Following Through...

Physical Science - Haunted by the spectre of lab directions. Several times, again, I noticed groups not following directions for their lab activity. I should never find that you have skipped steps while working through a lab activity or have simply failed to follow what the directions tell you to do. Also, make sure that you pay close attention to the focus of the lab and of the information being collected/presented. I should not, for instance, have to point out axes labels on graphs displayed on the computer monitors. Work towards doing labs efficiently, but correctly. Spend your time on the analysis rather than trying ti figure out what to do when the procedure is written out on your lab sheet.

Physics - Many of you need to get with the following through, also. I looked through the lab sheets submitted today and noticed that a number of individuals just seemed to ignore the actual point of the lab - finding the acceleration due to gravity! Your graphs were hastily constructed and not set up to answer the question. It is good to collect the data, but the data is useless if meaning is not made of it. This time, I knocked a few points off these labs; next time, I will knock off many points. Tonight's homework will allow you to practice your vector resolution techniques. We will discuss this tomorrow and our next lab block will give you an opportunity to practice the vector techniques you have been studying so far in the chapter.

Honors Physics - Tomorrow's lab will require attention to detail, so make sure to read it carefully tonight. Think about all the concepts we discussed about horizontal projectiles as you perform the lab and complete the calculations. If time permits, we may be able to modify the procedure into a study of a projectile launched at an angle. This would facilitate your working through the homework problems. BTW: be willing to use up paper on these problems. They can be brain scratchers. Identify all known and implicit information. Sketch the situation. Break down initial velocity into its x- and y-components, consider the symmetry of the situation, think backwards (it can be a great help) and make use of substitutions to reduce the number of unknown variables.

2D Motion

Honors Physics - Our discussion today ended at with the motion of horizontally-launched projectiles. Remember: initial velocity in the x-direction is constant (a=0), initial velocity in the y-direction is 0, y-direction motion is free-fall, time depends on the y-direction motion and motion in the x- and y-directions is independent. Tomorrow, we examine projectiles launched at angle (initial velocity in both the x- and y-directions) and Wednesday's lab will concentrate on projectile motion. Keep those kinematics formulas from last chapter at the front of the brain and remember to think about vectors and their resolution as we move through this unit.

Physics - today's lab continued work with vectors, specificallty vector resolution - the breaking down of a vector into its x- and y-components. You were able to study acceleration in the vertical direction by looking at the motion of an object in 2 dimensions (cart on inclined plane). This is how we will approach motion that is 2-dimensional when we analyze it more fully tomorrow. Complete the lab tonight (don't forget to make the acceleration vs. sine of ramp angle graph) and we will discuss it in class tomorrow.

Physical Science - Most people scored well on today's exam and are definitely ready to move into our next unit (Motion). We will introduce this unit with a lab centering on the rate of motion (velocity) tomorrow in class and then begin our discussion of concepts that describe motion. If you are still having difficulty with the math concepts, I can give you addition practice problems or out-of-class help, but we do need to move on with the material for the course. There will be many opportunities to practice and demonstrate the basic math skills as we move through the physics topics this year.

Physics Jokes

1. A student riding in a train looks up and sees Einstein sitting next to him. Excited he asks, "Excuse me, professor. Does Boston stop at this train?"



2. Heisenberg went for a drive and got stopped by a traffic cop. The cop asked, "Do you know how fast you were going?" Heisenberg replied, "No, but I know where I am."



3. The answer to the problem was 'log(1+x)'. A student copied the answer from the good student next to him, but didn't want to make it obvious that he was cheating, so he changed the answer slightly, to 'timber(1+x)'



4. An experimental physicist performs an experiment involving two cats, and an inclined tin roof.
   
   The two cats are very nearly identical; same sex, age, weight, breed, eye and hair color.
   
   The physicist places both cats on the roof at the same height and lets them both go at the same time. One of the cats fall off the roof first so obviously there is some difference between the two cats.
   
   What is the difference?
   
   One cat has a greater µ.



5. Jupiter Scientific is pleased to report that physicists have embarked on their own product safety campaign, recommending that manufacturers provide consumers with all of the following labels:
   
   WARNING: Due to its heavy mass, this product warps the space surrounding it. No health hazards are yet known to be associated with effect.
   
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   HEALTH WARNING: This product (and every product of the Manufacturer) emits low-level nuclear radiation.
   
   NOTE: A subatomic "glue" holds the fundamental constituents of this product together. Since the exact nature of this glue is not yet fully understood, its adhesive power cannot be guaranteed. To date, no known malfunction of the product has resulted from glue failure.
   
   DISCLAIMER: Manufacturer is not responsible for loss should this product disappear into a wormhole.
   
   LIMITED WARRANTY: Despite the efforts of the Manufacturer, the chaos in this package has increased since being shipped. If such chaos has rendered the product defective, Buyer shall not hold Manufacturer responsible. Claims in this regard should be aimed directly at the Shipper.
   
   NOTE: Despite its appearance, this product is more than 99.99% empty space.
   
   READ THIS BEFORE OPENING: According to quantum theory, this product may collapse into another state if directly observed.
   
   HANDLE WITH CARE: This product contains countless, minute, electrically charged particles moving at extremely high speeds.
   
   EXTREME CAUTION: This product has an energy-equivalent that, if exploded, could destroy a small town. Under no circumstance shall a User perform a mass-energy transformation on any of the contents in this package. In case of misuse, liability shall rest entirely with the User.
   
   GUARANTEED RETURN CLAUSE: Because of the uncertainty principle, we have shipped this product with a limited speed notice. However, if shippers have disregarded our notice, we cannot guarantee that all the contents are in the box. If you discover missing components, please call the 1-800 number on the instruction sheet.
   
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   AS REQUIRED BY LAW, we must inform you that any use of this product increases the amount of disorder in the universe. As of the date shipped, Congress has not passed any bills assigning a tax on disorder pollution.
   
   USE LIMITATION: This product cannot be guaranteed to function normally near a black hole.

Saturday with House

Since the USA network is having a House marathon, I have to be home for the duration. This means that I can catch up on yesterday's gossip information.

Honors Physics - C Block's lab data may be a little squiffy due to the plastic inclined planes. I think that slipping might affected the runs and were the reason for some of the unexpected peaks in the velocity/time graphs. G Block only had wooden planes and their runs were far cleaner. Memo to me: only use wooden inclined planes for this experiment next year. Even with the bumpy data for some groups, the data did provide an insight into the methodology Galileo used to understand and describe the idea of free fall. Admittedly, the values calculated in this experiment reflect the influence of friction. This does not negate the principle, we must simply account for the extra force influencing the motion of the cart.

Physics - Our discussion of the nature of vectors will give you a little taste of why Monday's lab with inclined planes can give a decent value for the acceleration due to gravity. The independence of the x- and y-components of the vector (inclined plane) allows us to evaluate motion solely in the vertical direction. We will further examine this independence when we move into projectile motion.

Physical Science - Test Monday! Don't forget to have your homework sheets and your calculators. Remember to study ALL material for this unit. On Tuesday, we start our unit on motion - the first of the Introductory Physics curriculum frameworks curriculum standards. You will find that we have previewed a good bit of this material in the Mathematics unit.

That's a wrap. Back to House...

Vectors

Honors Physics - Vector resolution and combining non-perpendicular vectors was the focus of the day, even though C Block was lost to peer mentor training. C block will catch up, lecture-wise on Monday. Remember to read tomorrow's lab this evening, so that you'll be ready to go when class starts. The first truly empirical method for determining the value of "g" was using an inclined plane and this lab will mimic that experience. It will also allow some practice with vector resolution.

Physics - we begin working with vectors tomorrow by investigating how vectors can be combined graphically. As a tool, vectors are very valuable for the analysis of physical phenomena and we will make extensive use of them during the course.

Physical Science - your daily objectives will be returned tomorrow so that you have them on hand as a study tool for Monday's exam. A note on these - some people were missing a number of days and some people didn't provide any answers. The daily objective expectations were outlined on the first day of class and have been reiterated several times since then. Most people did a good job! The one bit of criticism I would offer is to add detail to your answers so that the answers are thorough. Also, re-read your answers to see if they (a)make sense and (b) answer the question being asked. The daily objectives and answers will be collected periodically during the year, so use this as an opportunity to collect points.

Twisting Around

Honors Physics got a big face full of vectors today, but most people survived the experience. The graphical method of combining vectors is cumbersome and tedious, but it validates the "magic number" answers that you get when using trigonometry and will help you when we begin to draw free-body diagrams for analyzing forces. This activity demonstrated the tip-tail method for vector addition and the principle and the vectors can be added in any order and achieve the same resultant. Tomorrow, we will discuss the activity and the general principles of graphical analysis of vectors. If you borrowed a protractor from me today, remember to return it tomorrow.

Physics - due to picture day eating up E block yesterday, the test has been postponed one day. Tomorrow will be time for general review, so come with questions and issues that you would like to discuss in class. I will also have review problems ready for practice.

Physical Science - A final review of mathematics tomorrow and then the test on Thursday. EVERYTHING that we cover in the lecture, lab, textbook, etc. is fair game. This unit operated a great deal out of the note packet, rather than the textbook, so plan your study accordingly. Remember to bring your calculators and don't rely on me to be here early on Thursday morning to answer questions. Have questions ready tomorrow, so that you can use the answers to facilitate your studying on Wednesday night.

Skipping a Night

No real post. Got new laptop. Afternoon/evening dedicated to giving it love and attention...Here's a funny picture of a cat to tide you over...

Animals 'n Tech

This is EXACTLY the reason that I go wireless at home:


see more puppies

And this cat obviously read my book - Principles of Peripherals Repair

Gotta Love Those Formulas!

Physics - we are starting to head into the Land of the Fabulous Formula, from which we may never emerge. As you approach new formulas, whether simple or complex, remember that they are not your enemy. Look carefully at the variables they contain - we will have studied them and you do know what they are. Look at the mathematical operations - nothing beyond basic math skills. Order of operations might bite you if you aren't paying attention when you plug numbers into your calculator and you might have to perform some unit conversions, but these are little things that we can iron out in class. Write down the information you know and identify the type of measurement it represents (initial velocity, acceleration, etc.) Check you list of equations and decide which one makes best use of your information to find the desired answer. Sometimes, you have to add to your treasure trove of information by solving for a value that isn't your desired one, but is a value that will help you towards your final goal. So what? It is just one little additional step, and for this chapter, you are still working with the basic kinematics formula base. Monday's discusson of free fall will rely on the same equations that we used today, so you'll get more practice. Tuesday - general review. Wednesday - Chapter 2 exam. Be there or be square.

Physical Science - Monday's discussion of graphing will (again) be a review for you, but it will be an important review. We do a great deal of graphing and graph interpretation in this course and I expect that graphs will be properly formatted and presented when submitted with an assignment. LoggerPro will make many graphs for you, but homework problems and other lab activities will require that you craft graphs from data or interpret the information being presented by a graph. These are skills that will follow you through ALL of your science courses. For Wednesday's test, start gathering questions to bring to Tuesday's review. If you need additional help, see me on Monday to schedule a time. If you need extra problems for practice, get them Monday. Don't wait until the last minute to start preparing. I can't stress this enough.

Honors Physics - Motion studies start all physics courses and the basic kinematics formulas are the first set of "real" physics formulas that students encounter. They are good for giving you practice with formula-based problem solving and also for bringing critical-thinking skills to the problem-solving party. Some of your homework problems were straightforward. Some required brain-power. This will be the pattern for every topic that we encounter from now on. Don't forget calculators on Monday and don't neglect any portion of this chapter's work - lecture, lab, reading, etc.

g Whiz

Honors Physics - no one experienced grievous bodily harm during the performance of the lab so yeah for us! This lab quickly demonstrates acceleration due to gravity with very fine precision. Everyone's velocity/time graphs gave a slope very close to the accepted 9.81 m/s² value. For the extensions (tossing the object downwards or upwards), the values were not as close, but this is to be expected. Watching groups, the picket fence demonstrated some torque during the toss and this will affect acceleration. The values were, however, close enough for government work. Gravity does vary with location, but that should not have had a great influence on your data, as seen from the map of the Earth's gravitational field. The Northeast US pretty much falls at zero on the gravitational anomaly scale. Air resistance did affect the acceleration, as we would predict from daily observation of the world around us. Tomorrow, we'll go over your free-fall homework problems and have a general discussion about the chapter. Test Monday and,yes, I will give you the formulas and you can use your calculators.

Physics - Lots of graphs today, but graphs are one of the best ways to analyze motion. We will use graphs and coordinate systems often in class to address topics, so keep those skills close at hand. Often, a quick graph will help you understand more about a situation than a page full of calculations. Tomorrow, though, is calculation day as we take on the basic kinematics formulas. Make sure to have a calculator on hand.

Physical Science - Good questions in class today about the lab! We will further our examination of SigFigs and SciNot in lecture tomorrow and, hopefully, start to review basics about graphing. The exam for this chapter is scheduled for next Wednesday, so don't wait until the last minute to begin your preparations. Get extra help from me if needed, collect questions to ask in class, rework or get fresh problems from me, etc. You will need calculators for exams, so don't forget yours that day. I will give you any basic formulas or information that you might need (density/volume formulas, metric prefixes...), so don't worry about that piece.

What's Your Size?

Physical Science - make sure that you complete your measurement lab activity tonight so that we can discuss the results/methods tomorrow. Note: significant figures is a main focus of this lab, so be very aware of significant figures when your make your volume and density calculations. Watching folks today, it was good to see groups discussing procedures and methods rather than barreling along with no firm plan. A few tips:

1. Keep an eye on the time and make sure measurements are collected while in class. Questions, analyses, calculations, etc. can be completed at home, but data collection is an in-class only activity.



2. Choose measurement tools with an eye towards precision. I noticed that a few people chose measurement tools that were not optimum for the object that they were measuring. This lab purposefully does not specify exact tools and I provided a variety from which you could choose. A micrometer would be inappropriate to measure the large cardboard box, but would be the best choice for a small sphere or for the thickness of an index card. A number of people massed their objects using the large digital balance. That balance has a sensitivity of increments of 1 gram - it doesn't report any fractional values in-between. I saw a few measurements for mass of 1 gram. The smaller balalnce had a sensitivity of 0.1 gram. This would have given you an additional significant figure (more precision) for your mass measurement. A 1 SF mass value means that your density calculation for that object could also only have 1 SF.



3. Put everyone in the group to work. Don't allow slugs or equipment hogs. Rotate jobs, divide tasks - make sure everyone contributes and no one tries to do it all by themselves.

Physics - Quick note: if you want a hard copy of the textbook, we now have enough to go around. Bring back the disc that I gave you at the start of the year and I'll check out a book to you. If you want, you can just keep the disc, but you can only have one or the other. Remember, the book is also online. For lab today,as groups found, mentally-moving from position/time to velocity/time graphs was a challenge. However, the labwork emphasized that even though graphs may look alike, their meaning may be nothing alike. Always study the variables on each axis and reflect on what the graph shape indicates about these variables. Many people approached their velocity-time graphs by stopping when they saw a flat, horizontal line on the computer screen. Unless that line was at y=0, it meant keep walking with constant velocity! We will go over these in class tomorrow and add another descriptor of motion to our toolbag - acceleration.



Honors Physics - Tomorrow's lab will provide a very precise measurement of acceleration due to gravity at our location. Our test object is minimally affected by air resistance, but one of the extensions to the lab protocol will add air resistance so that you can see its impact on free-fall motion. As for the homework problems from last night, people seemed to do fairly well, but if you think that you require more practice, see me for additional problems. It is important to be very comfortable using these formulas and thinking through motion problems as we rely on these skills often this year.

Takin' Over the Hallway

Physics set up camp in the hallway today and conquered the art of Graph Matching. Ok, the conquest is not yet complete, but graph butt was kicked and more kickage is on deck for tomorrow. Seriously, physically modeling position/time and velocity/time graphs is a very good way to get a feel for what is actually happening when you are confronted with a random graph of motion. People were readily making the connection between slope and velocity, what horizontal graph sections meant for motion and the importance of direction and frame of referernce for describing motion. Tomorrow, we will complete the investigation and, hopefully, have time to discuss the lab questions (if not, that is our first item of business on Thursday).

Physical Science made good progress towards mastering dimensional analysis. If more practice is required, make time with me before or after school. I also have extra practice sheets on which you can work. Tomorrow's lab, centering on measurement, significant figures and scientific notation, will allow you to use a variety of tools to calculate the density of a variety of objects. Much of the procedure is at your discretion, so you should come with some preliminary ideas about what type of data to collect and how to affect its analysis.

Honors Physics - today's lecture took us through basic kinematics. Remember, kinematics targets motion, but not its causes. If all we want to know about is the features of an object's motion, kinematics and the associated equations are sufficient for the task. Tomorrow, we will apply these formulas to vertical motion and examine the idea of free fall. We will go over 2C-2E tomorrow if there are any questions about those problem sets. We are still on schedule for the test on Monday. When we start 2-dimensional motion, we will continue to use versions of these basic formulas, but further explore the vector nature of displacement, velocity and acceleration.

Monday, Monday

Another Monday towards June. Boy howdee does time fly...

Physical Science - the class seems somewhat divided on unit conversion so we will go ahead and divide the class tomorrow. Those who are good to go will start working on significant figures and scientific notation. Those who need a bit more work will get a chance for more conversion practice. Conversions shouldn't fluster you, but you should be able to do them and explain why your answer is correct. Remember, one reason to follow through your unit conversions is to check that you have set up the relationship correctly. Write the starting value/unit. Set up the appropriate conversion factor so that the starting unit cancels. Perform a second step, as necessary. Perform the mathematical operations. Follow the steps each time until they are second nature to you. As we encounter the concept of dimensional consistency (the unit for the answer to a problem must have worked out to be the unit that you want for the answer), this technique will be especially valuable.

Physics - Tomorrow's Graph Matching lab will give you some solid practice with position/time and velocity/time graphs. Interpreting these graphs can sometimes be tricky and this lab provides good hands-on practice. On Wednesday, we will discuss the lab and move on to acceleration. By Thursday, we should be squarely in Kinematics Land - a happy place filled with wonder.

Honors Physics - Despite the assembly during C block, both classes received the same lecture material, so no one is behind in the game. Tomorrow, we will add acceleration and the basic kinematics equations to the pot. The lab on Wednesday will use photogates to measure free fall motion. This lab will also involve the use of laser pointers, so we can expand the gap-size for the photogates. Now, already I can feel the wheels turning in your brains about how you can turn the lasers into WMD's, blind your lab partners, see if a laser beam can travel through one ear and out the other, etc. I have one word for you - REFRAIN! No playing around with the laser pointers - use them for their intended purpose and nothing else. We will use them for other experiments involving photogates and for work with diffraction of light and I'd rather not have to appoint a Laser Monitor in each group to make sure that basic safety is being upheld (though I could make a cool badge for them and perhaps sew a little cap...)

Read the following Q&A on Joseph Mallozzi's blog and think that this woman must have THE BEST JOB EVER!!!!

A Few of My Favorite Things

The Dandy Warhols and Dr. Radek Zelenka. Oh yeah...life is good

Charting out the Week

Looking at the schedule for the week, Physical Science should get themselves prepared for a test on Friday. Physics and Honors Physics should prepare themselves for a fast run through Chapter 2. There is not a great number of new concepts in that chapter that require in-depth analysis and we will move at a good clip. I'm actually looking towards Monday, Sept 22 as the date for the exam for Honors Physics. The Physics exam will follow a few days later. We will get to use a new sensor with this unit - the photogate - as we examine acceleration due to gravity.

Finished re-reading a great book, The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War by David Halberstam. Korea seems to get the short shrift by the military history writers and The Coldest Winter really helps fill that gap. And don't say "well, the Korean War had M*A*S*H" because that is wrong. The movie (and, really, the series) depicted the VIETNAM war. When the movie was made, the makers didn't feel that putting such a film about a currently-running war would be a smart thing to do. So, they made the on-screen war set in Korea. But this film came out in 1970. No one was fooled about which war was the target of the satire...BTW: Halberstam also wrote one of the best books about how the US got embroiled in the Vietnam conflict - The Best and the Brightest. Most folks don't realize that our involvement in Vietnam goes back decades before the "war" actually started. If you want to learn more about the events and mind-sets that precede a conflict and that propel a conflict along, these are two good books to read.

TGIF

Yahoo! Another Friday towards the end of the year. Life is good...

Sorry I didn't post last night, but I was engaged in a force-terminal conflict between my laptop and its Bluetooth software that had decided to "act up." After numerous uninstalls, registry washings, rebootings and system restores, I was not fit for much.

Physics and Honors Physics - Test day today was a good model for those to come. A mixture of concept and math-based questions, graphical analysis, multiple-choice, short asnwer, etc. Also, if you feel there is typo on the exam or that there is a general problem with a question - don't hesitate to ask. Next week we hit kinematics and start to pack on the formulas. The basic kinematics formulas and their derivatives (vertical motion, objects starting or ending at rest, etc.) are ones that we will use over and over in problem-solving. As they describe motion, we'll use them when we talk about forces, momentum, electromagnetism, etc.

Physical Science - Once we finish our math unit, we'll also be jumping into kinematics -albeit at a more introductory level. Basic motino and its descriptors will be our first "physics" unit. The skills that we are practicing now will be used extensively in that unit and in all the rest, so make sure that you nail the current concepts down cold. It will make like much easier for you later on. Note: the Substitution Challenge question on your worksheet is sort of a stinker. It does not require any high-level skills, but it does require that you put on your critical-thinking hat. Never be afraid to start over when necessary and cover lots of paper with lots of writing. That is the way it goes. In class, when you have time to work on things, don't be afraid to ask if you can use the whiteboard in the back of the room for working out problems.

Postin' on the Fly

Quick note as my evening will be taken up by parents and sundry other guardians at Open House.

Physical Science - We will continue to work on calculator skills tomorrow. Note: many of problems on that sheet are WAY harder than those you will encounter in class. A good rule of thumb for life - if you can do something that is hard, the easier version is, well, easy. Kudos to TS for his robot exhibition. As I said in class, sensors used in class could be used for independent investigations if you have something in which you are interested.

Physics - exam review tomorrow, so have questions ready and have calculators ready for review problems.

Honors Physics - lab today went well (despite the number of broken boards during the free-fall experiment). Note on graph making - time is almost always the independent variable. If instructions tell you to make a position-time graph, position is on the y-axis and time is on the x-axis.

Ciao.

Calculators and Culminations

Physical Science - calculator problems are fun...No, really! Use your homework sheet as a good way to find out about your calculator. It may take some trial and error. That is to be expected. Every time I get a use a different calculator, I have to fiddle about with it in order to figure out to perform certain functions. If you are unsure about the keystroke order for certain keys (such as the cube root key or the key that allows you to take any degree root of a number) check it out using values you know. For instance, you know that the cube root of 27 is 3, so use that relationship to figure out how to take the cube root of a value. The 4th root of 16 is 2, the 5th root of 32 is also 2, etc. Try to work the problems in as few discrete steps as possible. Experiment with those parentheses! Most calculators allow you to nest a series of parenthetical expressions. For instance:(((5x7)/3)-4). There will probably a few equations that you just can't figure out. That's ok. We will go over these in class tomorrow. The need to have your calculator in class each day really begins now, so get used to carrying it with you.

Physics and Honors Physics - Test this week on Chapter 1. For Physics, there will be less emphasis on significant figure rules and complex dimensional analysis than for Honors Physics. Generally, exams offer multiple-choice,completion and/or short answer questions. Sometimes, there are items specifically designed to assess your understanding of the lab experiments. Honors Physics, remember, no calculator for this first exam so remember those prefixes and their values and the basic rules for operations using values in scientific notation. Physics - we will discuss 1.3 tomorrow and tie up loose ends for the chapter. Honors Physics - tomorrow is the lab at the end of your chapter (remember to read and mentally-modify Part B) and Thursday is the review day. We will go over the Chapter Review items assigned today and discuss the lab investigation. Regardless of course or section, don't hesitate to get help before or after school if you find the need. I can't always stay after school on a moment's notice, but I can usually make time the next day.

20 minutes until the first pitch in the Sox game - just time to walk the dogs, make popcorn and settle in to watch us stomp Tampa Bay. I am sure the rain we got today was brought by the Rays - Florida is a very rainy state, you know...

Lab Stuff and Metric Conversions

Physics - very nice today! Good data and the analysis went pretty smoothly. We will discuss the lab tomorrow and remember to complete the homework questions I put on the board. Also, we will discuss 1.1, 1.2 and the Chapter Review questions tomorrow to bring us up to the end of 1.2. It would be a VERY good idea to make sure you have your calculator with you every day, as you never know when it will be needed (like tomorrow, for instance).

Physical Science - I looked over your labs and they look tight. Good job! Don't forget to complete the separate Applications/Extensions sheet for tomorrow. Now, there is some question as to whether or not there is an assembly tomorrow, so be prepared for class to go either way. You will either be at the assembly for some or all of the period or we will be discussing the lab, engaging in calculator practice activities and seeing if TS's robot can be hooked up to the motion detector. These latter items will be Wednesday's agenda if you are assembly-ing (I really don't think that is a word, but it sounds cool).

Honors Physics - lab and worksheets look nice, although a couple of people left items blank even after we went over things. Use class review time to fill in those I gaps. The one thing I did notice is that the biggest areas of problem seem to be conversions and order of magnitude. Take the time to writen out your conversion equations and make sure that all units cancel. For order of magnitude, concentration centers only on the( x 10_x) portion of values in scientific notation. Evaluate the exponent(s) and make estimates when performing calculations. If you are asked to estimate a single value by order of magnitude, think "is it in the hundreds, thousands, millions?" and choose the appropriate exponent. The current plan is to talk about 1.3 tomorrow and assign more practice with conversions and OOM. Wednesday, we will be doing the lab at the end of the chapter (albeit slightly modified - LabPro interface instead of CBL). You might start looking at that lab and thinking about how you will perform the CBL piece with our equipment. The exam (no calculators!) is currently scheduled for Thursday, but it can be moved to Friday if people are still having difficulties with these topics. I'd rather have you firm on the basics before we start moving along.

Birdies

Way back, probably during the Taft Administration, I ran with birdwatchers. Admitedly, the were actually professionals - ornithologists - but they were birdwatchers (or twitchers, as the Brits say), nonetheless. This was mostly due to boredom and the fact that the ornithology department was always looking for warm bodies to include on various outings. Long story short, I like birdies.

Today, I had my first goldfinches. This is a big deal for me, as all I've had this year at my feeders have been house sparrows. Mourning doves peck about on the ground and house sparrows monopolize the hangning feeders. Occasionally, a Great-Tailed Grackle (purple race) has made an appearance and, once, a House Finch. This is a pathetic list. I am hopeful that fall migration will bring some niceties. Of course, if I continue to lose my battle with Sqwerlio, things may be dire. He is a dirtbag and trashes my cheap, plastic feeders. Absolutely no respect for the paltry salary of a public school teacher.

I have to admit that birdwatching in the South nabs more colorful and funky birds than in the Northeast. Here are some of the faves from by twicher days:


American Avocet


Hooded Warbler


Painted Bunting


Scarlet Tanager


Roseate Spoonbill



Cedar Waxwing

Numbers 360

(a picture of me)
This week has found us working with lots of numbers - well, that's par for the course. Admitedly, with my croaking and hacking, there has not been lots of time for discussion, but that will come next week. I promise. Lab is going well so far, and I expect fully that Physics will keep up the tradition on Monday.

This lab, as you have seen, does double duty. It provides experience to familiarize you with the Vernier system and a couple of the sensors that we will use often in class. Then, it pulls the ol' brain back to interpreting graphs. We will do this A LOT in class, as line graphs are a very helpful medium to study physical interactions. The LoggerPro showed you 3 ways to evaluate the slope and y-intercept: isolating x-y pairs, using the Curve Fit function and the Linear Fit function. Each has its own value based on the situation of the problem or the model you are using for study. We will discuss this in detail next week, but we will most often use the Linear Fit button, as it saves time and is backed by statistical calculation. I talked to some groups about the "correlation" number. That tells you how well your data actually fits a linear model - how well do the points make a line. You want to be as close to 1 as possible, if you are positing that your data represents an actual linear relationship.

Physics and Honors Physics - a bit of time will be spent nailing down the SI/metric system, the relevant prefixes and the conversion between units. You need to have this pretty solid in your head, as it will waste tyime later if you have to spend brain energy on these basic concepts.You should keep the values for the prefixes micro, milli, centi, kilo and micro in your skull. These are the ones that we use most often. Later, mega, pico and nano will be important. Later, we are going to concentrate on scientific notation. Honors Physics - the Chapter 1 exam will be the only one on which you CANNOT use a calculator. The calculations will be simple mathematically - I'll be testing your use of metric prefixes, scientific notation, dimensional analysis or estimation - and a calculator really won't be necessary.

Physics - good job this week attacking problems, asking good questions and isolating areas where you need additional help. That is the best way to approach physics - aggressive and doing what it takes to rock and roll...

And What Will She Sound Like Tomorrow?

A general apology to all for the atrocious sound of my corn crake voice. Tomorrow, it will either be better or gone completely - either option will be beneficial to your ears.

Physical Science - you guys did great today! Asked good questions, didn't get flustered...nice job. Tomorrow, I want you to try and do the 2nd lab without jumping over steps in the procedure, though. I shouldn't get a "no" answer when I ask if you performed a step. Every group flubbed this a bit, so try checking off steps as your perform them. If you are doing something and the steps before it are not checked off, you are in the wrong place in the procedure. Notice today that the data table preceded the procedure. This is often the case. You fill in the data as you collect it and this is laid out in the methods.

Physics - took a look at the homework and people are all about on the same page. A few items left blank or with a "didn't understand" comment and this is ok for today, as we didn't go over things fully before you handed them in. Tomorrow, we will address the homework in more detail and make sure that I cover fully the areas that gave you particular bother. The goal is to finish off accuracy, precision, sigfigs, scientific notation and dimensional analysis before we do lab on Monday.

Honors Physics - We went through things at a bumpy pace today, so be sure to ask me to go over anything you might have missed. Take home ideas - refresh yourself with the metric system (SI units and prefixes) and the scientific method and be able to discuss the use of a model. Make sure you can differentiate between accuracy and precision. We'll finish up Chapter 1 early next week. Tomorrow, we will work on the lab the 9th graders started today. Just an introduction to the Vernier system to facilitate the remaining labs for the year. A note to follow up on the comments for the freshmen - following the directions is critical. Go stepwise and make sure you don't skip anything. The experiments, themselves, are simple. The data analysis is not as easy and this needs to be done with care. We'll get oriented as a group before I turn each lab group loose to work, so you can ask any preliminary questions that might have about the equipment or software.

<--begin rant-->
Driving home today, I got caught behind a Cadillac pickup truck. What a useless vehicle. Is the owner actually going to haul a load of mulch in that thing? I think not. Get a Cadillac and a separate beat-up truck. I don't care how rich you are, no one looks down on a venerable old truck (usually named something like Ol' Sally). What's next - a Maserati mini-van? That would be about as functional. Of course it couldn't take kids to soccer practice because that might get dirt on the seats...
<--end rant-->

Is It Summer Yet?

Ok, day one down and a good day it was. Everyone seems ready to go, so let the fun begin...

Hopefully, some of you noticed on the course website (for Physics and Honors Physics) a link to the solutions for the math-based homework items. Homework/classwork is not about writing down answers. It is about applying problem-solving skills to situations. For each chapter of work, I'll post the answer key, which has each problem worked out for you. Often, your method for solving the problems may be different than that presented online. That is not a problem. There is usually more than one correct way to solve a problem. My own solution that I write on the board may differ than yours or the answer key's. The answer keys are also available in hard copy in class. Best advice, work the problem as far to completion as you can THEN check the answer. See how they approached setting up the problem. Often, homework and classwork assignments have repetitive problems - different problems with similar methods for solution. Use what you learn with one problem to get farther on the next. Note: non-math questions are not presented and we will discuss those in class.

Physical Science - have your scientist cap strapped tightly on your head tomorrow. Approach the lab experience with confidence - you aren't alone. If something goes wrong, there is the whole lab group to blame ;-) Follow directions carefully - don't skip around or do things just because you think that is what you are supposed to do. Start with #1, then go to #2 and so on. You'll be fine if you can always answer the question "Why are you doing that?" with something other than "Dunno." I will go over things with you before turning you loose on the computers and sensors, so you will not be jumping into things without an introduction. Also, don't hesitate to ask questions during the lab if a direction seens unclear or you are not sure if you have set something up correctly.


Tonight are new episodes of Ghost Hunters and Bones- yee hah! Sons of Anarchy also starts and that looks like it might be worth a watch. My DVR will be working and that is a good thing - it is lazy and needs a good workout. Since the Sox-Orioles game starts at 1:35pm, it won't conflict with my other shows. Can't stop the signal...