Meglev Train Project - Physics HP - Reflection
After learning physics it helped me a build a better understanding how the maglev train technology is better than commercial trains because it is smoother and is quieter. In order for the maglev technology to work the base of the train are used by magnets instead of wheels because it helps with the speed by taking the friction. While building our train we knew our design or structure of it determines how fast or slow it will move. Most trains are guided by a curve of the train but when using magnets it is levitating off the track. While we built our train we put the magnets on top of the base instead because theoretically, when the magnets are on top of the base it would cause less traction that would make the vehicle move faster. We all know that maglev trains does not require fossil fuels in order for it to propel. Instead, it requires a switch that turns on and off the electromagnetic field that was by the people who made the track to push the train forward and it helps it gain the momentum it needs to move. When the mass is low, the momentum is low and when the mass is high, the momentum is high also. When there is more mass, heavy object, or the velocity is high (faster it is moving) it has more momentum. The more momentum something has, it needs more force to change the velocity and applies more force when it hits something.
Reflection: This project may have been the hardest assignment we done all year because we had to work with magnets and get it to work on the track. I cannot picture myself building train for people to ride on because I'm scared of messing up. I remember going through trail and errors over and over again, then when I finally get our train to work.. The next day it breaks! I'm not sure if I did something wrong so I asked for help from other learners as well as my facilitator that succeeded or more advanced that I am. All and all, I realized how difficult it is to build a train especially when I can't even build a train model.