Physics Lab
Motion in 2D Simulation
Go to HYPERLINK "http://phet.colorado.edu/simulations/sims.php?sim=Motion_in_2D" http://phet.colorado.edu/simulations/sims.php?sim=Motion_in_2D and click on Run Now.
1) Once the simulation opens, click on ‘Show Both’ for Velocity and Acceleration at the top of the page. Now click and drag the red ball around the screen. Make 3 observations about the blue and green arrows (also called vectors) as you drag the ball around. When the ball is stopped there isn't any changes in the placement of the ball. This means that there is zero velocity at that time.
2) Which color vector (arrow) represents velocity and which one represents acceleration? How can you tell? The green arrow represents velocity and the blue arrow represents acceleration. I can tell because while dragging the red ball it’s velocity increased. When I slowed the motion of the red ball, deceleration is produced.
3) Try dragging the ball around and around in a circular path. What do you notice about the lengths and directions of the blue and green vectors? Describe their behavior in detail below. While dragging the ball around in a circular path the velocity changes due to change in direction. The green arrow’s length is changing and the blue arrow stays the same. This means that the velocity is not constant.
4) Now move the ball at a slow constant speed across the screen. What do you notice now about the vectors? Explain why this happens. While moving the ball at a slow constant speed across the screen, I noticed that the velocity is constant. This happened because there was no acceleration. It was just a very constant slow speed.
5) What happens to the vectors when you jerk the ball rapidly back and forth across the screen? Explain why this happens.
When I jerked the ball back and fourth, the velocity changed quickly and the ball also accelerated very quickly due to the jerking movement.
6) Now click on ‘Circular’ on the bottom.
Go to HYPERLINK "http://phet.colorado.edu/simulations/sims.php?sim=Motion_in_2D" http://phet.colorado.edu/simulations/sims.php?sim=Motion_in_2D and click on Run Now.
1) Once the simulation opens, click on ‘Show Both’ for Velocity and Acceleration at the top of the page. Now click and drag the red ball around the screen. Make 3 observations about the blue and green arrows (also called vectors) as you drag the ball around. When the ball is stopped there isn't any changes in the placement of the ball. This means that there is zero velocity at that time.
2) Which color vector (arrow) represents velocity and which one represents acceleration? How can you tell? The green arrow represents velocity and the blue arrow represents acceleration. I can tell because while dragging the red ball it’s velocity increased. When I slowed the motion of the red ball, deceleration is produced.
3) Try dragging the ball around and around in a circular path. What do you notice about the lengths and directions of the blue and green vectors? Describe their behavior in detail below. While dragging the ball around in a circular path the velocity changes due to change in direction. The green arrow’s length is changing and the blue arrow stays the same. This means that the velocity is not constant.
4) Now move the ball at a slow constant speed across the screen. What do you notice now about the vectors? Explain why this happens. While moving the ball at a slow constant speed across the screen, I noticed that the velocity is constant. This happened because there was no acceleration. It was just a very constant slow speed.
5) What happens to the vectors when you jerk the ball rapidly back and forth across the screen? Explain why this happens.
When I jerked the ball back and fourth, the velocity changed quickly and the ball also accelerated very quickly due to the jerking movement.
6) Now click on ‘Circular’ on the bottom.