Physics Investigation of Speed

Physics Investigation of Speed

In this investigation I am finding out how the height of a ramp

affects the speed of a toy car.

To do this, I first need to know about speed and gravity.

I know the equation for speed is: Speed = Distance

Time

From that equation I can now work out what the speed of the toy car

will be, when I know the distance the ramp is and the time it took the

car to come down the ramp.

Now, gravity is a bit more

complicated: [IMAGE]Over

three centuries ago, Isaac Newton invented a new kind of mathematics

called calculus so that he could model motion in the natural world

using mathematics. Calculus is about measuring change and so calculus

became a vital tool in describing the motions of simple objects.

[IMAGE]Newton was able to make a mathematical model that encompassed

both objects falling because of gravity on Earth, and the motion of

heavenly bodies in the skies. Newton decided that the force of gravity

on Earth was the same force that organized the motions of the moon

around the Earth and the Earth and all the planets around the sun. He

invented a formalism and developed mathematical formulas for

calculating the size of the gravitational force both on Earth and in

outer space.

This (more simply) means that there is a force in the Earth that

attracts all objects to it, so that they (or we) don’t float in the

air. Depending on how high an object is away from the ground, the