blog 3

 This week in the lab we focused on energy. We talked about swings more but more so the energy used when the swing moves back and forth. We also looked at and used a pendulum simulation which helped me better understand how energy affects a swing motion. As groups, we then completed an egg activity. During the activity, we were given an egg and a bowl of different materials such as straw, sand, and tar chips. We then had to choose one material. We wanted to add our bowl to protect the egg from a drop. During the first trial, my group chose straw and tar chips, which kept the egg safe. During the second trial, we added sand to it and then dropped the egg from 2 m. The material we chose did not break the egg. One thing that we did notice is that a lot of the materials within the bowels fell out after the egg dropped. We then learned that this is because of the energy transfer between the items. 

This week we took our first exam so we didn’t have a normal lecture. Instead, we were told to talk about this week's reading. The chapter is over the pendulum and the energy lends to motion. Throughout the chapter, the main points are focused on our different kinds of energy, but also on potential and kinetic energy, which are part of a pendulum swinging. The chapter also talks about the background behind pendulums and how they come about. The chapter talks about how Galileo, Christiaan, and Léon are connected to the pendulum as well. 

1. What did you learn?

• One thing that I learned about from this chapter is the fact that there are two main kinds of energy. Before this reading, I didn’t know that energy is something that can flow through the ground, which helps our houses to function whether it be the lights or the fridge. But this chapter helped me understand that there are two main types of energy that are important for motion, which are potential energy and kinetic energy.

2. What was most helpful?

• I really like the bullet points throughout the chapter. Mainly because it was able to help me understand the main points of importance from each section.

3. What do you need more information on?

• One thing I would like to know more about from this chapter is about the focaults pendulum section. It does talk about how he used the pendulum to demonstrate the earth rotation and how it works on the access. I’m just curious about how that can connect to energy. 

4. What questions/concerns/comments do you have?

• A comment that I had throughout the chapter is about the PhET. One of the five names was that weight does not affect the period of a pendulum swing. I thought this was interesting because in both of the labs where we had to do group work on trials that affect the slide in a swing, my group decided to talk about weight. Both labs are finance were the same and came out to be that does not affect someone sliding abilities or their swing abilities so this chapter findings made it even more interesting and concrete.