Science - Land Yachts

For the last few weeks in Science we have been learning about land yachts. We have also been learning about aerodynamics, speed, distance and time. I have learnt about how to measure the speed of a vehicle by dividing the distance and time together to get the speed. In the last few weeks we did a experiment where we have been making our own land yacht that we had to race with the groups to see who had the faster speed. For my group what we got for the distance was 1.7m and our time was 7.3s. Then we had to calculate 1.7m divide by 7.3s and the speed we got was 4.2km/h. 

Aim: To be able to get the fastest speed calculating the distance and the time using the land yacht you have created.

Method:

- Make your own land yacht using the materials that has been given to you from your teacher.

- Put down the measuring tape on the concrete to measure the distance.

- Get the leaf blower and plug it in ready to be used.

- Put your land yacht down behind a straight line ready to race.

- Get your phone out ready with a timer.

- Race: When you start the timer use the leaf blower to blow your land yacht straight away. When the land yacht stops then stop the timer and write down the time.

- Finale: Figure out where the land yacht had stopped on the measuring tape and write it down with the time. Now calculate the distance and the time that you got.

Result: Our distance was 1.7 meters and our time was 7.3 seconds. We have to divide them together to get our speed. Our speed was 4.2km/h.

How to calculate:

v = d/t

v = (speed) d (distance) t (time)

Conclusion: The air passed through the bow in the front of the yacht. The air goes through the sail / plastic bag and then the air moved the land yacht.