kinModel simulation

course PHY 202

This information was previously submitted via emailPer your recommendation, I am submitting it via the Submit work form so that it will apppear on my access page.

Watch the KEx and KEy values as they change with each

collision, representing the total x and y kinetic energies

of the particles.

The Kinetic Energy in the x and y direction, while varying

greatly, would still appear to average out to be

approximately equal over the life span of the experiment.

Watch the 'red' particle for a couple of minutes, estimating

the average time between its collisions and its average

speed (one of the speeds given near the top of the screen

corresponds to that of the 'red' particle--which is it?).

The red particle would appear to have an average speed of

aproximately 6, and the estimated average time between

collisions would appear to be under one second.

Watch the 'blue' particle, and speculate on what property of

this particle is different from that of the other particles.

The Blue particle would appear to have a much larger mass

than the other particles; as representative of its speed and

the minimal effect that the other particle colliding with it

have.

Watch as the 'red' particle sometimes turns yellow. What

causes this? What property does the particle have when it

is yellow?

Based on my observations; it would appear that the red

particle inherits the trate of turning yellow when its speed

exceeds a value of 10.

What might the graphs represented at the right of the screen

represent?

I would assume that the graph at the left of the program

page would represent the overall kinetic energy. Initially

strong and accelerating from rest; to tapering of to little

or no Kinetic Energy towards the end of it's life span.

This looks good.

The graphs to the right are frequency distributions for velocity and for kinetic energy. The peak of the distribution occurs for the most likely velocity or KE. After the peak the graph 'tails off', showing that progressively greater velocities kinetic energies occur less and less frequently. The graph also builds to the peak, indicating that progressively smaller velocities or kinetic energies occur less and less frequently.