Activity 35.5: Can I Drop You Off?

Purpose

Observe motion at constant velocity and at constant acceleration in order to collect data about position and relate this data to work done and energy used.

Introduction

In the last activity, you saw that when a force is exerted and causes something to move, energy is expended. This activity focuses on movement and on ways to describe it. Objects can have a position, a velocity, and an acceleration. This activity will help you understand the differences among these concepts.

Think about when you are driving or riding in a car. If the car is stopped along the road, you could describe its position as "x number" of meters from the last intersection. If the car is moving steadily, you could describe its velocity by recording the speed of the car and the direction in which it is moving. If the driver of the car slows down the car for a yield sign, speeds up to pass, or swerves to avoid an accident, these changes in velocity can be described as acceleration or deceleration. All motion can be described using these concepts.