Tracker Cup Cakes 3 Cup flower Free Fall by MJC Thomas Yeu

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Free fall of 3 cupcake cups in clover arrangement. Effects of air resistance is observed as the object achieved terminal velocity of 1.36 m/s. A model showed that drag force is proportional to square of vertical velocity.

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Author: Thomas Yeu
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Document Brief: Title: "3 Cup Flower Free Fall: Understanding Gravity and Air Resistance"

This document examines the "3 Cup Flower Free Fall" experiment by MJC Thomas Yeu. It delves into the scientific principles of gravity, air resistance, and terminal velocity, using the visually striking example of a flower made of cups in free fall. The analysis is geared towards understanding how shape, surface area, and mass interplay during a free fall.

Study Guide:

Objective: To explore the effects of shape, structure, and surface area on the rate of fall and motion dynamics in a free fall scenario.

Key Concepts:

Gravity and Free Fall:
- Gravity accelerates all objects at 9.8 m/s² (on Earth).
- In the absence of air resistance, all objects fall at the same rate regardless of mass or shape.
Air Resistance:
- Air resistance opposes the motion of objects through air and is influenced by surface area, shape, and velocity.
- Larger surface areas experience greater air resistance, which can slow down the fall.
Terminal Velocity:
- When the force of air resistance equals the gravitational pull on an object, it reaches terminal velocity, falling at a constant speed.
Shape and Stability:
- The unique "flower" shape of the cups may create aerodynamic effects, influencing stability and fall dynamics.

Experiment Overview:

Setup: A "flower" structure is created by arranging three cups in a symmetric pattern.
Procedure: Drop the structure from a height and observe its motion.
Observation Points:
- Note the speed of the fall.
- Observe if the structure spins, stabilizes, or oscillates.
- Record the time taken to hit the ground.

Questions to Consider:

How does the cup flower’s shape influence its fall compared to individual cups?
What role does air resistance play in the observed motion?
How might increasing the mass or changing the cup configuration affect the fall?

Applications:

Insights into parachute designs and stability.
Understanding drag effects in aerodynamics.
Creative exploration of physics principles in educational settings.

FAQ:

Why use a flower-shaped structure for this experiment? The unique design creates an opportunity to study how non-standard shapes behave during free fall, offering insights into the interplay of gravity, air resistance, and structural dynamics.
Does the flower structure fall slower than individual cups? Likely yes, due to increased surface area and air resistance, which slows the descent compared to a single cup.
What happens if the experiment is conducted in a vacuum? In a vacuum, there is no air resistance, so the flower structure and individual cups would fall at the same rate.
Can this experiment teach anything about real-world applications? Yes, it can inform design principles for parachutes, drones, and other devices where shape and air resistance are critical.
What modifications could be made to alter the results? Changing the size, mass, or arrangement of the cups would alter air resistance and stability, affecting the rate and manner of descent.

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Details: Written by leongster; Parent Category: 03 Motion & Forces; Category: 02 Dynamics; Published: 27 October 2015; Created: 27 October 2015; Last Updated: 31 December 2024; Hits: 6299