Pendulum science!

Science Report: 

Pendulum Predicament 

By: Jakob, Thomas & Zak

Aim/Hypothesis: 

See how mass really affects the period of the pendulum. We could find no evidence of this online but it goes against common sense so we decided to test it. Our hypothesis is that it wouldn’t affect it at all. (Thomas thought that it would)

Method:

1: String up two containers to a solid bar or similar object (we did it to the monkey bars) Make sure they are the same length from the bar (you may need to do a control test with no water to make sure you have got it right.

2: Fill one of them with some water (we put in 200ml). The first container weighed 84g (without water) and the second weighed 284g

3: draw them both up to the same height and release at the same time.

4: record results.

Results: 

First of all we did it with two glass beakers on the end of the strings but then the one one with the water in it smashed after the string snapped. So then we got to plastic containers and some stronger strings. When we tested it they didn’t swing backward and forward at the same time like the control test. We thought that the period of the pendulum had changed because they weren't even any more and that google must have been wrong, but we were wrong and after extensive research and small scale testing we found that the period hadn’t changed but the more massive one kept its momentum better due to its mass and therefore swung for longer and faster. But they both crossed the middle at the same time. We were tricked by our eyes.

Us testing if weight affects the period of swing on a pendulum

Zak putting up our pendulum for an outside test

Conclusion:

Our hypothesis was correct and the weight didn’t affect it. We also concluded that we should dive deeper into the meaning of something while researching.

Pendulum art science report

Aim: We are trying to create art using a pendulum, do do this you would normally fill with paint or flour or something.

Hypothesis: We hoped and thought we would go three different patterns (because we created a special pendulum) that would be based off each other.

Method:

1. First we found a sturdy stick (around half a metre in length) and attached a string to it’s centre of gravity.
2. Then we got a cardboard cup and attached it directly under the stick (were the string is).
3. Next we get two more pieces of string one short one long and we attached them to either side of the stick
4. Then we got to more cups and attached them to the ends of the string.
5. Lastly we poked holes in the bottoms of the cups and strung the top string to a high place (we used a tree)

Conclusion:

First we tried it with paint. We discovered that the holes in the cups were not big enough and so mid test we enlarged them but the surface tension of the watered down paint only allowed it to drip. Next we tried it with flour but the wind blew it everywhere. After that the contraption broke. If we were to continue we should replace the cups with funnels to allow the substance to flow better.

Snow camp reflection

it was a sunny Monday morning while we set off on our snow camp with Kotuku. I was in a car with Thomas and Tyler. When we arrived at Arthur's pass we hopped out of our cars and settled into the outdoor education centre were we would be staying for the night. During the morning we had ice fights and played team games. Then in the afternoon we went for a walk then we went on an orienteering course. The next day we were delayed because the road to Cheeseman was closed so we had to wait to 1:00 before we could leave.

When we finally hit the road we drove all the way until we hit a roadblock at the bottom of the road up to Cheesman. we had to wait for the road to open so we hopped out of our car and played in the snow settled on the side of the road.

finally the road was opened and we continued our ascent up the mountain. sadly we ran into more delay as our vehicle's four wheel drive stopped functioning. While we waited to get picked up we played in the deep snow by the road.

Finally we arrived at the Cheesman lodge and settled in. After a while we were allowed to play outside. Sadly the people who wanted to ski couldn't because the ski field was closed due to the weather so we just played in the snow on the beginners slope.

The next day skiing was all go so at around 10:00 we got our gear on and went up the mountain. At first I went on the beginners slope to get the hang of skiing again then I went up on the t - bar for the first time in my life. I went up with Jakob and everything went to plan. however on the second time I went up (by myself) Cameron was going up for his first time with Jakob when they tripped over each others ski's and fell over. Cameron's ski's both fell off and one came down and bowled me of the t - bar, the other bowled Fletcher off. Then Tara and her dad fell over Cameron and Jakob and yet they still didn't stop the t - bar!

After I had finished skiing I went to play in the snow with the non skiers. We made a jump in the snow and when I went down from really high up I flew 2 meters!! After 3 long days we finnally returned home.

Artwork

Recently at school we have been in touch with a local artist Miranda Jane Caird. Inspired by her work we decided to create some art, not unlike hers. On the left you will see a piece of hers, and on the right is mine. I decided to do mine of mount Te - Kinga and the mountains in the background at night. The purple thing in the sky is the Milky Way. I was planning on adding white stars but I ran out of time. My favourite part of making it was mixing the different shades of purple for the galaxy, I reckon in looks better in person that as a photograph though.

Local history: Gold mining in Waiuta