Project 2 Learning Goals and Tutor Questions

Kinematic Equations - Constant Acceleration

Gravitational Force Near Earth

Vector Components

$$\vec{F}_{net} = m\:\vec{a} = \dfrac{\Delta\vec{p}}{\Delta t}$$

Iterative Prediction of Motion

Question: What assumptions did you make about the motion of the hovercrafts?

Question: Are the velocities and accelerations you calculated for the hovercraft exact?

Question: At what time do these velocities and acceleration correspond to?

Question: Why do we need to shift the time?

Question: What analytic equation gives the position of the runaway craft?

Question: Are the hovercrafts moving at the same speed? Can you determine at what speed each is moving?

Question: Given the time at which the crafts coincide, how do we find the distance from the base?

Question: Can you draw the $x$ vs. $t$ and $v$ vs. $t$ graphs?

Question: What does the momentum principle tell you about the net force acting on each hovercraft? What evidence are you using to make the claim?

Question: Can you draw a motion map (momentum vector) for each hovercraft and explain how this motion maps relate to the graphs you drew?

Question: Why does each hovercraft fall for the same amount of time?

Question: Where does the formula $v_{f}^{2}=v_{i}^{2}+2ad$ come from?

Question: What do you want the next addition of the code to do?

Question: Can you explain each important line in each while loop to me?

Question: Can you relate the position and momentum update lines in the code to analytical equations?

Question: What exactly is the motion map showing?

Question: Is there any change in the runaway cart's momentum, according to the code?

Question: Now can you add in the rescue cart?

Question: What is the difference between the runaway cart and the rescue craft code?

Question: Could this job have been done by hand?

Question: What parts of the code don't you understand?

Question: Does the mass matter?

Question: How does the vertical net force change when moving from land to air?

Question: What about the air resistance? Can you add this in? Assume that it goes like $bv$ to make things easy.