- #1
LogicFreak
- 4
- 0
Hello, I am working on a project for my physics class and I'm not sure how to proceed. I decided to do mine on the physics of a punch, and I have a few ideas of how I can collect data, but I'm not sure if I'm looking at it the right way.
I was going to make a soft clay block and find it's mass, volume, density, etc. And then I was going to punch it and measure how much the force of my punch compressed it. There would obviously be some sort of fist imprint (given that I have quite a strong punch), but I'm not sure how I would use this to find the force my fist exerted on the block. I was thinking it could be measured by finding the change in density or volume of the block, but I'm just not sure.
My problem is, different materials have different resistance to being compressed. It would take more force to dent a metal bar than soft clay, would it not? If I measured the volume/density change from dropping objects of known masses from different heights onto it, would that give me some sort of constant for the material? Because I could calculate the change in energy and momentum for the block, I could easily find the force it exerted, correct?
So please, if anybody can help me with this or clear me up on the physics of compression (or stress and strain, as my book calls it) that would be extremely helpful.
Or if you could link me to a website that explains it very well, that would also be good.
I was going to make a soft clay block and find it's mass, volume, density, etc. And then I was going to punch it and measure how much the force of my punch compressed it. There would obviously be some sort of fist imprint (given that I have quite a strong punch), but I'm not sure how I would use this to find the force my fist exerted on the block. I was thinking it could be measured by finding the change in density or volume of the block, but I'm just not sure.
My problem is, different materials have different resistance to being compressed. It would take more force to dent a metal bar than soft clay, would it not? If I measured the volume/density change from dropping objects of known masses from different heights onto it, would that give me some sort of constant for the material? Because I could calculate the change in energy and momentum for the block, I could easily find the force it exerted, correct?
So please, if anybody can help me with this or clear me up on the physics of compression (or stress and strain, as my book calls it) that would be extremely helpful.
Or if you could link me to a website that explains it very well, that would also be good.