Funnest Swing

In this project we were tasked with building the "funnest" swing. We started by brainstorming what elements of a swing made it fun, and we determined that it was heights, and speed. So, we set about designing the swing. We determined that it would be difficult to build a real swing with the materials available, so we made our swing theoretical. With this, we could make a swing with whatever parameters we wanted to increase the fun factor and the simplicity of our calculations.

We then had to apply a torque to the swing that caused it to rotate as it was oscillating. On our theoretical swing, we accomplished this two different ways. One way would require a rope wrapped around the subject on the swing to be pulled by an outside force at a perpendicular angle. Our other way involved the subject reaching out and grabbing a stationary pole that would be near the swing, transferring translational momentum into rotational momentum.

In the end, despite our infinite ability for creativity because of the theoretical nature of our swing, we made a simple park swing that had what we believe the most desirable traits a swing could have.

Concepts

Tension

The pulling force transmitted axially by the means of a string, a cable, chain, or similar object, or by each end of a rod, truss member, or similar three-dimensional object.

Torque

A measure of the force that can cause an object to rotate about an axis. When the force is applied at an angle perpendicular to the radius of the axle, torque can be modelled with the equation: Torque=Force*Radius

Rotational Inertia

A quantity that determines the torque needed for a desired angular acceleration about a rotational axis. It can be found with the equation: L=I/w

Reflection

I think I really improved my cultural competence in this project. While I could have pushed for our swing to be a giant and extravagant contraption that would never be practical to build, my group simply created the best park swing we could think of. A swing like this could not only be built but could also benefit people in a real way, were it actually built. I think I also showcased good use of character during this project. I had the opportunity to take part in a grandiose swing that would be very interesting and fun to make my project, but I realized that taking that opportunity would cause me to abandon my assigned group. I decided to stay with my group and help them through making our own project, which I think was beneficial to us all in the end.

That said, I think I could have improved my creativity in this project. We had unlimited freedom to make any swing we wanted, and we created a park swing that very well could already exist. Additionally, I think I could have greatly improved my collaboration in this project. As said above, I was tempted to practically move to another group, and my group fell behind because of it. Next time, I will focus on completing my group's work before I wander outside of the group.