Capstone 1: Final Paper

Alex has finished our first capstone of the year.  This is also the first post for CapstoneLearning.org; great analysis, Alex!

Abstract:

In this paper I explore the physics of the computer game Osmos.  It was my goal to see how accurately Newton’s laws applied to this game.  I captured video of the game and used Logger Pro to analyze the physics of how an object propels itself by expelling some of its mass in the opposite direction.  I discovered that impacts between random objects have perfect conservation of energy; when the main mass controlled the player moves conservation is not conserved.  In that situation, the player is given approximately four to five times the amount of energy dictated by Newton’s laws to make the game easier.

Full paper linked here.