Intergalactic Planetary

model 1

This was the start to our whole space unit and we had just gotten our new teams. Mine was Ally and Melissa and it was so much fun. I didn't know much about space, so this model was sort of hard. We put a few planets out of order and our scaling was very, very off.

model 2

The second model was also with the same team. For this one, we had to fix and improve our first model so that it was way more accurate. We changed the scaling on ours and made sure every planet was in the right order this time. We also had to add two columns of data from a data table we received.

model 3

For the rest of the models we worked in partners. Ally was mine. This model was very easy because we just had to choose two planets and solve for their gravitational constant and their force of gravity. This was our first time actually doing these equations and it was super quick and fun.

model 4

This was definitely the longest and probably the hardest model we did. There were so many steps and it took awhile. We had to solve a few equations and find the missing information about planet x. There were lots of categories we had to complete for this model and it took a few days to finish.

model 5A

This model was all about the predictions we can make based on what information we had. There are many things that are related to one another in the solar system, so we had to piece together the topics that we could use to find other info needed. We also had to include diagrams on what predictions we made with the info we had.

model 5B

This was our last model and probably one of my favorites. This time there were two unknown planets, planet x again and planet y. We had to use the equations we learned in class to find what our weight would be on each planet and what its orbital period would be. Ally and I loved this so much and the models were lots of fun to make.

Content:

Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation- this law states that every particle attracts every other particle in the universe with a force which is directly proportional to their masses and inversely proportional to the distance between them squared. The equation is F=GMm/d2, where G is the gravitational constant which is equal to 6.67 x 10^-11 Nm^2/ kg^2, M is mass one, and m is mass two
Gravitational Force- the force of attraction between all masses in the universe
Orbit- the gravitationally curved path of an object, such as a satellite around a planet or a planet around a star. In models 1 and 2 we showed the order of the planets' orbits in our solar system
Orbital Velocity- the speed at which an object orbits another object. In models 3, 4, and 5 we had to calculate orbital velocity
Orbital Period- the time it takes for one astronomical object to orbit around another object. In models 4 and 5 we used and calculated orbital periods
Distance from the Sun- this is how far a planet is to the sun. We referred to this as the radius in our project often. In models 1 and 2 we tried to show the distance each planet was from the sun in our drawing, and in models 3, 4, and 5 we used distance from the sun in our calculations
Radius- in this project we called distance from the sun the radius since it represents the radius of the orbit. Radius could also refer to the radius of the planet, which is half of the planet's diameter. We used the radius in many of our models for our calculations
Scientific Notation- this is a way to simplify the writing of really big or really small numbers. We used scientific notation in every model because the mass of planets or their distance from the sun are just too large to write out. It is written as a number 1-10 multiplied by a power of 10

Reflection:

Believe it or not, this was actually one of my favorite units we have worked on. None of it made sense but it was just so cool to learn about space and everything in our solar system, etc. My partner for this unit was Ally and it was so much fun working with her. I didn't think we would get much done since we both talk a lot and get distracted very easily, but that turned out to be great for us. One of the 6 C's I did well on was communication. As I said before, Ally and I talk a lot, but that made us very well at communicating with one another. We were able to discuss our ideas and answers with one another and it worked out perfectly. Another C I did good on this project was collaboration. Ally is an amazing partner and the fact that we get along really well with each other is awesome. We collaborated so well during this project and we made sure to always be doing something. We worked efficiently and fluently so that we got everything done in time and made sure it was all accurate.

Although we get along really well, that also made it hard for us to focus at some points. We laugh a lot which means we are having fun, but we almost laugh too much to the point where it can become a distraction for the both of us. I would say that one C I could work on for the next project would be critical thinking. This unit was hard to learn about because a lot of it didn't really make sense to me. It used common sense and knowledge for a lot of the answers and I do not have much of that. So this means that I must get better at critical thinking because that will definitely help me out in the long run. If we go through more chapters that are like this one, then my critical thinking skills will need to be developed. Another C I could probably work on is conscientious learning. We actually did very good with time management this project. We got everything done and didn't have to worry about it over the weekends or nights ever. Everything was finished during class so we did great with that. The only thing I really need to work on in this category is focusing on what is in front of me and not what everyone else is doing. Once I get this down, then managing my time for every project should be much easier from here on out.

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