Object Falling from Rest

As an object falls from rest, its gravitational potential energy is converted to kinetic energy. So if an object is dropped from a height of 1 meter (about the height of the bed), then the velocity just before impact is 4.427 meters per second. If the mass is .2 kg (about the weight of Dad’s phone), then the kinetic energy just before impact is equal to 1.96 joules, which is of course equal to its initial potential energy. Of course the accuracy of this calculation depends upon the assumption that air friction is negligible and because the height of drop from the bed is small compared to the radius of the earth.

Thus you can see my never ending fascination with objects, such as Dad’s phone, being dropped off of the bed, table, chair, couch, crib… whatever. So if you see be dropping something from a height, please understand that it is not because I’m an incredible annoying brat who won’t allow his parents to enjoy a single meal without making them fetch and yell at the same time. Instead, try to remember that it’s because I’m fascinated by the complexities of Newton’s First Law.

My First Birthday

First of all I would like to thank everyone who came or sent a present, my parents for running around like mad people and Tracy and Trevor from The Victoria Tea Room, who went above and beyond in setting up, catering and hosting my birthday. Thank you cards are now mailed out and I hope that all of you had as much fun as I did.

Also, I would thank those of you who came to The Georgia Aquarium for my second birthday party. Pictures of both events are now online and our group photo should be in the mail soon. For those of you who have not gone, the Georgia Aquarium is the world’s largest aquarium and current houses 100,000 animals of 500 different species, three whale sharks and five beluga whales. I highly recommend it!

Lastly, I would like to thank my Mom who was gracious enough to be almost completely overlooked as my birthday buddy.

The Symphony

Music is omnipresent in our house and I’ve learned to bop and sway in time. Outside of the house I’ve been to a few music performances, a large drum jam in Asheville, NC, and a one open air rock concert. This last Friday night Mom, Dad, Grandma Joan and Grandpa Edgar took me to the 17th Annual Celebration of Youth Concert at Anderson College. There was a full orchestra, made up of people of all ages, three different choirs from different schools and grades, and a variety of music ranging from Edward Elgar to the Beatles. Between the diverse types of music, to the people clapping in the crowd, the whole thing was an experience that I greatly enjoyed. My only complaint was that it started at 8pm, my usual bedtime. Still, I made it until a little after intermission before I just couldn’t hold out any more. I hope to go to more of these, at an earlier time, as soon as my schedule allows.