Human Power

Purpose: To get an understanding of power through a fun lab that involved physical activity.

Materials: A stopwatch, functioning legs, and a set of stairs

Intro/Procedure: Power is the rate at which work is done. In this lab we were to calculate our power by using our weight in newtons and our average time to go up and down the stairs. Since power is the rate at which work is done we used the formula:

I used the my weight in Newtons (744 N), my average time up and down the stairs, and the measured distance up and down the stairs to calculate my power which came out to be .80 HP.

Conclusion: A fun and playful introduction to power! By far my favorite lab due to it's physical demands. It was fun to have a lab done outside the classroom for once. I think what could make the average results for the class a lot more accurate or better would be a day's notice about the lab. Having been notified, the class would've chosen shoes and clothing that allow for better mobility. Having better mobility, everyone would have gone up and down the stairs in a time that better depicts their physical capabilities. I say this because some of the folks in the class had dress shoes and jeans on and that type of clothing attire can hinder physical mobility. In summation and overall, this lab was awesome.