As a result you are likely to learn a lot about manipulating equations and solving textbook problems in your physics classes but you might not be forming a clear picture of how these ideas apply to the real world. This week's lab will give you some practice in applying your concepts of work and energy to a real, if somewhat silly, problem. The most difficult part of making physics estimates is identifying the important and pertinent physics. In most real problems there is a lot of physics going on simultaneously. It would be unusual to confront a situation where energy in several of its forms is not a consideration.
Students often feel overwhelmed trying to decide what's important to the problem at hand.
Begin by taking a look at what you are trying to figure out. Then consider what information you have available to you. Velocities are hard to estimate if you need them for a kinematic calculation. On the other hand stopping distances and rough times can be fairly easy to estimate. This could allow you to calculate a rough acceleration if it were of interest.