Physics Unit 15
Physics is Everywhere!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Windmill Project
Typical windmills are made up of a base, a shaft, blades, and a generator. The base (milk or juice carton) is the structure vertical structure that is planted to the ground. The shaft (your straw) is the piece that holds the blades to the windmill base. The blades (pinwheel) are what generates energy through rotation. Another key component to a windmill that is absent from the experiment is the generator. The generator is the component that converts the mechanical energy of the rotating blades into electricity.
Fettuccine Bridge Project
In this activity, students will design and build a support structure that will hold their Physics textbook. After this has been successfully accomplished, students enjoy holding a contest to determine whose structure can hold the greatest number of Physics books without collapsing.
Mousetrap Car Project
You will build an originally designed vehicle powered solely by the energy of one standard-sized mousetrap. A very popular method of propulsion is to tie one end of a string to the arm (or an extended lever arm) on the mousetrap and the other end to the axle. By winding the string around the axle, the mousetrap's spring, when released, pulls on the string causing the wheels to turn and thus making the car move.
Objectives: The objective of this project is to...
a) Design a mousetrap car that will travel a maximum speed/acceleration over a 5 meter race.
b) Demonstrate an understanding of the physics principles incorporated in your design (in a report).