Physics, like Computer Science, was a class that I was worried about at the beginning of the year, but ended up growing into one of my favorites. We’ve covered topics in kinematics, projectile motion, dynamics, conservation of energy, momentum, and we’re now working on circular motion. Labs are, in my opinion, the coolest and most fun parts of Physics. It amazes me that numbers - a figment of human imagination - can model how real life objects interact, and labs really show that the equations work. You can look at some of the assignments I’ve had below.
This problem was given to us when we were dealing with projectile motion, but it also uses elements from the kinematics unit. It describes a rocket that is initially using fuel to project itself upward at an angle. Its fuel then runs out, which turns it into a projectile in freefall. After falling for a bit, a parachute opens up until eventually hitting the ground. Calculating each step of the way and ending with an answer that was correct was really fun.
This assignment was given to us when we were in the dynamics unit. The fun part about it was that we could make our own experiment, and prove whatever we wanted. My group ended up showing that the coefficient of friction stays the same, regardless of what angle a certain mass is falling at. It was really fun coming up with our own experiments and showing that the equations do work.