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Thread: Physics Project Ideas
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2011-03-30, 02:54 AM (ISO 8601)
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Physics Project Ideas
As part of my physics class I have to come up with a project. After thinking about it for awhile I've found myself stuck for ideas, so I decided to come to the playground for some inspiration.
Here's a quick summary of what I need to do for this project.
I have to make a project on one of these four topics, projectiles, collisions, springs or circular motion. I need to make a experiment that demonstrates the concepts learned in the topic. I also need to make a smaller version that can be used as a demonstration in class.
Oh, this is at high school level physics, so nothing too complicated
If anyone has some ideas for what to do it would be appreciated. Preferbly something interesting but not too ambitious.Thanks to Skeppio for my avatar.
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2011-03-30, 03:39 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Physics Project Ideas
newton's cradle
about as original as a mud volcanoe; but it's simple, looks good, and involves newtonian physics.a tiny space dedicated to a beloved grandpa now passed. may every lunch be peanut butter-banana sandwiches.
i has 2/4 an internets.
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gnome_4ever:
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2011-03-30, 11:56 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Physics Project Ideas
Billiard-Ball Computing is a pretty fun computation model based on newtonian mechanics.
Dunno if it's a bit hard as a project, but for example explaining a little why reversible computation is interesting (make sure you mention Landauer's Principle: basically, erasing information increases the temperature of the system, and this cannot be avoided), then showing a simulation of, say, an And gate (you can find a pretty good simulator here as a java applet, you could do some other gate too but they can get seriously tricky) could already make for a really cool presentation, and I at least would be perfectly willing to consider the computer simulation as an "experiment" - but otherwise, implementing an "and" gate for reals should be also possible.
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2011-03-30, 06:15 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2009
Re: Physics Project Ideas
you... get to choose what to do?
madness.
we had to make a spring launcher. ( that is, something that launches springs of their own power. not something that uses springs to launch things.)
so that would be projectiles and springs.
trebuchets or catapults would be projectiles and circular motion.
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2011-03-30, 08:07 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Physics Project Ideas
This. A thousand times this. Both of these siege weapons utilize tons of physics goodies, and as part of your demonstration, you get to knock something to smithereens. You don't lose. (Sidenote: I loved the trebuchet project I had in my high school physics class)
If you need to back it up with physics, trebuchets fire their projectiles in an arc, and there is hopefully an awesome collision with some object at the end of said arc.-Vonriel
"DEMONS RUN WHEN A GOOD MAN GOES TO WAR."
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2011-03-30, 08:24 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2005
Re: Physics Project Ideas
i would talk to your teacher before proceeding with a catapult of any sort. over the years kids have gotten in trouble for bringing "weapons" to school.
with a teacher's go-ahead you're just better off.a tiny space dedicated to a beloved grandpa now passed. may every lunch be peanut butter-banana sandwiches.
i has 2/4 an internets.
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gnome_4ever:
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2011-03-30, 11:43 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Physics Project Ideas
Build a simple Centrifugal governor, connected to the throttle of an electric or gasoline motor.
You could also construct something like the centrifugal governor used in old rotary phones to brake the dial as it rotates back into position.
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2011-03-30, 11:47 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Physics Project Ideas
Put ferrofluid around a magnet and then spin it. That counts right?
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2011-03-31, 12:40 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Physics Project Ideas
I'm not talking anything big enough to break anything, here. Just a simple contraption a little bigger than a shoebox, with about enough power to knock over some styrofoam blocks, maybe. If any kid gets in trouble over that, well... no, scratch what I said, I entirely expect that to happen, so it's probably a good idea to talk to your teacher.
-Vonriel
"DEMONS RUN WHEN A GOOD MAN GOES TO WAR."
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2011-03-31, 12:43 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Physics Project Ideas
The Iron Avatarist Crypt of Fame - Exorcising photobucket from the historic archives of the forum.
Go and went by many names Ast, Avgvst, Pink-Haired August, araveugnitsuga and nowadays AsteriskAmp.
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2011-04-01, 03:54 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Physics Project Ideas
Ferrofluids are so cool. I first learned about ferrofluids after watching Terminator 2 and wondering if there was anything that could work like that in real life. While ferrofluids aren't quite the same, they are still super neat in their own right and really weird and beautiful.
Last edited by Ravens_cry; 2011-04-01 at 03:55 AM.
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2011-04-01, 10:03 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Physics Project Ideas
Last edited by Sacrieur; 2011-04-01 at 10:07 AM.
[PF] HP Calculator - Fractional HP, now without math!
[PF] Initiator NPC Templates - Quickly applied maneuvers for DMs.
[PF] Initiator Balance Rule - A lightweight fix to balance casting and martial classes.
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2011-04-04, 09:07 AM (ISO 8601)
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- May 2009
Re: Physics Project Ideas
It doesn't cover springs, but if you build a particle accelerator you can cover all 3 other topics!
...and it probably wouldn't be too hard to actually build one. I mean, I'm not suggesting it, but you could probably do it as a college-level project...ithilanor on Steam.
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2011-04-04, 09:34 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Physics Project Ideas
I'd say do a trebuchet if possible. I had alot of fun with that project (high school) and the one I built threw 2nd farthest out of all the classes (including the AP classes). I might post a video later today if anyones interested.
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2011-04-04, 04:14 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Physics Project Ideas
It would be easy to set up an experiment with a cup, some water and a little bit of twine to demonstrate how circular motion results in centrifugal force through inertia.
Just drill three little equidistant holes in the cup, string bits of twine of equal length through them so you can spin it freely, fill the cup with a little bit of water and, well, spin it freely
Just be sure none of the twine is going to snap or come loose while you're spinning it - that would be bad!"Nothing has to be true, but everything has to sound true." - Isaac Asimov (Second Foundation)
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2011-04-04, 08:56 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Physics Project Ideas
Thanks for the ideas everyone. I haven't decided what to do yet, but I have till the end of the week to decide. A trebuchet sounds like fun.
Thanks to Skeppio for my avatar.
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2011-04-04, 10:03 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Physics Project Ideas
Nope, it's a colloidal suspension made of metal particles coated in a surfactant (read an oil) (which also prevents them from joining up) suspended in a liquid phase (normally something hydrophobic to tolerate the oil). It's more of a liquid that has metal inside but cannot split from it.
It's relatively easy to make if you have ammonia handy (which in my country is a regulated substance).The Iron Avatarist Crypt of Fame - Exorcising photobucket from the historic archives of the forum.
Go and went by many names Ast, Avgvst, Pink-Haired August, araveugnitsuga and nowadays AsteriskAmp.
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2011-04-04, 10:08 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Physics Project Ideas
Last edited by thubby; 2011-04-04 at 10:10 PM.
a tiny space dedicated to a beloved grandpa now passed. may every lunch be peanut butter-banana sandwiches.
i has 2/4 an internets.
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gnome_4ever:
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2011-04-04, 10:13 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Physics Project Ideas
The Iron Avatarist Crypt of Fame - Exorcising photobucket from the historic archives of the forum.
Go and went by many names Ast, Avgvst, Pink-Haired August, araveugnitsuga and nowadays AsteriskAmp.
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2011-04-04, 10:52 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Physics Project Ideas
I guess this one was ok in high school, I can't remember exactly. However, try this in college, and your professor will give you an earful about how centrifugal force doesn't exist and it's all centripetal force. Personally, I think they mean the same thing, but some pedant somewhere wanted to start something, so now students everywhere are confused.
-Vonriel
"DEMONS RUN WHEN A GOOD MAN GOES TO WAR."
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2011-04-04, 10:58 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Physics Project Ideas
Appropriate xkcd here. Funny and technically accurate.
ithilanor on Steam.
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2011-04-04, 11:01 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Physics Project Ideas
Last edited by Ravens_cry; 2011-04-04 at 11:01 PM.
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2011-04-04, 11:23 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Physics Project Ideas
[PF] HP Calculator - Fractional HP, now without math!
[PF] Initiator NPC Templates - Quickly applied maneuvers for DMs.
[PF] Initiator Balance Rule - A lightweight fix to balance casting and martial classes.
-
2011-04-14, 07:37 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Marburg, Germany
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Re: Physics Project Ideas
Ferrofluids: There's an easier way...
An even cheaper way would be to dissolve/suspend black iron oxide in kerosene (might not be a true ferrofluid though).
Don't you have horses in your country?Last edited by Autolykos; 2011-04-14 at 07:40 AM.
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2011-04-14, 11:04 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Physics Project Ideas
You should devise some kind of spinthariscopes. Everybody loves isotopes.
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2011-04-14, 11:43 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Physics Project Ideas
I'm not even out of high school yet actually.
Natively we have llamas and alpacas, however a section of the population does have horses, however they are mostly imported since the ones bred here suck.
And there is an even easier method, mix ferric chloride with steel wool to get ferrous chloride. You then mix those with water and ammonia and get Magnetite. NaOH is harder to get than housecleaning ammonia (In 90% of the world, damned be the paranoid chemical regulations in my country). No Massart involved.
However, the next part is basically the same, get an oleate to adsorb itself to the magnetite to get micelle, suspend micelle in hidrophobic solution, get Ferrofluid.
As for a physics experiment, a Gauss Rifle is easy, cool and physic, Ferrofluids are more akin to chemistry.Last edited by AsteriskAmp; 2011-04-14 at 11:49 PM.
The Iron Avatarist Crypt of Fame - Exorcising photobucket from the historic archives of the forum.
Go and went by many names Ast, Avgvst, Pink-Haired August, araveugnitsuga and nowadays AsteriskAmp.
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2011-04-15, 01:55 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Physics Project Ideas
I kind of wish he'd tell us which project he decided to go with in the end. Anyone else feel the same way?
-Vonriel
"DEMONS RUN WHEN A GOOD MAN GOES TO WAR."
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2011-04-15, 04:44 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Physics Project Ideas
Last edited by Level8Mudcrab; 2011-04-15 at 04:44 AM.
Thanks to Skeppio for my avatar.
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2011-04-16, 04:02 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Physics Project Ideas
If you're going down this road, a Railgun is easier to build and looks much more impressive. If you have enough power, you can shoot small balls of tin foil that actually start glowing when they leave the barrel. A car battery or some NiCd cells plus a bunch of SuperCaps (double-layer capacitors, to be exact) should do the job - the main trouble is to get switches that have low enough resistance and won't melt/fry when you send a few Amperes through them (I'd stick to mechanical relays, most semiconductors won't survive such abuse for long).
If you do, Vid please
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2011-04-16, 10:02 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Physics Project Ideas
Lets make it simpler how about a Coilgun instead?
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