Analyzing the motion of a plastic bottle down an elevated ramp

  • Context: Graduate 
  • Thread starter Thread starter coolness
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Motion Plastic Ramp
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
Sign up Log in
2 replies · 3K views
coolness
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Hi All

I am doing an experiment where I am analyzing how the volume of water in a plastic bottle affects the time taken for it to roll down an elevated ramp and particular distance along a horizontal plane. I need rigorous theory for this experiment which includes moment of inertia, fluid dynamics and angular momentum. I need to know how VOLUME affects TIME. Very specific. Give me lots of theory.
 

Discussion

Physics news on Phys.org
welcome to pf!

hi coolness! welcome to pf! :wink:

in this forum, we expect you to do most of the work, and then we comment and help :smile:​

but first, tell us from your observations what the water actually does …

does it stay completely level, does it slosh backwards and forwards a little, does it "loop the loop", or something in between, and does its behaviour change as the speed (or the slope) increases? :wink:
coolness said:
… an elevated ramp …

is there any other sort of ramp? :confused:

or do you mean a ramp in an elevator? :rolleyes:​
 
coolness said:
... fluid dynamics ...Give me lots of theory.
Fluid dynamics -> forget theory, just try it!

But seriously, this is way to complex to treat with a theoretical analysis on paper, unless you assume no friction between the water and bottle, so the water stays level and doesn't start to rotate.