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.