Physics with Mrs. Chase allows us to explore how the world around us works. We learn about topics like motion, energy, forces, and momentum, studying not just the formulas but also the real-world applications behind them. The course has a similar curriculum to AP physics and the class is a combination of lectures, hands-on experiments, and demonstrations, which make the concepts come to life. We get to work in groups to perform labs which help us connect the concepts to real situations and apply it in different ways. As we work through different units, we practice by doing homework, quizzes, and review questions, which helps solidify what we have learned. I have found that this class not only helps me understand the physics of everyday life but also teaches me how to think critically and solve problems in new and creative ways.
In the beginning of the year, one of the topics that we focused on was kinematics. Within this unit, we worked together with other students to complete a lab. In this lab, our goal was to determine the acceleration of a cart moving down an inclined plane and compare our measured results to the expected values. To do this, we set up a ramp at a specific angle and released the cart from various points along the incline. Then, a sensor was placed along the path of the cart to measure its velocity as it passed by. By recording the velocity at different points and analyzing the distance traveled, we were able to calculate the cart’s acceleration. After completing the experiment at one angle, we adjusted the incline to a steeper position and did the process again to see how the change in angle affected the acceleration. This setup allowed us to directly observe how the incline influences the cart’s motion and come to a conclusion and analysis for this lab. This lab not only gave us an opportunity to learn more about kinematics but also fostered cooperation amongst ourselves.
For this dynamics lab, I worked with Adel, Niranjan, and Jackson to investigate how the incline angle affects the acceleration of a cart on a modified Atwood’s machine. We designed the experiment by setting up a cart on an inclined plane, with a hanging mass on the other side. Our goal was to examine how different incline angles affect the cart's acceleration in a modified Atwood’s machine. We measured the acceleration at different incline angles and used the data to analyze the relationship between the incline angle and the cart's acceleration. Through the lab, we gained a better understanding of how forces interact in a system, and it was interesting to see how the angle influences the movement. The process involved a lot of hands-on work, including calculating acceleration and analyzing the results, and it was a great opportunity to apply the concepts we had learned in class.