to discover a theory of which unites all theories and rules of the world but couldn't make it. Today, many physicists and mathematicians are trying to find the theory and we are almost there but still farther from it. The theory of everything, scientists' dream, is called the grand unification theory. Whether you do or don't, I think most people have thought about how we are created, where the world comes from, or this kind of questions. These are all toward to the question about the beginning of the universe at the end. The origin of the universe is always wondrous and mysterious. It is the last question we can solve, maybe, because no one saw and experienced the creation from nothing. However we, physicists, challenge this and try to figure out it. The grand unification theory is scientists' dream. Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and James Clerk Maxwell are the most well-known physicists. They discovered many great theories and these discoveries developed physics and still apply to our world. Moreover these functions seem to relate each other. In our real world, there are basically 4 big forces of nature, which are Gravity, Electromagnetic, the Strong Force, and Weak Force. Gravity is a force act between all mass in the universe. Electromagnetic
The acceleration of a ball down various inclines
SCIENCE EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH PROJECT THE ACCELERATION OF A SPHERE OVER DIFFERENT INCLINES PREPARED BY SARANG PALERI TABLE OF CONTENTS CONTENTS . Abstract 2. Introduction 3. Aim 4. Hypothesis 5. Materials 6. Method 7. Results 8. Discussion 9. Conclusion PAGE NO. 3 3 4 4 4 5 6 9 0 ABSTRACT In this experiment, I constructed a project to test the change in velocity of a spherical object down a slope, and how that is affected by different inclines. I will record the time a ball takes to get to the bottom of a plank, measuring the times it takes to get to different intervals. The inclines I will be using to roll the ball down are at 2°, 4°, 6°, 8° and 10°. The control will be at 90°, as the only force acting on it is gravity. I will roll the ball down the plank 5 times at each angle, ruling out some random errors. The ball will be a Wilson Championship Heavy Duty 70g tennis ball. The plank can be any length, but it is preferable to use pine wood, as it is soft and is not undulating. The measurements are made with multiple stopwatches, to record times at each interval. The independent variable is change in incline angle, and the dependant variable is velocity down the plank. The acceleration of the ball is determined by further analysing these results. INTRODUCTION My Semester 2 Science Assessment Task requires me to research and investigate an
Role of the RAF in second world war
"You ask, What is our policy? I will say; 'It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us: to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy.' You ask, What is our aim? I can answer with one word: Victory - victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival.1" The Allied air forces based in Great Britain had numerous tactical advantages over the Luftwaffe. These included the use of anti-aircraft guns, the "home field advantage," preference in mission profiles, slight technological superiority, and the use of land-based radar. Ground-based anti-aircraft fire from friendly allied units provided support for allied fighter and caused another threat for Luftwaffe bombers. A statement issued by the Air Ministry on September 15, 1940 stated that four enemy aircraft were shot down by anti-aircraft fire by 2000 hours.2 Friendly anti-aircraft units provided an extra threat for the Luftwaffe, gave direct assistance to the Royal Air Force and were a psychological disadvantage for the Luftwaffe. When Allied fighter pilots were shot down during air battles, they had the ability to either eject or crash in friendly territory where local residents were willing to
Experiment to Find Acceleration due to Gravity
Experiment to Find Acceleration due to Gravity Aim The aim of my experiment is to measure the earth's gravitational field strength, which is also the acceleration due to gravity. This involves mass, which is the amount of matter an object contains and weight which is the force of gravity pulling down on an object with a mass. Mass is measured in Kg and weight is measured in Newton's. Gravity is the weakest of the four fundamental forces, yet it is the dominant force in the universe for shaping the large scale structure of galaxies, stars, etc. The earth's gravitational field strength is calculated by the weight (N) / Mass (Kg), therefore the earth's gravitational field strength (g) is measured in (N/Kg). As an object is in free-fall it accelerates at the rate of g. Hypothesis Isaac Newton firstly discovered gravity when an apple fell on his head. He then discovered that every object has a mass and that two masses attract each other. This attraction has a gravitational field strength, Isaac Newton discovered that g = 9.81 N/Kg. This is now a well now fact and is accepted as the earth's gravitational field strength. Definitions Gravity Force The force of gravity is the force at which the earth, moon, or other massively large object attracts another object towards itself. By definition, this is the weight of the object. All objects upon earth experience a force of
Investigating the acceleration of Connected Particles
Investigating the acceleration of Connected Particles Aim The aim of this experiment is to investigate the motion of a trolley on a plane and compare the results with a mathematical model. Model's Assumptions * No Friction - When creating the mathematical model I am going to assume that there is no friction acting upon the trolley. This is due to the fact that the trolley will be running upon a smooth plane, which offers no resistance. The trolley is also constructed upon wheels, which minimises the affects of friction between wheel and surface if any. Furthermore the track used for the trolley is specifically designed for the trolley, therefore reducing friction even more. * Smooth Pulley - The pulley over which the weights pulling the trolley will be passing through, will be smooth. This is for the reasons that the most costly and smoothest pulley available to me will be used. Therefore this should not also provide any resistance, which may impede the flow of motion. * Inextensible String - The string, which will be attached to the trolley to accelerate it, will be inextensible, i.e. the string used will not be elastic. * Flat Surface - The plane over which the trolley is going to be run must be flat, i.e. it must not be slanted up or down or to a side, or else gravity will also be playing a major part in the acceleration or deceleration of the trolley. To ensure the
This experiment is designed to approximate ì, the coefficient of friction, for two surfaces. We used a piece of rubber on the bottom of a wooden block on a wooden table.
Mechanics Coursework This is experiment is designed to approximate µ, the coefficient of friction, for two surfaces. We used a piece of rubber on the bottom of a wooden block on a wooden table. Assumptions To undertake this experiment, first I developed an equation allowing a straight line to be plotted from our results. This will test if Coulomb's law is correct. The main assumptions made in this experiment are: . Acceleration is constant 2. The strings are light and inextensible, and the pulley is light and smooth 3. g, gravity is 9.8 4. Coulomb's law is correct 5. There is no air resistance 6. F=ma These assumptions have different weights in affecting our results. Some are more likely to affect our results, whilst others will only have a small effect. Assumption How strong the effect is on results Acceleration is constant This will have a moderate effect on the results. We can see that the acceleration is not constant. This is because friction does change slightly with velocity, and we are ignoring air resistance Light, inextensible strings In fact the strings do stretch slightly, and do have a small weight. This will affect the results as forces will not be constant during the experiment, and therefore produce irregular acceleration. Light, smooth pulley This will affect the results in the same way as above. We attempted to use the smoothest pulley