INNO Inquiry: Using Gravity to Generate Electricity

Prompt: How can we get falling objects to slow down?

https://youtu.be/av-WqguS8UI?si=jKG2eB96ehCiRvhX

Key ideas:

The same amount of energy is always present (1st law of thermodynamics), but tends to transfer into less
useful forms (2nd law of thermodynamics).
total distance moved
Ratios often give important new ideas. For example, speed is . Acceleration is
total time
change∈ speed
.
total time
Acceleration occurs in three situations: getting faster, getting slower, changing direction
Every object will continue to do whatever it’s already doing (Newton’s 1 st law), UNLESS some outside force
acts on it. If that happens, the object will get faster, slower, or change direction according to the ratio
F
a= (Newton’s 2nd law). Whatever is creating the force, will experience an equal force back at it
m
(Newton’s 3rd law).
Any force acting over a distance can increase the kinetic energy or store potential energy.
1 2
Kinetic energy is related to the speed of an object ( E= m v ¿ .
2
Potential energy exists if there is a force present that will cause an object to move, eventually.
There are 3 NONCONTACT forces that we will address in Grade 9 – gravity, Coulomb force, magnetic force.

Story Practice:
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4

Our story begins in Chapter 1:

Are there any contact or noncontact forces?

The second chapter:

How did the magnets get here?

Are there any contact or noncontact forces?

What is its kinetic energy?

Does it have potential energy?

The third chapter:
How did the magnets get here?

Are there any contact or noncontact forces?

Does it have kinetic energy?

Does it have potential energy?

The final chapter

How did the magnets get here?

Are there any contact or noncontact forces?

Does it have kinetic energy?

Does it have potential energy?

Where did the energy go?

Required steps: Use LOGGER PRO 3 (free from school) or TRACKER (free from internet) (NOTE: you will
need Logger Pro 3 in the remainder of this year).

Step 1: Install Logger Pro…..Finder > Applications > Logger Pro (receive via Apple Help Desk or Teacher)

Activity 1: Film and analyze constant speed

1. Roll a ball across the floor or table.

2. Film with your phone. The phone CANNOT move and the
object must be travelling perpendicular to the direction the
lens is facing.
3. Insert the video into Logger Pro or Tracker.

4. Watch the video and determine which FRAME number you will START
analyzing and which frame number you will STOP analyzing. (subtract and
add 1 to find the total number of frames you will analyze).
5. Determine how many data points you want on your graph…I suggest at least 7. Take your answer
from number 4, divide by the number of data points you want (at least 7). Right click on your video,
choose movie options, and type in your division answer into the last box.

6. Click this button

7. You will now see these icons appear on right side of screen.
8. Press number 1 to tell the computer where ZERO is (usually the
starting position is the easiest)
9. Press number 2 to tell the computer how BIG the images are (you
need to know the size of something in the image…something
about the object itself is best. Make sure you know the UNIT of
the number you type in – for example, is it 20 cm or 20 m?)
10. Press number 3, and then hold SHIFT while clicking on the same
spot on your object. I recommend the top, bottom, left or right
side of the ball. It doesn’t matter, as long as you click on the
same location always.
11. With every click, you will see a graph start to form. By clicking on
the y-axis label, you can select the graph that you want. Choose
“x”
12. Select

13. Screenshot and paste your graph showing the y-axis label and line of best fit data box.
14. Write a sentence explaining the meaning of your line. Include the meaning of the “m” and “b”
values from the data box.
15. Change the y-axis label to “x velocity.” Screenshot an paste your graph showing the y-axis lable and
line of best fit data box.
16. Write the meaning of your line. Include the meaning of the “m” and “b” values from the data box.

x-t graph vx-t graph

Meaning Meaning
 CHECK YOUR MEANING SENTENCES!!! The graph is telling you the SAME thing you saw with your own
eyes!!
Does it describe the “shape” of the line? (straight or curved)
Does it describe the slope of the line? (constant, increasing, decreasing)
Does it describe if/how the position is changing?
Does it describe if/how the speed is changing?

Activity 2: Film and analyze changing speed

1. Repeat Activity 1, but this time have the ball rolling down an inclined surface. The only change you
will need to do is in step 8 above. When you drag the origin, rotate the axes by clicking on the
yellow ball showing the x-axis and then dragging it so that one of the axes is in the direction of
motion of the ball.

x-t graph vx-t graph

Meaning Meaning
Activity 3: Creating electrical energy by a magnet falling through a coil of copper wire.

Observe demo. Review video from above.

Materials:

1 Vernier Go!Link cord 1 USB-C adaptor 1 Vernier voltage probe

1 transparent tube
2 meters of speaker wire (copper wire coated with insulating red enamel)
1 pack of neodymium magnets
1 computer with Logger Pro 3
1 piece of steel wool or sandpaper
1 large piece of soft material for dropping magnets on

Procedure:
1. Take 0.5 cm of red enamel off both ends of the wire
2. Wrap 2 meters of speaker wire around the tube. Keep the wire within 2 cm. Make sure the tube is
not damaged or deformed.
3. Plug all cables together joining your computer to the copper wire.
4. Open Logger Pro 3

5. Click on

6. Make the data collection values match

7. Use a piece of tape to hold the copper wire in place where you want it.
8. Hold the tube above the soft landing area so that the magnets can fall freely out.

9. Press , and then drop the magnet through the tube 5 times….
 10. Click . You should see something that looks like this….. (If not, call
teacher over)

11. To get the information boxes, click on the x axis to the left of a tall spike and drag until you have
selected the positive and the negative spike.

12. On the tabs at the top, click Analyze -> Statistics

13. Drag the box to somewhere convenient.
14. Use the data to create a table similar to this:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Drop Positive Negative Average Average of Absolute Percentage
max max (Volts) the uncertainty uncertainty
(Volts) (Volts) averages (+/- Volts) (+/- %)
(Volts)
1
2
3
4
5
15. A common way to calculate the absolute uncertainty is to take the largest value from column 4,
subtract the smallest value from column 4, and then divide by 2. This will give you an estimate as
to how careful your measurements have been made with the tools you have used.
 16. Sometimes, it is easier to understand a percentage, particularly if your numbers are very big or very
small. Take the value from column 6 and divide by column 5, then multiply by 100. This creates the
percentage uncertainty.
17. Using your percentage uncertainty, describe how certain you are that your results are reliable.

Activity 4: A short inquiry.

[How could you change Activity 3?]

State exactly your Independent Variable (IV).

State your Dependent Variable (DV).

Research Question: What affect does the IV have on the DV?

Hypothesis: If the IV is increased/decreased, then the DV is increased/decreased, because [give reason]

Include new screenshot from Logger Pro and data table.

Include a Conclusion (answer your research question) by deciding if your Hypothesis is supported or
unsupported.
Include patterns you see on logger pro, compare new average of averages, consider if the uncertainty is
interfering in your answer. For example….90 and 100 look like different numbers, but 90 +/-10% means
that 90 is some value inbetween 81 and 99. Also, 100 +/-10% means that 100 is some value between 90
and 110. This means that your two values of 90 and 100 have a good chance of being actually the same
number! Or that 100 is actually smaller than 90!