APPB: QFT: Rocket Science

 

Top 3 Questions
1. How do I build the rocket?
2. What's the ideal design for a non tumbling rocket?
3. How do fins help the rocket fly?

What do you plan on using these questions for?
1. I would use this to guide me into the directions of researching aerodynamic materials and simple designs that would help the rocket fly.
2. I would use this to draw a blueprint of some sort that would make the rocket not tumble. So, we'd probably draw up different blueprints and test them with different things on them (fin design, weights, tip shape).
3. I would use this question to  guide me in researching rocket fins that help it fly a farther distance (parallelogram shapes, triangular, claw-shape).

Reflect on the process of questioning. How did it go?
The process of questioning helped me take a step into researching and thinking about how this rocket will be built. I have not built a rocket before, so this questioning helped me go into more detail about designs, fin shapes, and weight distribution that would effect the rocket's flight.

APPB: QFT: Thermal Energy

 

1. List your group's top 3 questions as chosen in class.
 a. What causes thermal energy?
 b. What factors effect thermal energy?
 c. What is thermal energy?

2. Write a short description of how you would like those questions to be used in class? (direct my videos? start a lab?)
a.  I think this question would be best answered in a lecture format because its more open. The causes could start an explanation of why it causes thermal energy and just one small answer wouldn't suffice in providing enough information.
b. I think this would be good in lab or video use. The lab could show exactly WHAT effects thermal energy and we could see at first hand the factors instead of being told what they were. The video usage of this question would also work because we get to see some sort of visual of what effects thermal energy.... so I think visuals just help the understanding of factors....
c. I think this would work in lecture form because the question in more open which would provoke discussion in the class. Like there could be different explanations of thermal energy that would make sense to different people which in a whole helps explain it to other people.... Does that make sense? Like the broad discussion of what it is would help me understand the specifics of thermal energy.

3. Reflect on the whole process.  Meaning, you should describe what the process of coming up with and refining your questions was like. Easy? Hard? Interesting? Do you think it will be easier next time?
 -->The process in a whole what quite easy because formulating a question about something don't know just naturally provokes question-asking just to find out what I want to know. I don't know if it will be easier next time because it depends on the topic and question given. The thermal energy one was quite easy because I kind of knew what thermal energy was from chemistry.

AP Physics: Spaghetti Tower[UPDATED]

Mr. Zook
Per. 02

Blueprint with accountant's report

Our Spaghetti Tower

  

Group Evaluation Worksheet Analysis

1. First Picture Shown: Blueprint with accountant's report

2. $500 budget. We spent $240 on 24 spaghettis and $240 on 24cm of tape. We used 4cm of tape, then switched over all our unused, 20cm of tape, to trade for 20 marshmallows.

*****UPDATE: $500 budget. We spent $250 on 25 spaghetti and $190 on 19 marshmallows with no tape used. The grand total was $440 with $60 leftover.

   3. Spaghetti Tower: 66cm
*****UPDATE: 80cm

   4. We had to tweak our design a bit to account for the weight of the triangle bases. Our original design, shown on the left, was not strong enough so we twisted the design. I like how it has an interesting look to it and that the intertwining spaghettis support each other. What I don't like is that the triangle bases were not similar in size and caused the tower to later collapse.


   5. The biggest challenge was connecting all the pieces together without the structure falling/breaking. We overcame the challenge by switching to marshmallows, but then the marshmallows became all ripped up with all the spaghetti's poking through it.

   6. I would probably redesign with a supporting structure at the bottom to keep the tower staying up.

Self Evaluation Worksheet

   1.  I felt really nervous and apprehensive doing this activity. I didn't want to give up because I had a little tiny bit of hope that the tower would stay up because triangles are quite strong and sturdy.

   2. Our sketch was quite similar to another group in the class, in that both of us utilized triangles in our structure, but since we twisted the design, it did not really resemble any other towers.

   3. I would probably add fatter marshmallows because that could probably withhold the weight and stabbing of the several spaghettis.

   4. I helped design and build the spaghetti tower.

More Building/Construction Pictures: 

Our Project is still in progress&working on getting the tower to 80cm, also we are thinking of doing a new design---we will try to get the permit approved and stuff during class on like Wednesday or Thursday.

UPDATE: We finally reached the 80cm!

Our UPDATED Spaghetti Tower (9/6/12)

UPDATED blueprint&fiscal report

My First POST ♥