In order to further our understanding of Inertia along with Newton’s first law, we experimented with hovercrafts. I must say after having ridden the hovercraft, that it is probably one of the strangest experiences I’ve had in a science class. For starts, its nothing like being in a car or a bike. There is no control of direction, nor is there any brakes. If you aren’t familiar to hovercrafts, it feels as though you are floating. That being said, being on a hovercraft feels incredibly weird and awkward. That is, until you realize what is happening. According to Newton’s first law, an object in motion will continue to stay in motion until stopped or slowed by an outside force. Once my classmates had pushed me, the hovercraft was unable to stop until the other students stopped me. The people both starting and stopping contributed to something called a net force. The net force is the addition of all the forces that are acting upon an object. When the total is zero, it means the forces have reached equilibrium, meaning both forces are balanced. An outside force that gives it speed determines acceleration. For example, when my classmates pushed me, the hovercraft accelerated. After it had reached a consistent speed, it had a relatively constant velocity. Some of the members of my class were harder to stop than others. This was due to they’re mass and weight. The tiny kids went really fast, but as size increased, the speed decreased. This was simply because of the pressure of the person on top of the hovercraft. Overall, it was really fun.

Inertia

As usual, Bill Nye is able to explain complex terms into something a little simpler. In this video, he does so by explaining inertia by using two scooters. The two scooters demonstrate Newton's first law, which states, "An object in motion, or an object at rest will remain in motion unless acted upon by an outside force". Simply put, it is the idea that an object will continue to do what they are doing, until something causes it to stop. This "something" could be the roughness of the ground, an object in its path, etc. Bill Nye helped me to come to a deeper understanding of this concept through his demonstration. Bill Nye, said it himself, the two scooters are forcing the other to change directions. However, Nye makes it clear that without another force, the scooter would continue to move. Normally, we tend to forget the significance of small forces. In this particular video, we see the influence of which something simple as a chain has a huge impact on the movement. The ball would continue if not for the tension in the chain. This video made it understood that small forces, ones we subconsciously look over, have an affect as well.

Physics Blog

In physics this year we will most likely learn:

1.     Speed

2.     How things move, and project others to move.

3.     Tides

I think it is important for us to study physics to gain a deeper understanding of what is happening around us. A lot of times, we don’t notice how something small that seems to have little value, has a huge impact on what happens in our daily lives. With physics, we have the opportunity to recognize these impacts, and their significance.

            Problem Solving is looking for the most efficient way to a solution of something that has gone wrong.

1.     How does the moon, which is so far away, have control of the tides?

2.     How does an object of heavier weight drop at the same rate of a smaller object?

3.     When am I going to use the content studied in the class?

Through out the year, I will strive to answer these questions to the best of my abilities, gain a deeper understanding of physics, and maintain a high effort grade.