Dynamics

We launched into our study of dynamics today with a basic overview of forces and a toe-dip into Newton's Laws of Motion. B, C and E Blocks had a discussion focusing on the nature of forces, the difference between field and contact forces and the concepts of net force and equilibrium. We then took the ideas of net force and equilibrium into Newton-land and used them to set up Newton's first law of motion and a discussion of inertia. Objects resist being accelerated and the greater the mass the greater the resistance. Without a net external force, objects are in equilibrium and have a constant velocity (0 m/s if at rest). With a net external force, we will see acceleration of the object and the size of the force, along with the object's inertia determine the magnitude of the acceleration - pretty much that all sums up the take-away lesson for today. Tomorrow, we'll take on Newton's second law and, with our work today on calculating net force, put some numbers to that acceleration value.

F Block worked on a lab investigating Atwood's Machine. Mass difference and total mass were examined on how they affected acceleration of the system. With an increasing mass difference between the two objects, acceleration increased. With the same mass difference, but increasing the system's total mass with each trial, we saw a decreasing acceleration. We'll put vocabulary and concepts to these ideas in class tomorrow, but you should have a good idea now about how force and inertia affect the motion of objects...