Week 3: Slides

 

Lab:  

For lab this week, we were guided by the question, "What affects a rider's speed down a slide?". To explore this phenomenon, my group decided to explore the weight variable. To test this one, we decided to fill a film canister with various amounts of sand, testing how long in seconds it took to go down the entirety of the slide. As we continued with our investigation, we got slightly frustrated because the trials did not align with our hypothesis. We had assumed that as the weight increased, the speed of the rider would also increase, but the data we collected was not supporting that expectation. In the end we concluded that the weight of the rider does not impact their overall speed, because when the weight increased, the time stayed relatively the same. 

Lecture: 

This week we discussed the speed of a rider on a slide based on a few variables: height, steepness, surface/clothing, and the rider's weight. Throughout the lecture, we utilized the principles of speed, velocity, and acceleration to guide our thinking. I learned more about the difference between speed and velocity, with velocity implying direction from a force, while speed is just how fast an item is moving. I also learned about gravity on slides, and how the surface is pushing up on the object/person as the object is pulled down by gravity.