Unit 4: 2-D Kinematics

Today we began Unit 4! This unit was about 2-D kinematics or projectile motion. Instead of just solving problems that had to do with either things moving up and down, or left and right, we had to do problems that involved all four of those. Intertwined with the new equations we learned about the "Vegas rule." In scientific terms the rule meant that the axes are independent, but in Mr. Blakes terms it was defined as, " what happens on the x axis stays on the x axis." It also works with the y axis. Things on the X axis will have constant velocity and things on the y axis will follow the fast, slow, stop, slow, fast pattern. We also learned a little rule about forces. "Objects in motion will tend to stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside unbalanced force." We learned how to set up our word problems correctly by using the T-formation. 

Along with learning how to use the equations we had the Flying Donkey lab, which required us to predict where the donkey ball would land when it fell off the table. Man this lab scared me because our grade depended upon how accurate our numbers were. The grade we got was the grade that the ball had made a dent on. Towards the end of the day we learned about the Bureku Technique which relates to equivalent vectors. We also reviewd SOH CAH TOA, then learned how to apply SOH CAH TOA into physics.

This is a picture i took at the park that my brother practices soccer at. I saw a couple kids playing baseball and I remembered that this relates to what we were learning today! Because not only does the ball go in a kind of arching motion it also has to go towards the person. The parabola is the y axis and the motion of the x axis is what is kept constant. The speed of the x axis is kept constant in this case.