Physics 1010-401

Signature Assignment & Reflective Essay

Laura England - April 2, 2015

Star Identification

Coal Sack

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Star Name

Distance from
When light visible
Earth in light years to Earth actually
left the star

Size compared to
sun (695,800km (1
R)

Luminosity
compared to the
sun (sun=1)
Centauri A=1.519
Centauri B=0.500
Proxima=0.000138

Toliman or Alpha
4.3 ly
Centauri A and B
(a system of 3
stars orbiting
around each other)

4.3 years ago

radius is 14%
smaller than sun

Acrux or Alpha
Cruxis

321 ly

321 years ago

Has a Diameter 6.7

times larger than
our sun

Sirius

8.6 ly

8.6 years ago

1.7 (sol)
twice the size of sun

Canopus

310 ly

310 years ago

65 diam (sol)

25000

25
13600

Sirius

Canopus

Acrux

Toliman

SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT - LAURA ENGLAND

Equation Analysis
Equation 1: E = mc2
Question 1:
This equation was created by German physicist, Albert Einstein, for his theory of
special relativity showing that an increased mass of a body comes about from the
energy of the motion of the body. The motion is kinetic energy. It shows that mass and
energy are the same physical essence and are interchangeable.
E: Kinetic energy of body/object which is a variable. This is measured in joules (j).
m: mass of body/object which is a variable. This is measured in Kilograms.
c: speed of light which is a constant (299,792,458 m/s or 3.00x10^8 m/s.
source: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1666493/E-mc2
Question 2: What is the size of c2?
(3.00 108m/s)2
=8.98755179

1016 m2 / s2

or simplified

=9 x 10^16 m2/s2
Question 3: Are mass and energy related?
Yes. In this equation, energy and mass are essentially the same thing. For years,
scientists believed energy and mass to be different things and unrelated to each other.
With this equation, Einstein showed the mass(matter) and energy are actually
different forms of the same thing as long as you are multiplying by the constant c2.
Matter or mass is multiplied by c2 because energy travels at the speed of light. When
pure energy is in motion, it can be transformed into matter. This creates a particle
which has mass or is matter.
sources:
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/past-exhibitions/einstein/energy/e-mc2
http://www.livescience.com/32363-what-does-emc2-mean-.html

Question 4: Analyze the statement: if it is possible to change mass into energy a little bit of
mass could produce a lot of energy. Is it true or not? Provide a brief explanation based on
your analysis of the equation
Yes, this is true that a small amount of mass could create a large amount of energy
due to multiplying by the square of the speed of light or the constant (c2).

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For example, suppose you have a a penny which has a mass of a penny which is
0.0025 kilograms.
According to the equation e=mc2, this small mass object can produce a significant
amount of energy.
E=(.0025 kg)(3 x 108 ms-1)2
E= 2.25 x 10^14 Joules

Equation 2: d = gt2/2
where:
d = distance an object falls when released from rest (no air resistance)
g = acceleration of gravity at the Earths surface
t = time the object has been falling
Question 5. Which of the following statements do you agree with and why? Use the equation
to support your answer (you can also refer to the learning from equations module files).
a) heavy objects fall faster than lighter objects
b) objects fall at the same speed (if no air resistance) and weight doesnt matter.
I agree with statement b. When objects are in a state of freefall, they are solely under
the control of gravity. (g=9.8m/s/s)
The equation d = gt2/2 is used as a shorthand for objects falling in freefall since all
objects fall at 9.8m/s2 under the force of gravity.
The equation A=f/m is also relevant.
Acceleration=Force/mass
This equation is related to equation 2 because in order to use equation 2, an object
must be in acceleration or it would not be traveling a certain distance.
An increase in force tends to increase the acceleration but an increasing mass shows
decreasing acceleration according the this equation. Acceleration and force are directly
proportional whereas acceleration and mass are inversely proportional. Therefore, the
greater force of bigger objects are canceled out by the influence of their greater mass.
This is how all objects of different masses fall at the same rate of acceleration.

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source: http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/1DKin/Lesson-5/The-BigMisconception

Equation 3: v = gt
where:
v = velocity of a falling object if released from rest (no air resistance)
g = acceleration of gravity at Earths surface
t = time the object has been falling
Question 6: Which of the following statements do you agree with and why? Use the equation
to support your answer (you can also refer to the learning from equations module files).
c) heavy objects fall faster than lighter objects
d) objects fall at the same speed (if no air resistance) and weight doesnt matter.
I agree with statement d. When there is no air resistance (ex. putting objects in a
vacuum or on the moon) all objects will react to the force of gravity the same.
Therefore, the velocity of 2 objects will be the same and the time falling will be the
same. The link below shows a person doing the experiment in an environment free of
air resistance. A feather and a hammer were dropped simultaneously in a vacuum and
both fell to the ground at the same time. In a normal environment on earth, the
hammer would fall to the ground first and the feather would be much slower due to
air resistance.
Now go online and view this link. If the link is inoperable go to google video and do a
search on Galileo hammer feather experiment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mTsrRZEMwA

Question 7: For most of recorded history, people thought that heavy objects naturally and
under all conditions fall faster than lighter objects. Why did it take us so long to realize the
true state of affairs?
It look Galileo and other scientists so long to figure out the idea of freefall due to the
inability to measure accurately when dropping 2 objects from a building. Galileo

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turned to mathematics to solve these issues and so he could check measurements of

the equipment available to him.
http://mypages.iit.edu/~smart/martcar/lesson2/lesson2.htm
Question 8: The Earths gravity DOES exert a greater force on heavier objects than lighter
ones (these forces are called weight). However, with no air resistance objects fall at the same
speed in a given gravity field. The weight difference can be thousands of pounds to one and
the objects still fall at the same speed. What physical property of mass compensates for the
difference in applied forces?
Inertia, the resistance of an object to accelerate when being acted upon by an external
force.
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_versus_weight
Equation 4: e = 1 Tcold/Thot
where:
e = efficiency of energy use
Tcold = the temperature of the environment surrounding the heat engine
Thot = the internal operating temperature of the engine
This is the equation for the efficiency of a heat engine (your car is a heat engine unless you
have an electric model). An e = 1 is 100% efficiency, meaning 100% of the energy gets used to
do what you want to do with no wasted, unrecoverable energy. An e = 0 is an efficiency of
zero with none of the energy going to what you want to do and all of the energy being
wasted or in unrecoverable forms.
The temperatures in this equation are in the Kelvin scale where the lowest temperature is 0
degrees. There are no negative temperatures in the Kelvin scale. A temperature we
might encounter on Earth would be about 300 degrees Kelvin.
Question 9: Is it possible to achieve 100% efficiency, in theory, by lowering the temperature of
the environment surrounding the heat engine (Tcold)? Why or why not?
Yes, if you lower the temperature of the environment low enough in order for the
equation to equal 1, you will have 100% efficiency.

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For example, if an engine is a 400 K and the temperature of the environment is

lowered to 0K, there will be 100% efficiency.
The greatest energy efficiency is obtained by obtaining the greatest temperature
difference between the engine and the environment.
Question 10: Is it possible, in practice, to achieve 100% efficiency by lowering the temperature
of the environment surrounding the heat engine (Tcold)? Why or why not?
In practice, this is impossible due to friction and the second law of thermodynamics
which says that only some of the heat input can be converted to work even without
friction.
Question 11: Is it possible to achieve 100% efficiency, in theory, by raising the internal
operating temperature of the heat engine (Thot)? Why or why not?
Yes, the higher the operating systems internal temperature, the higher the efficiency
rate. The greater temperature difference between the environment and the engine will
produce the highest efficiency. In order to get 100% efficiency, the temperature
difference must be the greatest possible meaning that the temperature of the
environment must be at absolute zero or 0K.
Question 12: Is it possible to achieve 100% efficiency, in practice, by raising the internal
operating temperature of the heat engine (Thot)? Why or why not?
No, it is impossible in practice for a heat engine to operator at 100% efficiency even if
you raise the internal temperature of the heat engine. Friction will always be present in
engines. The second law of thermodynamics supports this again saying that only
some of the heat input can be converted into work-even without friction.
Question 13: If your car is not electric, it is a heat engine and is subject to the efficiency
equation. Is it possible to build a car, using any kind of burning fuel, that is 100% efficient?
Explain.
No, it is not possible to create a car using any type of fuel that is 100% efficient because
no matter what, there will always be friction present in a heat engine and some of the
heat supplied to the machine will result as waste.

SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT - LAURA ENGLAND

Learning about a Law of Physics

Pick any Law or Principle of Physics in your textbook and:
1. Newtons First Law of Motion:
Every object continues in its state of rest, or of uniform motion in a straight line,
unless it is compelled to change that state by forces impressed upon it.
Newtons First Law is also called the Law of Inertia. Inertia is the nature of objects to
resist motion. Newton explained that if an object is in motion, it will continue to stay
in motion unless a force is acted upon it. If an object is at rest, it will stay at rest unless
a force is acted upon it.
2. 3 examples of real world application of Newtons First Law of Motion:
1. Quickly pull a tablecloth out from underneath a set of dishes and notice that the
dishes stay in their initial state of rest.
2. A person riding a mountain bike comes around a corner in the trail very fast to find
a large rock sitting in the middle of the trail. The biker hits the rock. The bike comes
to a sudden stop causing the rider to fly off the bike landing on the trail.
3. A rock starts rolling down a mountainside. The rock will continue to roll unless it
comes into contact with something that halts it such as a larger rock or a tree.
Objects in uniform motion stay unless other forces act on it.

Explanation of Fermis Paradox and Resolution

This involves the possible existence of alien life in the Universe. A net search should bring up
some immediate information on the subject.
1. Clearly explain what this paradox involves and why it is a paradox.
In the 1940s, a group of atomic scientists were talking about extraterrestrial life. Enrico
Fermi, one of the scientist, asked So, where is everybody? What he meant by this
statement is that since there are billions of planets in the universe and the potential for
other habitable planets, why have no intelligent beings visited or communicated with
Earth? The solution to the paradox are a lot of ideas, some farfetched, about why
humans have not been in contact with other lifeforms. This idea is a paradox because
many people find it to be somewhat of a ludicrous idea. Yet, what if it is really true?
A paradox is a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common
sense and yet is perhaps true.

SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT - LAURA ENGLAND

source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paradox
http://abyss.uoregon.edu/~js/cosmo/lectures/lec28.html
2. List and briefly explain (like in a paragraph for each) 4 possible resolutions to the paradox.
1. A possible solution is that humans are the descendants of ancient aliens and that is
why we arent coming across any extraterrestrial life in the universe.
2. Due to the speed of light slowing communication levels, perhaps they have not had
time to reach us.
3. Aliens are trying to signal to us, but we do not know that because we are not aware
of how they communicate. Maybe they are using methods we are unaware of. They
could be using EM radiation, gravity waves, and exotic particles to communicate.
4. They may not exist because planets which are habitable are extremely rare in
existence. We may be the only life in the universe. Life may be so rare due to planetary
systems being rare, finding habitable zones in solar system, and overcoming dangers
of the galaxy such as gamma rays and asteroids.

SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT - LAURA ENGLAND

Reflective Essay
Working through all of this seemed overwhelming at first but overall, I felt like the
signature assignment was a good review of some other concepts the class learned a a bit ago.
Learning about the Fermis paradox especially sparked my interest in physics. I realize that I
now look at the world more through the lens of a physicist. I have gained new
understandings in this class and my assumptions have been challenged. For example,
learning about Fermis Paradox and how perhaps we as humans are not listening through the
correct medium to communicate with extraterrestrial life really blew my mind. This is a
concept I had not though of before whereas the other concepts which Fermis Paradox
mentioned, I had thought of before. Also, I have studied Einsteins equation E=mc2 before
but did not realize in the past how E and M are essentially the same thing but in different
forms.
Not only were some of my assumptions challenged, but I was also challenged with
this assignment during research. My most challenging part of the signature assignment was
finding the luminosity and radius of the stars I identified. It was difficult for me to trust
sources especially when I found varying answers during my research. I triple checked some
of my data and to be honest, I am still unsure if it is accurate. For the radius of stars, I was
unable to find data that was all on the same measurement. Perhaps I could have fixed this
problem by working with other classmates.
I was at a disadvantage with this assignment by not having others to work with and I
wish I had the opportunity to bounce ideas back and forth. Yet, I was challenged and had to
really problem solve on my own. For example, I had to think a lot about answering the
questions about efficiency theory vs. practice.
Yet, working alone was not a problem for me. I am a diligent worker who turns in
assignments on time, complete, and that are thoughtful. Most of the time, I prefer to work
alone and get more done.
In order to get my information, I used my textbook and also I conducted a lot of my
own research online when I realized that my text book did not have all the answers I was
looking for. I looked for credible sources and found that a lot of my information came from
pages found on University webpages. I also took an Introductory Astronomy class last
semester and some ideas transferred over such as learning about stars, luminosity, Laws of
Thermodynamics, and Newtons Laws of Motion. Having knowledge of these concepts from
last semester really helped with my research.
As I stated above, this signature assignment includes an array of varying subjects.
When completing this assignment, I realized how much I had truly learned and how I have
had a boost in confidence. I have always been intimidated by Physics since taking a high
school Physics class and really struggling with it. When in college completing my Bachelors
degree, I avoided the subject. I am currently working towards my Masters of Arts in Science
Education. I understand that when I am planning lessons for my students, I cannot leave out
information or get lazy with the preparation because it will be my students education on the

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line. I will have an opportunity during my class to shape what type of learners they are and
hopefully give them positive experiences with science.
Over the course of this class, I believe that I have been a successful student in
completing my coursework all while working a full-time job. This class has built my
confidence in my teaching ability in the case that I will have to teach physics at some point in
my science teaching career. It took hard work to understand some of the concepts, yet I was
able to with using all of my available resources.
As said above, the signature assignment for this class involved a wide array of ideas in
Physics. Below are the major ideas involved in this assignment and there significance to the
assignment.
Light years: This assignment required you to think more about what a light year is besides
just a measurement. For example, if a star is 4 light years from Earth, it means that it will take
4 years for the light being emitted from that star to travel to Earth where we see it.
Luminosity: Luminosity is the measurement of the total amount of energy per unit time
which is emitted by an object in space or a star. It is the general brightness of a star. I
researched the luminosity of stars in relation to our sun being a luminosity of 1. This is to
compare there brightness.
Star Radius: Star radius is also important in identifying stars and then comparing them to the
size of our Earths sun. Comparing there size to our sun gives us a good reference for the size
of the star.
Theory of Special Relativity: This idea was groundbreaking scientific news from Albert
Einstein. He showed with the equation E=mc2 that mass and energy are essentially the same,
just in different forms. Studying this concept was helpful with equation analysis when
looking into how E and M were essentially the same things.
Newtons Second Law: The acceleration produced by a net force is directly proportional to
the magnitude of the net force and inversely proportional to mass of body.(textbook
definition). A=f/m. This law helps explain how objects of different sizes still fall in the state
of fretful at the same rate in the absence of air resistance.
Inertia: The resistance of an object to change its motion. Mass is the measure of inertia
(textbook definition). This is discussed in Newtons first law of motion which I think is at
the very foundation of the study of Physics. Newtons first law states that a body or object
will stay in a state of rest or if motion is in a straight line, it will stay at constant speed. It will
stay in motion unless another force is exerted on it. This is also known as the Law of Inertia.
Efficiency: In a heat machine, we measure efficiency by useful energy output/total energy
output. This is useful information to understand that it is impossible to build an engine
which is 100% efficient due to friction. It was interesting to have to think about practice of
this idea versus theory of this law. They are very different results.
Friction: Friction was applicable in this assignment when discussing engine efficiency.
Friction is a force that acts upon something that is in motion or when objects or materials are
in contact with each other.

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Fermis Paradox: I was very interested in the studying Fermis Paradox in the signature
assignment. I chose to look further into this idea and found a video which I found was not
only entertaining, but very informative. My personal opinion is that a lack of the appropriate
technology may be prohibiting us to communicate with other life forms or that the lifeforms
are so far away, that they have not been able to travel to reach us yet due to technological
ineptness. I have included this video which helped me better understand Fermis Paradox.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLhHgnfuAlQ
In order to better understand some of these concepts, I chose to do some examples
using the equation. For example, it is very hard to understand the concept of efficiency and
how something small can produce a great amount of energy without working a problem.
Here are some examples. I used this equation as an example of how a small amount of mass
can create a tremendous amount of energy. This example uses a penny which is .0025 kg in
weight.
E=(.0025 kg)(3 x 108 ms-1)2
E= 2.25 x 10^14 Joules

I also demonstrated how a heat engine would be 100% efficient. For example, if an
engine is 400K, the outside temperature would have to be 0K in order to be 100% efficient or
E=1.
=(engine temperature-environment temperature)/engine temperature
=400K-0K/400K
=1

SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT - LAURA ENGLAND

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