Celeste Vazquez
Class of 2014 Graduate
Lennox Math, Science, & Technology Academy
JUNIOR YEAR 2012 - 2013
ESLR |01 Academic Achievers who:
Apply the concepts and skills learned in their courses to make connections or solve problems that exist beyond the classroom.
COURSE: Physics
ASSIGNMENT TITLE: Rollercoaster Project
DATE OF PROJECT: 11/16/2012
Topic​
The Rollercoaster Project addressed the concepts of motion, energy, and momentum. In class, we learned about Newton’s Laws of motion. These laws can be seen in action as the acceleration of an object can be found by dividing the object’s net force by its mass. It can also be seen as a balanced object remains in motion as long as no outside force affects it. Furthermore, the laws of energy are seen as an object’s potential energy (at a height) is transferred into kinetic energy. In addition, the conservation of momentum can be seen as the total is equal at both the beginning and end. Since we learned these three units throughout the semester, we were able to use them in this final project, where all three exist.
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Parameters
Although the project was done with a partner, the Rollercoaster Project was composed of three different parts with a time parameter of three weeks. The first part was a preliminary design of how the rollercoaster would look like. This was meant to help when we created the design on the No Limits Roller Coaster Simulation. The second part was writing an essay on the elements of a roller coaster and what role the engineer or the physicist played in its development. The third part was the roller coaster itself along with ten heights and ten energy conversions. The engineer (myself) was in charge of creating the rollercoaster using the simulator while the physicist (my partner, Jasmine Uitz) was in charge of finding the heights of ten points and then finding the energy conversions of these points (when the cart reached the bottom). The final product was then a poster of our work combined and a simulation of our rollercoaster.
Decribe the concepts you learned in class and analyze how they connect to the real life application.
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The three concepts that we learned throughout the semester were all found in the rollercoaster, a mechanism that exists in real life. When developing this machinery, an engineer and physicist have to go through similar processes. In order to create a safe rollercoaster, motion, energy, and momentum are three factors that must be kept in mind. Since motion also has to do with acceleration (Newton’s Second Law), the cart’s mass must be considered when going down lifts and loops. The acceleration can be difficult to maintain under control, however, by dividing the net force by the cart’s mass, its acceleration can be predicted and modified more easily. In addition, the energy that transfers throughout the roller coaster is something to consider because energy can be neither created nor destroyed. As the cart moves down a lift or a loop, its potential energy is transferred into kinetic energy. This same kinetic energy will be used to move the cart along the tracks. This means that if there is not enough kinetic energy to move the cart across the tracks, then it has to do with the potential energy as well. It also means that this situation can be fixed by modifying the height of the lift or loop, or changing the type of track that is being used. |
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ESLR #1 Reflection​
In terms of ESLR 1, I have evolved in connecting more of what I learned in class with the real world. For example, last year, my elevator project only focused on software and hardware. This meant that I mostly thought of programming skills. This year, however, the variety of physics-related material can be found in many more things (e.g. transfer of energy). I still need to develop my skill of solving problems because although I think of a real-life situation, I do not follow through with its solution. In order to develop this, I plan to start small in terms of the real-life situations until I can focus on more difficult problems.