Week 2 methods 2

1. The big question addressed in lab, and a description of what you did.
1. The theme/question this week in lab was, what affects a rider's speed going down the slide? In the lab, we conducted an experiment where we tested to see if different fabrics affected the speed of a block going down a slide. Our findings were that yes, it does affect the speed. The more silky/smooth texture makes the plain block go faster, versus when there is a cotton or felt fabric, it is hard to go down and needs a big push. 
2. A description of what you learned in Thursday's lecture.
1. This week in the lecture we talked about acceleration, velocity, friction, and force. We looked at the deeper meaning behind why racers gain speed while going down a slide. It all depends on the height, steepness, and surface. The biggest ah-ha moment was learning that a magnet on the front of a refrigerator is friction. 
3. Answer questions about the weekly textbook reading:
   1. What did you learn?
   1. This week's reading was about force. I did not necessarily learn anything new, but I liked the note about the section that talked about an object without moving. I think it would be a nice little extra lesson for using magnets to show that forces still work without anything moving. 
   2. What was most helpful?
   1. This reading helped me refresh my learning of forces/motion from when I was still in grade school, which was needed.