Weekly Blog 1/14/18 - Speed, Motion, and Velocity

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Summary

Scalar quantities only measure the magnitude of objects while vector quantities measure both the magnitude and direction. An example of a scalar quantity would be a distance while a vector quantity would be displacement. People often get distance and displacement confused. Distance is the total amount of distance you traveled/moved while displacement is the amount of distance between your start and end point. Another example of scalar vs vector quantities would be speed and velocity. Speed is a scalar quantity while velocity is a vector. In addition to all of this, regarding motion, to determine whether or not something is in motion you use reference points. A reference point is an object used in comparison to another object to determine whether or not that object is in motion.

SP2: Developing and Using Models

I developed and used models to determine and represent the distance and displacement of objects. By using simple math and sometimes the pythagorean theorem, I was able to draw models on graph paper and in formative that represented the direction and distance objects traveled. The models helped me visualize the movement of the object by creating a visual representation of the object's distance and displacement. I also used models when I analyzed and learned about distance over time graphs. I used the graphs to visualize and see the speed an object, distance traveled, and time spent traveling. 

XCC: Stabillity and Change

In distance over time graphs, you are able to observe when the speed of the object is stable, and when it is changing. You can observe this by looking at the slope of the line. When the object is moving at a steady pace, the line will be linear or straight. The higher the slope, the faster the object is moving. In a formative, I analyzed the movement of Tom by looking at a graph and determining the stability and change within his speed and travel distance. The graph was able to tell me how fast he was moving, how long it took him, how far he traveled in what direction, and when he was stable or not.