Name ____________________________________ Simulation

Motion in 2D

Go to http://phet.colorado.edu/simulations/sims.php?sim=Motion_in_2D and click on Run Now. 1) Once the simulation opens, click on Show Both for Velocity and Acceleration at the top of the page. Now click and drag the red ball around the screen. Make 3 observations about the blue and green arrows (also called vectors) as you drag the ball around. Ans: When we stop dragging then there is no change in the displacement with time means velocity is zero. By slowly decreasing the velocity the acceleration is produced, which is always appears to be at a 90 angle. 2) Which color vector (arrow) represents velocity and which one represents acceleration? How can you tell? Ans: The green arrow represents velocity and the blue arrow represents acceleration as shown . By draging the red ball we observe that its velocity increases . By slowing the motion of the red ball then deceleration is produced, the deceleration vector is always opposite to acceleration vector.

3) Try dragging the ball around and around in a circular path. What do you notice about the lengths and directions of the blue and green vectors? Describe their behavior in detail below. Ans: By dragging the ball around and around in a circular path the velocity is changing at every point due to change in direction. The green arrow length is changing while the blue arrow remain constant. The body's speed is constant, but its velocity is not constant. This changing velocity indicates the presence of an acceleration( centripetal acceleration). 4) Now move the ball at a slow constant speed across the screen. What do you notice now about the vectors? Explain why this happens. Ans: When we move the red ball with slow constant speed then the velocity is constant and there is barely any acceleration. As there is no change in direction or displacement so there is no acceleration. 5) What happens to the vectors when you jerk the ball rapidly back and forth across the screen? Explain why this happens. Ans: When we jerked the ball rapidly back and forth across the screen the velocity of the changes quickly so tht acceleration increases rapidly. The vector for acceleration becoming large and stretch across as well.

6) Now click on Circular on the bottom. Describe the motion of the ball and the behavior of the two vectors. Is there a force on the ball? How can you tell? Be detailed in your explanations. Ans: Uniform circular motion is the motion of an object in a circle at a constant speed. As the ball moves in a circle, it is constantly changing its direction. The radius of the circle is always fixed i,e blue arrow . Though the body's speed is constant, its velocity is not constant due to change in direction. This changing velocity indicates the presence of centripetal acceleration is of constant magnitude and directed at all times towards the axis of rotation. Due to the centripetal acceleration there is a constant force called centripetal force. 7) Click on Simple Harmonic on the bottom. Based on the behavior of the ball and the vectors, write a definition of Simple Harmonic Motion. Ans: Simple Harmonic Motion are the vibrations whose time period stays the same although its amplitude changes. When we are moving the ball to the lift of the screen the green arrow magnitude is increasing and at the center green arrow is maximum, and the blue arrow is small and in the direction of green arrow with small blue arrow. When the ball at the left extent of the screen the green arrow is zero and the blue arrow direction is towards the center. On coming back towards the center the green arrow is increasing at the center green arrow is maximum again. On going to right the green arrow is decreasing and the blue arrow direction is towards center. At the right extent of the screen the green arrow becomes zero and due to restoring force the red ball come back to the center.