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Gravity Cruiser Design Challenge Glossary

Quiz yourself by thinking what should be in each of the black spaces below before clicking on it to display the answer.
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Question
Answer
Abrupt Stop   When a gravity cruiser comes to a stop because its string is attached to the axle and has been pulled taut  
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Ballast   Extra weight added to the chassis as necessary to keep the cruiser's wheels in contact with the ground  
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Axle Winds   The number of times the string can be wound about the drive axle as the weight is lifted to its highest position; the winds are a function of axle diameter and the distance between the weight's highest and lowest positions  
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Calculated Distance   The distance the cruiser is expected to travel, assuming the string unwinds from the axle completely and the cruiser does not coast beyond that point  
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Chassis   The body of the gravity cruiser, consisting of axles, wheels, and base platform  
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Circumference   The distance around a circle  
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Coasting Stop   When a gravity cruiser gradually slows to a stop after its string has become completely unwound and is disconnected from the axle  
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Diameter   The distance across a circle, measured through its center  
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Drive Axle   The axle around which the string is wrapped  
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Force   A push or pull on an object  
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Friction   Rubbing between two surfaces, which causes energy loss  
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Fulcrum   The pivot point around which a lever rotates  
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Hypothesis   An untested idea about how things work  
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Inertia   The tendency of an object to resist changes in motion  
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Kinetic Energy   The energy an object has due to its motion  
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Lever   A bar that pivots about a fixed point (a fulcrum)  
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m   metric unit for the meter  
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Moment Arm   The magnitude of force applied to a rotational system at a distance from the axis of rotation (the fulcrum)  
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Momentum   The product of mass and velocity; the more a gravity cruiser has when the string disconnects from the axle, the farther it will coast before stopping.  
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Pi   The ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter; which is approximately 3.14  
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Potential Energy   The energy stored in an object  
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Prototype   An experimental version of a design or product  
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Torque   A turning or twisting force  
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Travel Distance   The actual distance a gravity cruiser travels during a trial without extra pushes or extra help ( compared with calculated distance)  
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Troubleshooting   The process of systematically determining reasons for malfunctions and finding ways to fix them  
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Weight   (In this case) The pennies attached to the lever; the magnitude of the weight is equal to the mass of the pennies multiplied by the acceleration of gravity  
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Created by: salleyj
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