Physics project, need some ideas

[carol]

I'm having trouble thinking of a project our class could submit for our physics project. It could be something that can be used in lab activities for kinematics and dynamics. i think our teacher expects lab materials or equipments. however, i think they already have almost everything (i guess). to be quite original, i was thinking of submitting a lab procedure for a certain activity. but i still have to ask her about that. about the lab equipments, maybe you have something in mind;)

[ajb]

How old are you and what have you covered in physics classes?

 

Pendulum and harmonic motion are fundamental in physics. Why not investigate a coupled pendulum? You can do this both experimentally as well as investigating the equations of motion either analytically and/or numerically.

 

If you "google" coupled pendulum you will find many sites explaining it to you. Depending on your level of knowledge, you have several things you can study.

 

"Generalisations" of this could also be interesting like many pendulum coupled together or the chaotic pendulum.

[YT2095]

another idea (although Physics isn`t my area), would be to get something like a Piano wire, a guitar string would work too.

attatch one end to the ceiling and put weights on the other end.

see how the strings vibrational frequency alters per given weight, you`ll need a Mic and amplifier and a frequency counter, although an Oscilloscope will be just fine too if you know how to read one.

[insane_alien]

or you could use the weighted string to get the youngs modulus of it. works good with copper wire. depending on your level you may need to learn some new things but it's really really simple stuff and teachers like it when you do some independant research.

[carol]

I'm not really into physics so i don't know a lot about it. do you know of any lab equipment that can be used in a kinematics lab activity? maybe something for laws of motion.