Download Hovercraft Inertia Lab

Hovercraft Inertia Lab
Pre-Lab – Using your textbook or other resource you find helpful, and answer the following questions.
1. State Newton’s 1st Law of motion
2. Write Newton’s 1st law of motion in terms specific to the hovercraft.
3. a. When the hovercraft is in motion, what is absent that is typically present with other forms of
transportation?
b. How does your answer for 3a. change how the hovercraft can behave compared to other vehicles?
4. a. What does net force mean?
b. Draw an example of when something has forces acting on it but does not a net force.
c. Draw an example of when something has forces acting on it but does have a net force.
d. Can something be moving and not have any forces acting on it? If so draw an example.
e. Can something be moving and have a net force of zero acting on it? If so, draw and example.
5. a. If something is in a state of equilibrium, what does this mean?
b. When do you expect the hovercraft to be in equilibrium?
PHASE I:
Starting
PHASE II:
Gliding
PHASE III:
Stopping
In the Lab
A. With your group, compare and discuss your answers to the pre-lab
B. Take turns riding the hovercraft following all safety procedures. After all members who want
to ride have had their turn, answer the following questions.
1. When your group member is on the hovercraft what causes them to move?
2. What causes the group member on the hovercraft to continue to move?
3. When your group member is on the hovercraft what causes them to stop?
4. Which group member is the hardest to start and stop? Which group member is the easiest to start and
stop? Propose a reason for the difference?
5. With your group show Ms. Lawrence how your hovercraft demonstrates all parts of Newton’s 1st law.
6. Why don’t cars and other vehicles behave the way the hovercraft behaves?
7. What surprised you about riding the hovercraft?
8. Was the hovercraft accelerating or moving with relatively constant velocity in
a) Phase I? ______________________________
b) Phase II? ______________________________
c) Phase III? ______________________________
1. Briefly explain why the hovercraft moved as it did in each phase (see question #3) by referring to Newton’s
(6)
laws and your diagrams in question #4. (Hint: Were the forces balanced or unbalanced?)
a) Phase I:
b) Phase II:
c) Phase III:
Post Lab Questions: With your group think about your hovercraft ride as being broken up into the three
sections below and answer the following questions.
PHASE I:
PHASE II:
Starting
Gliding
1. a. Which phase(s) were you accelerating?
PHASE III:
Stopping
b. What makes you think this?
2. a. In which phase(s) were you moving with constant speed?
b. What makes you think this?
3. a. In which phase(s) do you think you were in equilibrium?
b. What makes you think this?
4. In which phase(s) was a net force causing you to move forward?
5. a. Why were some members of your group easier to start and stop than others?
b. What does this tell you about inertia?
6. How does this lab relate to both parts Newton’s 1st law?
7. In which phase(s) was a net force being acted upon the rider and in which phase(s) was a net
force acting on the rider absent?
8. a. With your group draw all of the forces and the direction of the forces on the hovercraft in each
phase.
b. Under each diagram use arrows to represent the direction and magnitude of Velocity and Acceleration.
Post Hovercraft Blog Post
In a concise post on your blog describe what you learned from the Hovercraft Inertia lab. In your post describe:
a. What riding on a hovercraft feels like. What would you tell someone to expect if they hadn’t tried it?
Why is riding on a sled, skateboard, etc different than a hovercraft?
b. What did you learn about inertia, net force, and equilibrium?
c. Based on this lab, what does acceleration seem to depend on?
d. Based on this lab, when would you expect to have constant velocity?
e. Why were some members harder to stop than others?