Fire away and alternative energy vehicle
Reflection
Our ultimate goal in this project was to successfully make a trebuchet that can make our projectile go as far as possible. To do this we had to make a lot of tiny adjustments along the way, and we ended up learning a lot from this experiment. We experimented with changing a lot of the variables and analyzed this data to enhance our trebuchet. Some of the changes that we learned to make along the way included adjusting the arm length, the axle placement ratio, the mass of the projectile, the height of our entire trebuchet, and the material to use for the axle. Overall we experienced a lot of ups and downs, but we supported and encouraged each other in hard times to make the best trebuchet that we could. Moreover, I believe that I did a really good job on this project, but there is always still room for improvement. One of the things that I did well on was analyzing the given data and deciding what modifications we needed to make. In addition, I also helped calculate all the details of our project.
One of the things that I wanted to improve on was to consider more of my teammate's ideas while doing the building and calculating. Everyone brings a lot to the table, so I believe that I should understand other's opinions better. In addition, if there is a conflict in the group then I should help better to resolve the conflict quickly and be more effective.
Reflection
Our ultimate goal in this project was to successfully make a trebuchet that can make our projectile go as far as possible. To do this we had to make a lot of tiny adjustments along the way, and we ended up learning a lot from this experiment. We experimented with changing a lot of the variables and analyzed this data to enhance our trebuchet. Some of the changes that we learned to make along the way included adjusting the arm length, the axle placement ratio, the mass of the projectile, the height of our entire trebuchet, and the material to use for the axle. Overall we experienced a lot of ups and downs, but we supported and encouraged each other in hard times to make the best trebuchet that we could. Moreover, I believe that I did a really good job on this project, but there is always still room for improvement. One of the things that I did well on was analyzing the given data and deciding what modifications we needed to make. In addition, I also helped calculate all the details of our project.
One of the things that I wanted to improve on was to consider more of my teammate's ideas while doing the building and calculating. Everyone brings a lot to the table, so I believe that I should understand other's opinions better. In addition, if there is a conflict in the group then I should help better to resolve the conflict quickly and be more effective.
Reflection
Our ultimate goal in this project was to successfully make a trebuchet that can make our projectile go as far as possible. To do this we had to make a lot of tiny adjustments along the way, and we ended up learning a lot from this experiment. We experimented with changing a lot of the variables and analyzed this data to enhance our trebuchet. Some of the changes that we learned to make along the way included adjusting the arm length, the axle placement ratio, the mass of the projectile, the height of our entire trebuchet, and the material to use for the axle. Overall we experienced a lot of ups and downs, but we supported and encouraged each other in hard times to make the best trebuchet that we could. Moreover, I believe that I did a really good job on this project, but there is always still room for improvement. One of the things that I did well on was analyzing the given data and deciding what modifications we needed to make. In addition, I also helped calculate all the details of our project.
One of the things that I wanted to improve on was to consider more of my teammate's ideas while doing the building and calculating. Everyone brings a lot to the table, so I believe that I should understand other's opinions better. In addition, if there is a conflict in the group then I should help better to resolve the conflict quickly and be more effective.
Physics content
Spring potential energy is the energy that is compressed or stretched by an object. To calculate this we use the formula = PE spring =1/2kx^2. Our spring potential energy was 16.74J
Kinetic energy is the energy caused due to the motion or movement of an object. To calculate this we use the formula = KE =1/2mv^2. Our kinetic energy was 2.16J
Thermal energy is the energy lost due to heat in an object mostly caused because of friction between the ground and the car. Our thermal energy had a range of 0-3.73J. It started low and then finally at the end, all the energy was shifted into thermal energy.
Total energy is the sum of all the energies combined. Our total energy was 3.73J.
Force - It is the push or pull of an object. To calculate this you use the formula F=ma.
Velocity - It is the rate of distance covered in a certain direction. To calculate this you use the formula change in distance/change in time.
Acceleration - It is the rate at which the velocity of a certain object changes. To calculate this you use the formula change in velocity/change in time.
Reflection
Our final goal in this project was to make a car that is self-powered and would go exactly 5 meters, along with transporting passengers that weighed 250g safely. To accomplish this task, we had to make a lot of different adjustments and modifications. Our car would barely go 4 meters at first, so we made a lot of tiny adjustments so that it would land perfectly at 5m. Some of the things that we changed included adding rubber bands to the back wheels to make it smoother and get a better grip, adding the passengers exactly at the center, and using PVC pipe so that the axle could spin smoothly instead of wood rubbing against the wood, creating a ton of friction. We also had to wind up the rubber band as far as possible to make it exactly go 5 meters, along with being careful not to break the rubber band. Eventually, we decided that the rubber band works best at 11 coils around the axle of our car. There were a lot of positive and negative outcomes, but we managed to complete this project successfully, meeting all the given criteria. The things that I did well on this project included helping my teammates with all the graphing and calculations. In addition, I also did most of the slides for our presentation.
One thing that I can improve on next time is getting more of my teammates involved because there is usually at least one teammate sitting idle while the other teammates are working hard to accomplish the task.