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Team Number: 051 School Name: Des Moines High School Area of Science: Physics Project Title: Determination of Raindrop Velocity and Force of Impact Project Abstract: http://mode.lanl.k12.nm.us/97.98/abstracts/051.html Interim Report: http://mode.lanl.k12.nm.us/97.98/interims/051.html Final Report: http://mode.lanl.k12.nm.us/97.98/finalreports/051/finalreport.html
In our project we are trying to predict the velocity and force of impact of a raindrop that is falling from certain altitudes, and consider other variables that can be manipulated.
Our project has proved to be more of a challenge than we initially predicted. It was very interesting to find that there are many ongoing science experiments in the same area as our own, but none of them are taking the direction that we have chosen to go. Finding the information that we need to finish are project is also very interesting because there are many different formulas that we have to choose from when writing our program. Our current tasks include finding a mentor knowledgeable in our area of science, contacting him, and finding out what he suggests to do with our problem. Another job that we are currently involved in is the writing of our program, which is progressing well. We still need to decide on which formula(s) we will use in our program, which depends on what our mentor thinks to be appropriate.
We are also in the process of setting up a meeting with a fellow student and teachers that we think will greatly enhance our knowledge of physics, which will then help us finish our project with a good understanding of our topic. We feel that this will help us tremendously when going on to college mathematics classes. Also, this will help us do a more thorough job on our finished project.
Although we don't have a definite formula to use in our program, we have done research and found out many helpful facts that will assist us in our project development. The constant in our experiment is the force of gravity. Gravity is unchanged and therefore exerts the same force in all scenarios. However, the heavier an object is the greater the gravitational force. Consequently pulling a heavier object harder than a smaller, lighter object. The size of a raindrop is the basis for our project.
All raindrops are not the same size, because of atmospheric conditions that are ever-changing. At higher temperatures the weight or density of the raindrops increase. When completed our program will calculate a raindrop's mass when given certain temperatures. It will then use the mass produced to calculate the velocity at any given altitude. After these amounts are calculated, we will then be able to determine the force of impact of that individual raindrop.
Some of the other possibilities that we are considering are adding in variables such as wind speed that would add to the complexity of our program and also making a more accurate solution of raindrop force of impact.
We also are going to make a home page for our project to use during project evaluation. We think that this is a good way to use skills that we acquired during the Glorieta kickoff conference. We feel that we are on schedule with our project and look forward to putting the finishing touches on what we believe to be an interesting project.