Energy/ Connectivity within Physics


“In physics, you don't have to go around making trouble for yourself - nature does it for you.”

Frank Wilczek

“The observer, when he seems to himself to be observing a stone, is really, if physics is to be believed, observing the effects of the stone upon himself.”

Bertrand Russell

How true. Each energy experiment we conducted this week revealed a bit more about the world around us, and, as we learned more about the world around us, we learned more about our place in it, and thus more about ourselves. It is this fluid and adaptive connectivity that makes the study of physics so unique, and in turn so difficult, hence the first quote presented here by Frank Wilczek. It seems that the more we discover about the physical world, the less we really know about it. The knowledge we gain coincides with the number of questions we unearth, and with questions come the desire for more discovery and more knowledge. Thus, the process perpetuates itself. But can we stop this process? Do we even want to? Are we debasing ourselves by preventing the search for knowledge? It seems as if there is no halting exploration. We are human, and humanity must ask why.

But, what can we learn from our constant questions? How can we find practical applications for the knowledge we gain? For instance, in the recent energy lab we completed, the first experiment involved a 50 gram mass attached to the end of a medium tension spring. The mass was raised to a certain height above the equilibrium point and then released. As the mass was released it began to bob and then slow to a halt. We inferred that the mass slowed due to the fact that the gravitational energy it possessed at the beginning of the experiment was lost over time. It simply dissipates into the atmosphere around it. What can we do with this new information? Fortunately, this fundamental fact can be applied to many industries and areas outside of physics. This can be applied to the area of car design, as the constant energy loss must be factored into any new design. Also with any type of sound proofing system or body armor system the effects of dissipating energy must be factored into design, as the force of sound waves or a bullet can carry far beyond the point when the sound can no longer be heard or the bullet has stopped moving. Thus, the theories of physics can have effects far beyond the text of their original phrasing. We can solve problems through discovery and experimentation, and if we’re lucky, our discoveries can change the world.

Answer to last week’s question: Hooke's law is named after the 17^th century British physicist Robert Hooke. He first stated this law in 1676 as a Latin anagram, whose solution he published in 1678 as Ut tensio, sic vis, which means:

“As the extension, so the force.”

For systems that obey Hooke's law, the extension produced is directly proportional to the load.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hooke's_law

Question: What was the first major discovery made by early humans about the physical world?

Max Bardowell 2-18-08 Journal 3-1

Energy/ Hooke’s Law

This week we began the study of the electric, absorbent, and reactive world of energy. This is an interesting reversal, as last unit we studied Newton’s Laws, all of which require energy to be witnessed and created. At first it seemed as if we were studying the cause after the effect, but then we began to quantify our energy in Newton’s, and the practical experience I gained last unit was reshuffled to the front of my mind once again. I guess the study of Physics can be approached from almost any angle and still be appreciated at its fullest. It is an interesting dynamic.

The experiments we have conducted have been some of the most varied and entertaining of the year, reflecting both the versatility of energy and the way it has permeated our lives. We began an experiment by bouncing balls only to move on to another that involved cranking hand powered generators to light a small bulb. The Hooke’s Law lab, while fairly basic, did help to illustrate one of the fundamental laws of energy, thus allowing us to define the Hooke’s Law equation (F = K * ▲X) and to work our way towards the equations that form the foundation for the field of energy as a whole.

Question: Who developed Hooke’s Law?