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Name: Nerd-A-Pult #2 - Another Projectile Motion Problem Category: Kinematics Date Added: 03 June 2014 - 12:29 PM Submitter: Flipping Physics Short Description: None Provided This time in our projectile motion problem, we know the displacement in the y-direciton and we are solving for the displacement in the x-direciton. We could you use the quadratic formula and I even show you how, however, I also show you the way I recommend doing it which avoids the quadratic formula. Content Times: 0:14 Reading the problem 0:55 Comparing the previous projectile motion problem to the current one 1:16 Breaking the initial velocity in to its components 1:44 Listing the givens 2:27 Beginning to solve the problem in the y-direction 3:08 The Quadratic Formula! 5:49 How to solve it without using the quadratic formula. Solve for Velocity Final in the y-direction first 6:59 And then solve for the change in time 8:12 Solving for the displacement in the x-direction 9:01 Showing that it works 9:43 The Review Want View Video

Name: Nerd-A-Pult - Measuring Initial Velocity Category: Kinematics Date Added: 27 May 2014 - 09:29 PM Submitter: Flipping Physics Short Description: None Provided We need to know the initial velocity of a projectile leaving the Nerd-A-Pult. That means we need the initial speed and the initial angle. This video shows exactly how I measured both. Content Times: 0:30 Taking measurements to determine the launch angle 1:20 Finding a triangle 2:02 Defining the angles 3:35 Determining the launch angle 4:38 Using the frame rate to find the change in time 5:08 Measuring the distance travelled during the first frame 6:12 Why initial speed and not initial velocity? 6:39 Determining the average launch speed View Video

Name: Nerd-A-Pult - An Introductory Projectile Motion Problem Category: Kinematics Date Added: 23 May 2014 - 02:05 PM Submitter: Flipping Physics Short Description: None Provided An introductory projectile motion problem where you have to break the initial velocity vector in to its components before you can work with it. The Nerd-A-Pult is the perfect tool for showing projectile motion. Content Times: 0:02 Introducing the Nerd-A-Pult 0:43 Demonstrating the marshmallow capabilities of the Nerd-A-Pult 1:18 Reading the problem 2:26 Starting to solve the problem 3:03 What do we do with the initial velocity? 3:45 Solving for the initial velocity in the y-direction 4:27 Solving for the initial velocity in the x-direction 5:13 Deciding which direction to start working with 5:38 Solving for the change in time in the x-direction 6:34 Solving for the displacement in the y-direction 7:54 Proving that our answer is correct 8:58 The Review View Video

For those of you who don't know, there is a video section of the Aplus site that features videos of physics-y origin. You can get there by clicking the word "videos" on the top blue bar of the site. http://aplusphysics.com/community/index.php/videos/view-340-vector-despicable-me/ When I first saw this video, it was floating among intense brain-teasing physics vids and real life examples of the science. I thought it deserved some defense for its place on the site, so let me explain what this despicable me mini clip has to do with physics. The most notable physics-feature of the video is that the geeky character's name is Vector, as he explains both verbally and through body language. A vector quantity is a magnitude with direction. For example, velocity is a vector quantity. A velocity of 3 m/s to the right has both units (meters per second) and direction (to the right). 3 m/s alone, a speed, is not a vector quantity because even though it has units, it does not have a direction. We call this a scalar quantity. I hope that explains Vectors joke, "I'm committing crimes with both direction and magnitude!" If he were the evil Dr. Scalar, it would only have magnitude. Haha! Ha. Ha... Ha. ...And I didn't notice this before, but when Vector first comes into the scene he crosses his arms while doing the "vulcan salute," which is actually the nerdfighter salute (You know! Vlogbrothers on youtube). I thought that was really cool. I wonder if it wasn't even supposed to be there in the first place, but some nerdy producer put it in Not familiar with vlogbrothers? Do acquaint yourself via nerd humor: ...Just for the record, my favorite part of the movie is as follows: