SPEED, VELOCITY, & ACCELERATION
Question:
What effect does the stretch of the slingshot have on the velocity of the birds? Does it affect their acceleration? What about the force the birds hit with?
Answer:
The stretch of the slingshot does affect the velocity (speed and direction, in m/s) and acceleration (rate of change of velocity, in m/s/s) of the birds.
We calculated that, at full stretch, the red bird's x–component velocity was 12.5 m/s, and at partial (halfway) stretch its velocity was 7 m/s. This means that the bird's vertical velocity is directly proportional to the force applied on it by the slingshot.
Acceleration also seems to be dependent on the force of the slingshot. At full stretch, the red bird's acceleration measured at 2.2 m/s/s, and at (approximately) half stretch it was 1.6 m/s/s.
The bird's force (mass, in kg, times acceleration, in m/s/s, measured in N) of impact always remained the same, since we shot the birds horizontally and the only force acting on them was that of gravity. This is because gravity affects the bird the same, no matter how far it is shot forward. We'd like to note that (at least) two things will make that previous statement completely wrong: if the bird is shot up in the air, and/or if it hits some other object before it hits the ground.
We calculated that, at full stretch, the red bird's x–component velocity was 12.5 m/s, and at partial (halfway) stretch its velocity was 7 m/s. This means that the bird's vertical velocity is directly proportional to the force applied on it by the slingshot.
Acceleration also seems to be dependent on the force of the slingshot. At full stretch, the red bird's acceleration measured at 2.2 m/s/s, and at (approximately) half stretch it was 1.6 m/s/s.
The bird's force (mass, in kg, times acceleration, in m/s/s, measured in N) of impact always remained the same, since we shot the birds horizontally and the only force acting on them was that of gravity. This is because gravity affects the bird the same, no matter how far it is shot forward. We'd like to note that (at least) two things will make that previous statement completely wrong: if the bird is shot up in the air, and/or if it hits some other object before it hits the ground.
Data:
Vertical velocity of the red bird: 5.12 m/s
Horizontal velocity of the red bird: 16.42 m/s
Horizontal velocity of the red bird: 16.42 m/s