PHYSICS PROJECT.

[Alphathree33]

My OAC Physics Project worth 15% of my grade involves studying some physical phenomena that is non-linear and involves two variables.

So, for example, if you stretch an elastic x centimeters, then it travels y centimeters when you release it. But someone already took this idea! I thought about experimenting with the relationship between the size of a hole in a container, the volume of liquid in it, and the frequency of the 'glug-glug-glug' as you pour it. But someone was already doing this, as well.

Anyway, my lab partner and I have gone through five or ten other ideas with no luck.

Can anyone think of some other good things to study?

 

[notfred]

build a potota gun. experiment with the distance the potato goes, the amount of fuel, and the size of the potato.

 

[morkinva]

I don't know if this would qualify.

If you fire a bullet from a gun parallel to the flat ground and drop a bullet from the same height as the barrel (at the same time), both bullets will hit the ground at the same time.

Have fun with THAT in the lab !!

 

[jaydee]

Two bouncy balls on top of each other dropped (perferably a bigger one on the bottom and smaller one on top). All the potential force will be trasferred to the top ball and it will bounce high in the air at an initial velocity, but will be slowed down by acceleration due to gravity. Two bouncy balls are two variables, and acceleration is exponential, not linear.

 

[Alphathree33]

<< I don't know if this would qualify.

If you fire a bullet from a gun parallel to the flat ground and drop a bullet from the same height as the barrel (at the same time), both bullets will hit the ground at the same time.

Have fun with THAT in the lab !! >>



That's because their initial velocities in the y direction are the same - 0 m/s - and their acceleration in the y-direction are the same - 9.8 m/s2 - and their vertical displacement is the same... so it's not surprising that it takes them the same amount of time to reach the ground.

That's not a lab.

But thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Alphathree33]

<< Two bouncy balls on top of each other dropped (perferably a bigger one on the bottom and smaller one on top). All the potential force will be trasferred to the top ball and it will bounce high in the air at an initial velocity, but will be slowed down by acceleration due to gravity. Two bouncy balls are two variables, and acceleration is exponential, not linear. >>



OK I need to explain something here that I wasn't clear about.

I have to FIND a relationship.

So for example with the elastic one I would have to come up with some function (distance travelled) = a(distance strechted)^b + c

I have to find a function for the system that Im studying.

 

[morkinva]

That's not a lab.


Hehe, true, that would require a bigass lab

 

[jaydee]

Hmm, in that case try to find something dealing with jerks (anti-derivative of acceleration, NOT a person ). I'd think about it some more but I have my own physics to do now. Good luck man.

 

[rubix]

get a backstreet boys cd and a n'sync and then play them both and measure how fast eash spins, then determine if the level of suckiness affects the speed of its spinning, then conclude which group sucks more.

 

[Theslowone]

You could try the ole Taking off the hs&fan off of an athlon and p4? Time and heat.



Might be a little expensive but cool(or hot).

 

[Alphathree33]

<< You could try the ole Taking off the hs&fan off of an athlon and p4? Time and heat.



Might be a little expensive but cool(or hot). >>



Remember, though, this is physics. Heat loss is more chemistry-ish. And I dont have a P4 and Athlon sitting around that I'm willing to risk for a physics project )

 

[Theslowone]

Thermodynamics is a major part of physics, expansion of solids and liquids, about 6 chapters of my physics book deals directly about heat and almost every problem I work has a temp in it.
But it was just a joke anyway, I don't know of a person who would risk it.