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Charles Wicksteed: The Physics Of Playground Slides

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A slide is a structure with a smooth surface that are for children to play and slide down with. Slides are found in parks, schools, playgrounds and backyards. They are flat and are usually constructed of plastic with a smooth surface that is either straight or wavy. A playground slide consists of a ladder in which it helps a child to get to the top to use the slide. Playground swings originated or is that that a manufacturer named Charles Wicksteed was the founder of a playground slide and it got installed in Wicksteed park in 1922. There have been a lot of changes throughout the years with playground slides, such as the different types of slides. These different types of slides are the spiral slide, wavy slide, water slide, drop slides,tube …show more content…

These physical concepts are gravity, inertia, friction, potential and kinetic energy. Gravity is the force of attraction between all masses; these are especially the attraction of the earth’s mass for the body near its surface. The earth's gravitational pull applies or brings to bear a downward force on everything on the planet. This means that as for a slide, when someone sits at the top of the slide, gravity becomes a constant force which pulls the person directly downwards the slide. However, without gravitational pull, the force of it pulling a person down will not work without it Therefore, the earth's gravitational force pulls the rider down the slide. According to friction, friction in physics,friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, material elements sliding against each other, or fluid layers. In a playground slide, friction is important in order for the slide to work. Without friction, a slide would not work, causing the slide to accelerate and bring down the person too quick or fast. However, friction is a force that occurs when two objects rub against each other. An example of friction is when a person slides down on their backside, it is friction because their backside and the slide rubs against each other when the person slides …show more content…

This is defined as the work needed to accelerate a body of a given mass from rest to it’s stated velocity. Having gained this energy during its acceleration, the body maintains this kinetic energy, unless its speed changes. For a swing, kinetic energy depends on the mass and speed. When someone slides down the slide, they are an example of kinetic energy. Therefore, a slide converts from potential energy to kinetic/motion energy when someone begins at the top of the slide, and moves downwards or slides down which is converting one energy to the

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