Rubber Band Lab

In class:
The purpose of this lab was to figure out how we can store energy, particularly that of a rubber band. The standard that introduced us to this was standard 3.3. In this experiment we "single looped" a rubber band and measured how much force it took to pull it. We started with 1 cm and increased to 5 cm in increments of 1. After we completed these tests, we ran another experiment but this time the rubberband was looped around the notches two times. After recording the data, we derived the equation Us=1/2kx^2, meaning that the Elastic Potential Energy is equal to half of the elastic constant multiplies by the distance stretched (which is squared).

Data:


Big Questions: "How can we store energy to do work for us later?"

Trial One:  Test One (Single Loop)
1 cm:  Force .39
2 cm:  Force .92
3 cm:  Force 1.31
4 cm:  Force 1.94
5 cm:  Force 2.9

Trial One:  Test Two
1 cm:  Force .38
2 cm:  Force .91
3 cm:  Force 1.25
4 cm:  Force 1.87
5 cm:  Force 2.74

Trial Two:  Test One (Double Loop)
1 cm:  Force 3.1
2 cm:  Force 4.4
3 cm:  Force 6.3
4 cm:  Force 8.0
5 cm:  Force 10.8

As you can tell from the data that my group and I collected, as the distance we used to pull the rubber band increased, so did the amount of force needed to pul it.   

Connection to the Real World:
The strongest connection that I could find to the real world would have to be firing a bow and arrow. The same concept of storing energy in a rubberband applies to this as well. When you pull the string attached to the bow back and get ready to fire your arrow, you are storing energy. Also, just like in the lab if you pull the string further and further back, you will store more and more energy in the bow thus enabling you to fire the arrow for a greater distance.

Pyramid Lab

In Class:
The purpose of this lab was to recognize the relationship between the amount of force used to pull something and the slop that it was being pulled on. In this experiment we pulled a a small cart up a ramp starting with a moderate to minimal slope and then gradually increased the steepness of the slope each trial. While pulling the cart, we had an electro magnetic pro measuring the amount of force it took to carry the cart up the slope. We also learned the equation W=FxD, which perfectly explains the relationship between the amount of work that is put into pulling the cart up the ramp, and the distance.

Data:

Trial 1: 
Distance= 1.5 m
Force= .767 N
Work= 1.15 J

Trial 2:
Distance= .85 m
Force= 1.822 N
Work= 1.54 J

Trial 3:
Distance= .55 m
Force= 3.9 N
Work= 2.15 J

Connection:
A connection that you can make from this lab to the real world can be found on ramps for wheelchairs and in the pyramids of Egypt. The ramps for wheelchairs are at the perfect slope because they do not require much effort to go up one and they are not too long either. The pyramid's ramps had the same properties as the ramps used for wheelchairs, they were moderate enough that you could pull or push something up them but at the same time they required very little distance.

Pulley Lab

In class:

The purpose of this lab was to recognize the relationship between the amount of force used, and the distance used to lift a certain mass. To lift the mass we created pulley. Lifting the mass with the pulley used much less force than without one, which resulted in the final thought that more distance = less force. This is because work remains constant. To graph the two different tests, we used a bar graph like the one shown below. In the graph, we show the relationship between force and the distance used to pull the mass. As the amount of force used increases, the distance is much less. The equation we created from our information is A=FxD, meaning the area shaded on the graph is the result of the amount of force used multiplied to the distance used as well.

Connection to the Real World:

You can connect the information found in the lab, and doing simple tasks that involve something like a hammer. A hammer is similar to this because you are adding distance to the swing you use to hit a nail down into a piece of wood. Heres an example: Try hitting a nail with your hand, and then try hitting one with a hammer. Hitting the nail with the hammer is much easier because the added distance takes less force (it also doesn't destroy your hand). 

Mass vs. Force

In class lab:

Ex.

The purpose of this lab was to learn the relationship between force and mass.  My group and I massed various brass cylinders. We learned that the force being exerted on these objects is equal to the mass multiplied by the gravitational constant. Also, to graph the data recorded we used a best fit line. My group and I put the mass of the objects on the y- axis, and the force used on the x- axis. After the experiments were done, were derived the equation "F=MxG" from the graph.

Connection:
Something similar to this can be found in golf. When you strike a golf ball with the head of your club you exert force onto the section of the ball which you hit. Once the ball is hit, the force given off by the ball is equal to its mass multiplied by the gravitational constant     (10 N/kg). To make the ball move further, you need to add more force and speed into your swing. The golf ball eventually falls down because earths gravitational constant is pulling it back to the ground.