Howitzer! (Blog 17)

Cannons are used as artillery weapons which require gunpowder to launch a projectile. Each cannon can be different, with different range, angle of fire, calibre, rate of fire, and firepower. It can vary depending on what is required during a battle.


In order to find out how to maximize the range of the projectile shot out of the cannon, the angle that the cannon should be placed along with the horizontal is 45 degrees. This is in between 0 and 90 degrees, and is rightly so because if it is any higher, the projectile would be fired upward too much, causing a loss in distance. Conversely, the degree cannot be under 45 either because the projectile will not reach its maximum potential velocity - also losing some distance. The formula  R = V²sin(2θ)/g can be used to determine the maximum x-distance.


The longest-range projectile fired out of a cannon would be the Paris Gun, used in WWI in 1918. It was used by Germany to bombard Paris but wasn't very successful. It was not meant to destroy the city, but was actually meant to reduce the morale of the citizens there, making them afraid.

Dynamics and Newton's Laws (Blog 16)

Dynamics
Newton's three laws of motion:
1. Inertia --> objects will continue to be stationary or in motion unless an external force is affecting it
2. F = ma --> force is directly related to acceleration and thus mass is indirectly related to acceleration
3. For every force, there is an equal force going in the opposite direction.


Thus, there are four applications from Newton's laws. They are equilibrium, inclines, pulleys, and trains.
Equilibrium
- occurs when the object is not moving at all
Assumptions:
- no friction
- a = 0 (and therefore ax and ay are also 0)
Inclines
Static:
- occurs when the object is not moving while it is on a slanted base
Assumptions:
- no acceleration
- positive axes in the direction of motion
- no air resistance
- μ = tanΘ
- static friction = coefficient of static friction times normal force
Kinetic:
- occurs when the object is sliding down a slope
Assumptions:
- positive axes in direction of motion
- normal force is perpendicular to surface
- no air resistance
- ax ≠ 0, ay = 0
- kinetic friction = coefficient of kinetic friction times normal force
Pulleys
- occurs when objects are at a distance from each other separated by a wheel held by ropes
Assumptions:
- frictionless pulleys + rope
- no air resistance
- multiple free body diagrams
- positive axes in direction of motion
- T1 = T2
- acceleration of system is the same
Trains
- occurs when one uses common sense to figure out what a train is
Assumptions:
- 1 FBD for acceleration
- 3 FBDs for T1 & T2
- ay = 0
- a is consistent
- no air resistance
- weightless cables
- positive axes in direction of motion


All four applications may be used to figure out the calculations for tension, force, mass, and acceleration. 

Projectile Motion (Blog 15)

In order to calculate the speed, time, and distance of an object that is thrust into the air and back down, one must take into account where the object started and where it landed. It should fit into one of the four lines in the following diagram.

The black line is when an object is pushed straight forward into the air. It will go downward because of the force of gravity pushing it down. If there was no gravity, the object will continue going forward without going down.

The red line is when an object is thrown directly into the air at a certain angle and going back down to where it started, except with a significant distance from the starting position.

The blue line is when an object is thrown into the air but it does not land on the same level as when it was thrown. It lands at a level above the starting position.

The green line is the same as the blue line, except the level is below the starting position.

By using the x and y components and the big five equations, one can determine many useful information about the particular object being thrown.

My Favourite Roller Coaster (Blog 14)

This blog post has got to be the best homework assignment I've ever had in my school life. Writing about my number one interest on a blog? That is amazing.

As a roller coaster enthusiast, I inevitably have tons of favourite roller coasters. However, I do have one certain coaster in mind that is my absolute favourite. It is the coaster in the image shown above - Raptor.

Raptor is a Bolliger & Mabillard (famous roller coaster manufacturer) inverted coaster located at Cedar Point, my favourite amusement park in the world, situated on an island on Lake Erie in Sandusky, Ohio, USA. It possesses a height of 140 feet and reaches a maximum speed of 57 mph, before going through a total of six inversions.

A photo I took of Raptor during my Cedar Point trip in the summer.

Why do I love this coaster so much? Back when I was in grade 4, I discovered Cedar Point, and I was awed by the quality and quantity of the coasters located there. A certain green coaster with bright pink trains enlightened my eyes, and my fascination with this coaster grew and grew. I researched about it until I had all its stats memorized by heart. I watched all the online videos for this coaster and I always recreated it on roller coaster simulators and games. It was my dream to ride Raptor in real life.

Alas, I was still in elementary school, and my dream of going to Cedar Point and riding Raptor was very distant. However with every single year that passed, I would still ask my parents if we were ever going to Cedar Point. It was always a very iffy answer, and it never happened. But then came June of 2010, when my parents were deciding on vacation plans for the summer, I half-heartedly suggested "Cedar Point!" It was more of a joke to me because I knew it would never really happen. A miracle happened though - they said okay.

I was ecstatic for the next months and I could not really focus on anything else. The upcoming August month would consist of the days I'd be visiting and staying at the hotel at Cedar Point. I researched even more about Cedar Point, even though I already knew everything about it. I could not contain my excitement, and as each day went by, the more stoked I was.

The day finally came and we drove down to Ohio - a total of a 7 hour drive. As we reached the peninsula, I saw the skyline of Cedar Point. Within that, I also saw the outline of my favourite roller coaster in the world - Raptor. As we entered the park, I raced towards the entrance of Raptor. I was actually seeing it with my own eyes, in real life. It was towering over the midway of the park, and the screams of the guests riding it just increased my excitement even more. I went into the queue of the coaster, and after an hour and thirty minutes of waiting, it was at last my turn to go on the ride. I sat in the comfortable seat and readied myself for a hopefully great ride on Raptor.

After two minutes and fifteen seconds, I was back at the station. My reaction? It wasn't great at all...it was magnificently amazing. It was even better than I expected. Although it was built in 1994, it was still smoother than all of the rides I've ever gone on. It was probably the happiest moment of my life; I had rode on Raptor.

Below is a picture of me standing in front of Raptor's huge loop.

Best day of my life.

This is actually a condensed version of my original blog about Raptor. This (click) was my first entry, on my own personal blog. Just in case anyone thinks I'm plagiarizing from that site, I was the one that wrote it.