Week 3: What affects a riders speed when sliding down a slide?

Lab: 

Our Data On a Graph

    This week in lab, we delved into what different variables affect the speed of a rider going down a slide. Before we began our investigation as a class we came up with different variables that we thought might affect the riders speed. Some of those variables include weight of the rider, height of slide, shape of slide, materials being sat on etc. Our group decided to investigate whether the height of the slide would affect the riders speed. Through our different trials we found that the higher the slide was, the faster the marble went down. This was true for the other group who also investigated how height affected the speed of the rider but it was also cool to listen to what other groups investigated, and what their results were. 

Lecture: 

    In lecture we continued to talk about the variables that could affect a riders speed down a slide. We talked more about the height of a slide and how as riders move down the slide they are accelerating. The higher the slide, the more time the rider has to increase their speed before they get to the bottom. Then we moved to talking about the steepness of a slide and the forces that are acting upon an object as it moves down. The slides surface pushes on the object as the gravity is also pulling down except the slides surface force is perpendicular to the slide. We finished lecture talking about why the speed of a rider could be affected by the surface or clothing they are wearing and focused in on the force of friction. We reviewed how friction is a force that opposes the sliding across a surface and can keep an object from moving. We also discussed how the magnitude of friction depends on the type of surface as well as how hard the surfaces are being pushed together. 

Textbook Reading: 

What I learned: In this weeks reading, I learned that when objects move a force needs to act on it. Every object regardless of the motion or if its not moving, is being acted on by forces 24/7. In order to make something move, an additional force has to be strong enough to make it move. If equal forces are applied in opposite directions, objects don't move and the forces are balanced. Unbalanced forces result in the movement of objects. 

What was found most useful: I found the car crash example of Newton's first law to be the most helpful as it was one of the things I struggled to grasp as a younger learner. I think that this is a great way to introduce the concept to students and it's easy them to see it unfolding. 

What I need more information on: I think I would need a few examples on how objects can move without touching it. While I get the magnets, I struggle to come up with other examples of this that could helps students understand.