Hovering Blog

A.    Riding the hovercraft felt like sitting on a plastic vibrating toilet. I would suggest to someone that hadn’t tried it, for the most comfort they should sit as close to the tiny silver stub as possible. Riding a sled, skateboard, or roller skates are different from riding a hovercraft because all of those options have to deal with friction from cement. Hovercraft don’t feel friction and could go forever off on one little push while a skateboard, sled, or roller skates would need constant pushes to keep moving.

B.     I learned that the more mass something has the more inertia it will have. I learned that something can be moving with 0 net force acting on it. I also learned that something can have forces acting on it but have no net force. I also learned that in a state of equilibrium forces are equal and opposite and cause the net force to be 0.

C.     Based on the lab, acceleration depends on force. The more force the more acceleration. Also when we were at a constant velocity and we were being slowed down and sent the opposite way that was a form of acceleration.

D.    Based on this lab, I would expect to have constant velocity when I was in phase two of hovercraft riding. I would also expect to be at constant velocity if I was skydiving and had reached my maximum speed.

E.     Some members were harder to stop then others because they had more mass. Bigger mass made it harder to stop and slow down those people, while the people who had very small body masses were a lot easier to slow and start up.

Inertia Vid.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zsE3mpZ6Hw
I learned a lot from this video. I learned that the seatbelt was used to lighten the effects of Inertia. When going fast your body wants to stay at the speed and when you crash your body will continue, but the seatbelt is used to keep you from hitting the windshield. Also the headrest helps to dampen the effects of Inertia. When hit from behind in a car your head will jolt back because it wants to stay at rest, but the headrest block your head from going so far back.

Entering the new world

I would like to learn a lot in Physics. I would like to learn how a credit card machine can ready you information when you swipe your card. I would like to learn how Physics applies to basketball and football. For example, someone is able to tackle someone else and someone being able to make a three point shot. I would also like to learn how to use voice thread. I feel that Physics is important to me because it can help with sports. With Physics you can figure out how a batter can hit a home run. You can also find out how a man running full speed at another is able to talk him to the ground. Also Physics is important because it can explain questions that I may not have even thought of asking myself. Interesting questions like, “when you throw an object up in the air, what causes it to keep moving upward?” or “what steps do we use to solve a problem we don’t initially know the answer to?” I also think studying Physics is important because I don’t know much about Physics and it is always good to increase my level of intellect with a subject I am not familiar with. I have a few questions about Physics. One question I have about Physics is, “Do we do a lot of hands on experiments?” I would like to know this because I learn better when the material is hands on. Another question I have is, “Are we going to be doing any classes outdoors?” I just feel like it is good to get out sometimes, lighten the mood of class. My last question is, “Are we going have lots of projects?” I want to know this because last year for chemistry we had many lab assignments but not many projects and I would like to have more projects this year. I have set goals for myself in Physics this year and one of them is I want to maintain at least an A average in the class. Also I want to make sure that I complete every homework assignment and if I don’t get it complete I make it up and have it in the next day. My last goal is to make sure that if I don’t understand the material I take time out of my free time to come see the teacher or study on my own.