During This Short Break...

After getting bored out of my mind, and realizing that a physics journal is due this break, I decided to read a bit about Archimedes and his principal on water. According to Kinetic Books, he states that: An object in a fluid experiences an upward force equal to the weight of the fluid it displaces. To show that, i got a rubber duck i found somewhere in my closet from an Axe gift set long ago. I placed the duck in a bucket and experienced what he meant. The book continues on to explain about The upward buoyant force which allows an object to float if less than the buoyant force. If greater, it would sink like a dense rock. This is why a gigantic piece of Styrofoam can float. "Its less dense than water and displaces a weight of water equal to its own weight. It is in a state of equilibrium and floats." The same principal works with the way fish live. They have something called a swim bladder, in which when it expands, becomes more buoyant, and when deflates, becomes less. This allows them to float when buoyant, and sink when not.

The Magical Wrench

Today in class, we learned a new type of force, one that is rotational called torque. Torque is force in a rotational direction and has an equation of: t = rf, where t is the torque, r is the distance from the axis to the force, and f is the force. A wrench is a perfect example, as you use your hands to turn the bolt to release or tighten, creating torque. And when using a wrench, the farther out you place your grip, the easier it is to turn, since r is increased creating more torque to open up the bolt. This is why some construction workers use extra tubes to connect to the small tools to make their life easier. Though they may not know how it exactly helps, we do! Definition of torque according to Kinetic Books: A force that causes or opposes rotation!