Determination of a car speed - analysis of projectile motion from a muddy puddle

Abstract

Drops from a muddy puddle produce a distinct pattern on the side doors of a car driving through the puddle. This pattern was studied to determine the speed of the car. We can conceive at least two different models for pattern formation. We can decide in favor of one of the models by using different representations of the data. The activity is based on a rich context-based problem of projectile motion and offers epistemological insight into how physics research works by forming and testing hypotheses and using alternative representations.