Maybe I shouldn't have started this blog now, not with everything that's been going on.

An hour and a half to the deadline and so far only two groups have given projects in the mechanics lecture that will get the full 20%.

These are the two experiments, which, ironically, have the tendency for the largest percentage error because of the non-frictionless pulleys: coefficient of friction and Atwood’s machine.

The pulleys the used are identical in appearance if not in size. For Atwood’s machine, they really needed large pulleys so that the two weighted pans do not collide when the heavier one is on its way down and the lighter one is on its way up. Even though they did not measure the radius of the weight pan to see the minimum diameter of pulley that they needed, the pulley they used is big enough.

The only difference, at least from the set up that I’m familiar with, is that the stand looks like a large bird perch. That means that the two strings and the stand are all on the same plane and not that the stand is on a parallel plane with the one of the strings.

The coefficient of friction set up had the pulley nailed to the end of the board. Surprisingly, the string would still be vertical hanging from the side of the table. They also had boards sufficiently large and heavy enough that the pan without the weight would not immediately pull it to the side, and it was large enough to contain the one thousand five hundred grams load needed in the later parts of the experiment.

My cousin’s group, making the impact and plotting boards for the experiment on projectile motion, already have their boards done, very meticulously constructed so that the planes are exactly perpendicular to each other.

They now only have to sand the edges and varnish it. The only problem is that some of the group members do not want to give credit to their absent members.

That leaves the two setups for conservation of mechanical energy and the one for linear momentum, all of which have their own unique problems.

Linear momentum, which needs a ramp with a place for a second ball at the bottom of the ramp, is made of a PVC water pipe with dimples at one end. The attachment of the ramp is also the metal boomerang that is usually placed at underneath shelves on the wall. That means that they have to have their own stand, which is also made of wood and has to have the ramp screwed to it at different heights.

The first set-up of mechanical energy only had the top of the ramp connected to an iron stand. That means that the bottom of the ramp is loose and actually bouncing up and down after each trial with the ball.

The second set-up, the one with the blade, only has one set up submitted so far, and the blade isn’t secured properly. The string will more likely push the blade back when the pendulum is pulled back. Worse, the other group members are making their own set-ups. And one member was assigned to look for the metal pendulum bob with the hole for threading the string, which he couldn’t find, seems to be the only one responsible enough to be concerned that they only have ¼ of a grade.

I guess it’s all boil down to Monday.