Optimal Launch Angle for Bottle Flipping
Ziyi Wang, Jason Emefele, Erwving (EJ) Bailey Jr
Doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10Lo-gwzo9sXmLqzW-Xv734xz4DLjF2WV6uSn7c-cB8A/edit?usp=sharing</p>
Abstract
This experiment investigated the situation of a water bottle after throwing it into the air and falling back on the table. When throwing the water bottle into the air, we need to consider the effect of varied factors which include the height and the angle of the water bottle being thrown, also, the effect of the amount of water in the bottle.
Introduction
According to CNN (2016), Lacey Russell, a producer for CNN based in Atlanta, shoots, edits and produces video news content for CNN's Digital Video team. She found that "The fad gained popularity after a YouTube video of talent show contestant Michael Senatore flipping a water bottle in Charlotte, North Carolina" This video got extremely popular over Americans which drove a craze of flipping bottles between teenagers and the flipping water bottle game started in 2010. Fédération Internationale de Bottle Flipping Association (FIBLA), an organization that holds different competitions in the sport of bottle flipping, made this entertainment activity more formal.
According to Andrew Davis Cahoon, a physics professor from Colby-Sawyer College who published the article "Water Bottle Stability" in "The Physics Teacher" book in AAPT, a professional membership association of scientists dedicated to enhancing the understanding and appreciation of physics through teaching. He notes "As a bottle is tipped, the liquid reshapes to find its level. If the center of mass of the system passes over the balance point, the bottle falls over." When the bottle has liquid inside, and when it flips, the center of gravity will also change its position, and when the center of gravity is lower, the bottle will be more stable. However, if the liquid is too much over the center of gravity, the bottle will fall.
To try to discover the physics behind throwing a water bottle, this experiment uses robots designed to flip the water bottle instead of people to decrease human error and instability. This can keep all the other factors in control and better help find the optimal launch angle for a bottle flip. During the throwing process, different physics happen, including free-fall (falling after already being thrown in the air, velocity initial is zero) and flipping (from the beginning till the bottle gets to free-fall with some initial velocity). Flipping the water bottle with different amounts of water at different angles at the same height. And then collect the data for how the water bottle flipped with 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% water at different angles.
Based on the data, finding the relation between the amount of water and the angle to find the best number to flip the water bottle and then can get the optimal launch angle for a bottle flip, and how it can help us figure out how to make a moving bottle more stable in our daily life.
Hypothesis
The optimal launch angle is between 30 and 60 degrees, and the optimal fill percentage will approximately be 25%-50%. And as the water percentage increases, the launch angle required for success will also increase due to change in the center of mass
Materials
Robot(design), Water bottle, different amount of water, flat table, Table clamp, Wood ,Wood glue, Dark GLOSSY, Raspberry Pi, Jumper wires, Motors, Sandpaper (multiple grits), Screws or nails
Methods
First of all, build a robot that will be able to handle water bottles and then flip it with various angles. Next program it to be able to flip water bottles as efficiently as possible. Moreover, get many bottles of the same brand with varied amounts of water. (0%, 25%,50%, 75%, 100%). Then, collect the data provided by the robot and create a graph relating the fill percentage to the best found launch angle (Force will be a constant during this process). Last but not least, find the relationship between the angle and the percentage of the water as presented results.
Future Application
Based on this bottle flip research, people can keep having deeper study in improving the stability of objects in motion such as the self- balancing robots, trains, metro and so on to help make them more stable and safer. What's more, people can also keep studying to build different robots which can help people have a more convenient life in the future.
References
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