Contrastação de um modelo teórico de um móvel de massa variável : fluxo de massa sendo ejetado em sentido contrário ao movimento do móvel

Abstract

This work, based on the vision of scientific modeling proposed by the philosopher of science Mario Bunge, and based on an interpretation of Newton’s second law by the physicist Kanzo Nakayama, aims to elaborate and validate a theoretical model of a variable mass mobile, which consists of a container containing water, whose flow is ejected in the opposite direction to the movement of the mobile. Initially, the work discusses the model of a constant mass mobile, which is subjected to empirical tests to determine the kinetic friction coefficient and the air viscosity constant, which have been used for the validation of the variable mass model. Next, is discussed and empirically tested the variable mass model. The results indicate that the variable mass model is not able to describe the data obtained experimentally. In addition to the empirical tests of the models, the wealth of this work comes through the practice of scientific modeling, whose conception of the object-model and elaboration of the theoretical models were of great learning for the author of this work, as well as empirical validation and the learning about how it is to do science.