10/30/08
Thursday
Physics was engaged in examining friction and, despite a few whining complaints about the number of trials requried for the activity, all went well and good data is being collected. We will complete the data collection tomorrow in class. Physical Science - work on those basic math and calculator skills. Seriously. Some folks really need to just buckle down with a gazillion problems and spend time working them until they get them right. As stated early in the year, the mathematical techniques used for solving the problems at this level of physics are limited in number and we have pretty much covered all of them. And, they are nothing more advanced than anything in the middle-school math frameworks. So, grab the tiger by the tail and get that math nailed down. We simply do not have time to linger over material that should already be in your personal academic toolbox. We have to get the physics down in preparation for MCAS...Honors Physics - come ready with questions tomorrow in preparation for Monday's exam. We will go over today's homework problems and can go over any additional topics that need review.
10/29/08
Quick Post
Watching The Fifth Element on On Demand HD and am only going to break away my attention for a sec or two. Physics - be prepared by reading over that lab sheet and keep in mind our discussion of today when addressing the analysis questions. Honors Physics - the air resistance lab today went well. Considering the results in general and the drag force model that best fit your data specifically, be prepared to provide a good answer to the question of why heavier objects do hit the ground first when air resistance is present during their fall. Physical Science - complete that gravity worksheet and check your answers with the key that is on the class website. Bring questions with you tomorrow. Quiz on Friday covers friction from the last chapter and material in this chapter up to gravity and free-fall. Kudos to those who are coming in after school for extra help. Being in high school means taking charge of your own learning and asking for help when needed is a very important step. Ciao for now...
10/28/08
Busy Tuesday
Physics and Honors Physics stalwartly sat through lectures on forces - weight and normal for Physics and friction for Honors Physics. Problem-solving skills are emphasized in the homework assignments. Air resistance lab for Honors Physics tomorrow to examine a variation on the friction theme and Physics will take on static and kinetic friction in lab on Thursday. Honors Physics Chapter 4 exam falls next Monday and some folks in G block will lose a review day due to Peer Mentoring. Plan ahead!
Physical Science bustled around investigating free-fall acceleration and all groups completed their work. What I gathered from circulating around was that data collection went well and groups realized that (1) the accepted value for acceleration due to gravity is not a "magic number," but can be measured in the lab and (2)acceleration due to gravity is constant acceleration - it does not change with time or speed of descent. This allows its use in kinematics equations with confidence. BTW: here's what some of you looked like at the end of the period:
Physical Science bustled around investigating free-fall acceleration and all groups completed their work. What I gathered from circulating around was that data collection went well and groups realized that (1) the accepted value for acceleration due to gravity is not a "magic number," but can be measured in the lab and (2)acceleration due to gravity is constant acceleration - it does not change with time or speed of descent. This allows its use in kinematics equations with confidence. BTW: here's what some of you looked like at the end of the period:
10/27/08
Another Week Begins
Physics did a nice job listening to me gab on about Newton's 2nd and 3rd Laws of Motion and correlate the previous few days labwork with the theory in the text. Tomorrow, we expand the idea of forces and motion into the area of specific forces - weight, normal and friction. We'll keep things fairly unidimensional, but will look over some 2-dimensional examples in class.
Physical Science started examining their first field force - gravity. Be able to work with the formula for Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation (yes, it is on the MCAS formula sheet) and understand the theory that is expressed by the formula. The lab tomorrow will examine acceleration due to gravity - make sure you have read over the lab by class time. We will discuss the homework from today on Wednesday, along with the lab, and tie together the ideas of weight and gravitational forces. Be ready for another math packet dealing with gravitational forces to be tossed at you in the near future.
Honors Physics completed the static and kinetic friction lab today. Some groups had to re-evaluate data and collect a few additional data points for the coefficient of friction piece, but things look pretty good as of now. We will discuss the lab results tomorrow and begin a discussion of frictional forces, their impact on motion and the meaning of that pesky coefficent of friction.
Physical Science started examining their first field force - gravity. Be able to work with the formula for Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation (yes, it is on the MCAS formula sheet) and understand the theory that is expressed by the formula. The lab tomorrow will examine acceleration due to gravity - make sure you have read over the lab by class time. We will discuss the homework from today on Wednesday, along with the lab, and tie together the ideas of weight and gravitational forces. Be ready for another math packet dealing with gravitational forces to be tossed at you in the near future.
Honors Physics completed the static and kinetic friction lab today. Some groups had to re-evaluate data and collect a few additional data points for the coefficient of friction piece, but things look pretty good as of now. We will discuss the lab results tomorrow and begin a discussion of frictional forces, their impact on motion and the meaning of that pesky coefficent of friction.
10/26/08
10/25/08
Pics of Saturday
A chickadee flock is moving through my neighborhood bringing chickadees, titmice and two new additions to the yard:
White-breasted Nuthatch
and Downy Woodpecker
Also, I had to build a Putt Putt boat for an online course in engineering that I am taking and it I finished it today. Tested it in the bathtub and, although ugly, it did putt around proudly:
White-breasted Nuthatch
and Downy Woodpecker
Also, I had to build a Putt Putt boat for an online course in engineering that I am taking and it I finished it today. Tested it in the bathtub and, although ugly, it did putt around proudly:
10/24/08
Friday Fun
Physical Science did a good job with the N2 worksheets - Congrats! I also appreciate your assistance with beta-testing Mrs. Allbach's new eInstruction system. I'll try and steal it from her from time to time so that we can use it for some spot checks for understanding. Starting Monday, we bring gravity into the picture. We will examine it as a force and practice using the formula Newton devised to calculate the gravitational force between any two objects. Gravity also adds a component to motion of objects on Earth. Launch something horizontally and it also starts moving downward. We will take some time to talk about this type of motion - projectile motion with this unit. Yes, darts is an example of projectile motion...
Physics completed their lab activities for Newton's laws of motion. We will discuss these labs on Monday and use them to enhance our discussion of the basic concepts and illustrate problem-solving techniques. Graphs looked good - the only thing I noticed was that some of the N2 graph slopes were not as close to the object's actual mass as they should have been. Probably some drag from the cables. The N3 graphs were especially nice!
Honors Physics - most groups completed their data collection, but a few need to tidy up some loose ends. The completion will take place on Monday, when groups will also have time to brainstorm the Analysis questions. C block had a bit of funny data for the coefficient of friction piece of the lab. Remind me to take a closer look at that information on Monday.
Physics completed their lab activities for Newton's laws of motion. We will discuss these labs on Monday and use them to enhance our discussion of the basic concepts and illustrate problem-solving techniques. Graphs looked good - the only thing I noticed was that some of the N2 graph slopes were not as close to the object's actual mass as they should have been. Probably some drag from the cables. The N3 graphs were especially nice!
Honors Physics - most groups completed their data collection, but a few need to tidy up some loose ends. The completion will take place on Monday, when groups will also have time to brainstorm the Analysis questions. C block had a bit of funny data for the coefficient of friction piece of the lab. Remind me to take a closer look at that information on Monday.
10/23/08
Lab Day
Physics and Honors Physics both toiled in lab today investigating different aspects of forces. Physics did a lab that demonstrated the force/mass/accelerations discussed by Newton's 2nd law of motion.
Honors Physics took up the study of static and kinetic friction, which will be completed in class tomorrow. Lab work for both classes will be completed tomorrow and Monday will be the day to debrief this body of work.
Physical Science beat up their calculators working problems for Newton's 2nd Law of Motion and the connections with basic motion. The answers for these problems are online and we will address any difficulties tomorrow, along with furthering our discussion of forces.
As for where I get cat pics, such as the one for yesterday....Click Here
Click here for the same thing, but with dogs...
Honors Physics took up the study of static and kinetic friction, which will be completed in class tomorrow. Lab work for both classes will be completed tomorrow and Monday will be the day to debrief this body of work.
Physical Science beat up their calculators working problems for Newton's 2nd Law of Motion and the connections with basic motion. The answers for these problems are online and we will address any difficulties tomorrow, along with furthering our discussion of forces.
As for where I get cat pics, such as the one for yesterday....Click Here
Click here for the same thing, but with dogs...
10/22/08
The Bugs Always Win
Those who had be during G-block know that I was descending into the head-on-desk-and-drooling stage of a cold, so I am home today trying to stop it from getting worse. I may or may not be able to talk tomorrow, but at least I won't be having fevered hallucinations that you are all Smurfs. Do you work, don't bother the sub and have a good day.
10/21/08
Forces, Motion and Newton
Physics folks got an earful about Newton's first law of motion and a review of free-body diagrams. Remember that the force producing an observed acceleration is the net external force - sum up those vectors! Tomorrow, you will get to preview N2 and N3 in lab and we will take up the concepts in class on Thursday. Read the lab packets tonight to get an idea of what equipment you will be using, data you will be collecting and how to make your group work efficiently.
Honors Physics - coverage today of weight and the normal force with time to work on homework after the laws of motion quiz. A nice, easy day. Admitedly, half the people weren't here due to the field trip, but that was just butter on the bread. Tomorrow, we will go over the homework while the field trip slackers take their quiz and then move on into friction. The concepts of weight, the normal force and their resolution will take on large roles as we beging to calculate frictional forces acting on objects.
Physical Science - an entry into Newtonville with an overview of the first of his 3 laws of motion. We will work more with his 2nd law of motion in class tomorrow, espeically with the math portion. For those who did not score well on the math portion of their last test, stop in before or after school tomorrow to go over those pieces. You will need those skills as we move forward through this unit and through the course.
Addendum: I am losing my voice again, so everyone be prepared to listen closely and help out neighbors with work. Laughing at me is permitted, but be prepared to dodge a flying eraser...
Honors Physics - coverage today of weight and the normal force with time to work on homework after the laws of motion quiz. A nice, easy day. Admitedly, half the people weren't here due to the field trip, but that was just butter on the bread. Tomorrow, we will go over the homework while the field trip slackers take their quiz and then move on into friction. The concepts of weight, the normal force and their resolution will take on large roles as we beging to calculate frictional forces acting on objects.
Physical Science - an entry into Newtonville with an overview of the first of his 3 laws of motion. We will work more with his 2nd law of motion in class tomorrow, espeically with the math portion. For those who did not score well on the math portion of their last test, stop in before or after school tomorrow to go over those pieces. You will need those skills as we move forward through this unit and through the course.
Addendum: I am losing my voice again, so everyone be prepared to listen closely and help out neighbors with work. Laughing at me is permitted, but be prepared to dodge a flying eraser...
10/20/08
The Force is Physics
Everyone is on forces and a wonderful thing it is to behold. Honors Physics - quiz tomorrow on free-body diagrams and Newton's Laws of Motion. Expect about 15 questions, some theory and some math. Those of you who will be on the field trip will take the quiz on Wednesday. Physics - tomorrow finds us building on today's discussion of free-body diagrams and Newton's 1st law of motion. We will work through Newton's 2nd law of motion and then, on Wednesday, conduct lab investigations on both N2 and N3. Physical Science - good job on the friction lab today. Every group completed their work and the graphs produced showed me that the data collection went well. Now, can you pull together what the data actually means? Think hard about your own personal experiences with friction and study well your graph for static vs. kinetic friction. A re-read of your class notes should provide the explanation for the fact that your static friction values were greater than your kinetic friction valuesl We will discuss the lab tomorrow and start to develop our concept of how forces impact motion. A note on the motion exam - some folks did very well and congratulations to you!!! For others - remember that mathematics is a tool to use and physics uses math as a tool to reach a goal. You have to be able to think quantitatively, to apply math to situations. It is more than plug and chug and this will take practice for some of you. For the next exam, try to improve on your math performance and get help from me to make that improvement possible.
10/17/08
Want a Halloween Project?
Build your own Cylon Pumpkin! Cool, yet easy electronics work with slick results...Click here for full instructions.
Laws of Cat Physics
Law of Cat Inertia
A cat at rest will tend to remain at rest, unless acted upon by some outside force - such as the opening of cat food, or a nearby scurrying mouse.
Law of Cat Motion
A cat will move in a straight line, unless there is a really good reason to change direction.
Law of Cat Magnetism
All blue blazers and black sweaters attract cat hair in direct proportion to the darkness of the fabric.
Law of Cat Thermodynamics
Heat flows from a warmer to a cooler body, except in the case of a cat, in which case all heat flows to the cat.
Law of Cat Stretching
A cat will stretch to a distance proportional to the length of the nap just taken.
Law of Cat Sleeping
All cats must sleep with people whenever possible, in a position as uncomfortable for the people involved as is possible for the cat.
Law of Cat Elongation
A cat can make her body long enough to reach just about any counter top that has anything remotely interesting on it.
Law of Cat Acceleration
A cat will accelerate at a constant rate, until he gets good and ready to stop.
Law of Dinner Table Attendance
Cats must attend all meals when anything good is served.
Law of Rug Configuration
No rug may remain in its naturally flat state for very long.
Law of Obedience Resistance
A cat's resistance varies in proportion to a human's desire for her to do something.
First Law of Energy Conservation
Cats know that energy can neither be created nor destroyed and will, therefore, use as little energy as possible.
Second Law of Energy Conservation
Cats also know that energy can only be stored by a lot of napping.
Law of Refrigerator Observation
If a cat watches a refrigerator long enough, someone will come along and take out something good to eat.
Law of Electric Blanket Attraction
Turn on an electric blanket and a cat will jump into bed at the speed of light.
Law of Random Comfort Seeking
A cat will always seek, and usually take over, the most comfortable spot in any given room.
Law of Bag / Box Occupancy
All bags and boxes in a given room must contain a cat within the earliest possible nanosecond.
Law of Cat Embarrassment
A cat's irritation rises in direct proportion to her embarrassment times the amount of human laughter.
Law of Milk Consumption
A cat will drink his weight in milk, squared, just to show you he can.
Law of Furniture Replacement
A cat's desire to scratch furniture is directly proportional to the cost of the furniture.
Law of Cat Landing
A cat will always land in the softest place possible.
Law of Fluid Displacement
A cat immersed in milk will displace her own volume, minus the amount of milk consumed.
Law of Cat Disinterest
A cat's interest level will vary in inverse proportion to the amount of effort a human expends in trying to interest him.
Law of Pill Rejection
Any pill given to a cat has the potential energy to reach escape velocity.
Law of Cat Composition
A cat is composed of “Matter” plus “Anti-Matter” plus “It Doesn't Matter”.
A cat at rest will tend to remain at rest, unless acted upon by some outside force - such as the opening of cat food, or a nearby scurrying mouse.
Law of Cat Motion
A cat will move in a straight line, unless there is a really good reason to change direction.
Law of Cat Magnetism
All blue blazers and black sweaters attract cat hair in direct proportion to the darkness of the fabric.
Law of Cat Thermodynamics
Heat flows from a warmer to a cooler body, except in the case of a cat, in which case all heat flows to the cat.
Law of Cat Stretching
A cat will stretch to a distance proportional to the length of the nap just taken.
Law of Cat Sleeping
All cats must sleep with people whenever possible, in a position as uncomfortable for the people involved as is possible for the cat.
Law of Cat Elongation
A cat can make her body long enough to reach just about any counter top that has anything remotely interesting on it.
Law of Cat Acceleration
A cat will accelerate at a constant rate, until he gets good and ready to stop.
Law of Dinner Table Attendance
Cats must attend all meals when anything good is served.
Law of Rug Configuration
No rug may remain in its naturally flat state for very long.
Law of Obedience Resistance
A cat's resistance varies in proportion to a human's desire for her to do something.
First Law of Energy Conservation
Cats know that energy can neither be created nor destroyed and will, therefore, use as little energy as possible.
Second Law of Energy Conservation
Cats also know that energy can only be stored by a lot of napping.
Law of Refrigerator Observation
If a cat watches a refrigerator long enough, someone will come along and take out something good to eat.
Law of Electric Blanket Attraction
Turn on an electric blanket and a cat will jump into bed at the speed of light.
Law of Random Comfort Seeking
A cat will always seek, and usually take over, the most comfortable spot in any given room.
Law of Bag / Box Occupancy
All bags and boxes in a given room must contain a cat within the earliest possible nanosecond.
Law of Cat Embarrassment
A cat's irritation rises in direct proportion to her embarrassment times the amount of human laughter.
Law of Milk Consumption
A cat will drink his weight in milk, squared, just to show you he can.
Law of Furniture Replacement
A cat's desire to scratch furniture is directly proportional to the cost of the furniture.
Law of Cat Landing
A cat will always land in the softest place possible.
Law of Fluid Displacement
A cat immersed in milk will displace her own volume, minus the amount of milk consumed.
Law of Cat Disinterest
A cat's interest level will vary in inverse proportion to the amount of effort a human expends in trying to interest him.
Law of Pill Rejection
Any pill given to a cat has the potential energy to reach escape velocity.
Law of Cat Composition
A cat is composed of “Matter” plus “Anti-Matter” plus “It Doesn't Matter”.
Friday, Friday
...so good to me (or is that Monday, Monday?) Bungee jumping in Physics, tug of war in Honors Physics and the fun of friction in Physical Science. The bungee lab did a good job of demonstrating the changes in acceleration produced by forces. Free-fall with a slack elastic and an abrupt acceleration when the elastic applied its force on to the jumper. Very nice graphs and no bungee jumpers were harmed in the experiment. Newton's 3rd law of motion was so well demonstrated in Honors Physics lab that the graphs could have been framed. Perfect mirror images for the action/reaction forces regardless of whether they were applied through an elastic or non-elastic cord. Those who got to do the extension saw that the graph patterns could not have been produced by any action by a lab partner. Inanimate objects also produce forces and follow Newton's laws. Physical Science got a yap-fest about balanced/unbalanced forces and the specific force of friction. We are going to explore these concepts in Monday's lab and then launch into a more in-depth examination of the effects of forces on motion.
10/16/08
What a Day...
so much to do...Honors Physics did a bang-up job for the N2 lab. The force/acceleration graphs well presented the data and the slope values were quite close to the actual masses of the carts + sensors. Tomorrow's lab extends the idea of forces with a examination of action/reaction pairs. Read over the lab tonight and look over the extensions. Between tomorrow and Monday we will do the lab and a couple of the extensions, as well.
Physics - test scores varied, but averaged in the "C" range, which is nothing to sneeze at. For folks with particularly low scores, we can take some time go over things again and work on increasing your marks.
Physical Science - people, people, people...remember that part of the examination experience is the time factor. Work efficiently and study sufficiently that you are not having to ruminate over every item. Next time - when the bell rings, the test is OVER. Period. Tomorrow, we will begin our examination of forces, which will allow you to investigate how acceleration is actually promoted in objects. You will not be able to leave behind the concepts of motion - they are an integral part of this unit and more to follow, so sharpen your skills to the finest.
Physics - test scores varied, but averaged in the "C" range, which is nothing to sneeze at. For folks with particularly low scores, we can take some time go over things again and work on increasing your marks.
Physical Science - people, people, people...remember that part of the examination experience is the time factor. Work efficiently and study sufficiently that you are not having to ruminate over every item. Next time - when the bell rings, the test is OVER. Period. Tomorrow, we will begin our examination of forces, which will allow you to investigate how acceleration is actually promoted in objects. You will not be able to leave behind the concepts of motion - they are an integral part of this unit and more to follow, so sharpen your skills to the finest.
10/15/08
Days of Review
With two exams tomorrow, 4 classes were engaged in review. Physical Science did a very good job asking questions and focusing in on areas in which they had difficulty. Physics, same good job so I am expecting fine performances on the tests.
Honors Physics - Newton's Laws get intense lab treatment over the next two days with N2 being investigated tomorrow and N3 following on Friday. As for N2, folks seemed to do well with the homework problems, with the exception of #24 of the Chapter Review. That one is a bit sneaky. I will wager that most of you are forgetting a force in your free-body diagrams and that is why your answers are much larger than the actual values. Hint: think about what would happen to the cart if the rope snapped and why. Now, quantifying that bit is a tad tricky, but it definitely can be done with the skills you currently possess. Later on, the technique will actually become old hat...
Honors Physics - Newton's Laws get intense lab treatment over the next two days with N2 being investigated tomorrow and N3 following on Friday. As for N2, folks seemed to do well with the homework problems, with the exception of #24 of the Chapter Review. That one is a bit sneaky. I will wager that most of you are forgetting a force in your free-body diagrams and that is why your answers are much larger than the actual values. Hint: think about what would happen to the cart if the rope snapped and why. Now, quantifying that bit is a tad tricky, but it definitely can be done with the skills you currently possess. Later on, the technique will actually become old hat...
10/14/08
Late Post
but TV's good, so what the heck...
Honors Physics - equilibrium went well, so bully for you! The concept of net external force will haunt you throughout the year, so don't let the plain ol' "F" in a formula fool you into thinking that it means anything less than the vector sum of all forces acting in a situation. We've drawn free-body diagrams, used net force to establish conditions for equilibrium and today used net force to determine acceleration of an object. Tomorrow, the conclusion of Newton's 2nd law of motion and a discussion/demonstration of Newton's 3rd law of motion. Thursday, a lab examining Newton's 2nd law of motion from both the force and acceleration point of view using the Vernier system. Friday - a laws of motion quiz? The magic 8-ball says "possibly..."
Physics - the walk through of a projectile launched at an angle went well. Good analysis of the situation. Tomorrow, we will discuss the Chapter 3 review sheet and address any questions you have to prepare you for Thursday's exam.
Physical Science - kinematics equations require practice and make sure you use the formulas that I tell you to use. There is a reason that you are practicing with the MCAS formula sheet - THE MCAS EXAM! Work the problems again if you had difficulty and I can dig up more problems if you find the need. Tomorrow, you will get practice working with the concept of uniform circular motion and some review work in preparation for for Thursday's exam. Bring along any questions that you might have for motion. Then, its on to forces!
Honors Physics - equilibrium went well, so bully for you! The concept of net external force will haunt you throughout the year, so don't let the plain ol' "F" in a formula fool you into thinking that it means anything less than the vector sum of all forces acting in a situation. We've drawn free-body diagrams, used net force to establish conditions for equilibrium and today used net force to determine acceleration of an object. Tomorrow, the conclusion of Newton's 2nd law of motion and a discussion/demonstration of Newton's 3rd law of motion. Thursday, a lab examining Newton's 2nd law of motion from both the force and acceleration point of view using the Vernier system. Friday - a laws of motion quiz? The magic 8-ball says "possibly..."
Physics - the walk through of a projectile launched at an angle went well. Good analysis of the situation. Tomorrow, we will discuss the Chapter 3 review sheet and address any questions you have to prepare you for Thursday's exam.
Physical Science - kinematics equations require practice and make sure you use the formulas that I tell you to use. There is a reason that you are practicing with the MCAS formula sheet - THE MCAS EXAM! Work the problems again if you had difficulty and I can dig up more problems if you find the need. Tomorrow, you will get practice working with the concept of uniform circular motion and some review work in preparation for for Thursday's exam. Bring along any questions that you might have for motion. Then, its on to forces!
10/9/08
Just a Short Note
...so as not to disrupt the 4-day weekend you guys get to enjoy. Physical Science students - make sure to finish up any pieces of your lab and complete the kinematics problems using your MCAS formula sheet. The answers are on the website for you to check your work. Looking towards next Thursday for your Motion test. Physics - try not to soak your entire family doing the garden-hose activity. Have information and explanation pulled together so that we can discuss things on Tuesday. Your exam is scheduled for next Wednesday. Honors Physics - The solutions to the Chapter 4 worksheets are online so that you can check your work. Remember - you are still using the techniques for vector operations that you learned last chapter. There isn't really anything new - you are just applying them to forces. Have a good weekend!
10/8/08
Kinematics Formulas
Honors Physics - my oh my...what am I going to do with you? One of the main concepts for 2-dimensional motion is that each component can be analyzed independently and that the basic kinematics formulas apply. Also, there are no separate formulas for projectile motion - remember the formulas on your lab sheet? Same ol' ones we worked with last chapter and over and over and over and over again this chapter. When working problems on the board, all I've used is that same formulas set ad nauseum. So, if you were perplexed by the formula sheet (despite the fact that I said yesterday IN CLASS that the formula sheet you would get would be the one from the last chapter since those were the only ones you need), you need to go back and re-examine the basic idea of 2-dimensional analyses.
Physics - Good job today with horizontal projectiles. Tomorrow, we will work some additional problems and get more practice with vectors, if needed. The Chapter 3 exam is scheduled for next Wednesday, so we will wrap up all loose ends by Tuesday (remember that we lose Friday and Monday).
Physical Science - Lab data today from today looked good for those groups who were starting to graph out theirs. Tomorrow, data collection and analysis will be completed. I am looking towards next Thursday as the day for the motion exam. Forces, also included in Chapter 10 will not be part of this exam and will be addressed as a separate topic after the exam.
Physics - Good job today with horizontal projectiles. Tomorrow, we will work some additional problems and get more practice with vectors, if needed. The Chapter 3 exam is scheduled for next Wednesday, so we will wrap up all loose ends by Tuesday (remember that we lose Friday and Monday).
Physical Science - Lab data today from today looked good for those groups who were starting to graph out theirs. Tomorrow, data collection and analysis will be completed. I am looking towards next Thursday as the day for the motion exam. Forces, also included in Chapter 10 will not be part of this exam and will be addressed as a separate topic after the exam.
10/7/08
Hitting the Target
Physics folks outdid themselves in lab today. Precise measurements and calculations led to hitting of some tiny targets. Tomorrow, we will discuss the theory behind horizontal projectiles and get some more practice with the mathematics involved.
Honors Physics - predict a bit of everything on the exam tomorrow. I think the tally is 20 questions (Hah! Now, that's funny) and you'll get the formula sheet that has the kinematics formulas on it. Since those are the only ones you really need, that will suffice. I'll also toss in good ol' SOHCAHTOA on the board or something if you blank on those relationships. Don't forget to have 3E, 3F, 3.4 Section Review and the Chapter Review questions ready to hand in when you get to class.
Physical Science - Looked over the homework sheets and many people did well. A few could use more practice, and you can get more problems from me for extra work. Tomorrow, we will investigate acceleration down and inclined plane and how this acceleration can be influenced by angle. Hint: practice with the stopwatch before you begin taking data. They always give people difficulties when you first start to use them. Once you get the hang of how sensitive are the buttons, things will go smoothly.
Honors Physics - predict a bit of everything on the exam tomorrow. I think the tally is 20 questions (Hah! Now, that's funny) and you'll get the formula sheet that has the kinematics formulas on it. Since those are the only ones you really need, that will suffice. I'll also toss in good ol' SOHCAHTOA on the board or something if you blank on those relationships. Don't forget to have 3E, 3F, 3.4 Section Review and the Chapter Review questions ready to hand in when you get to class.
Physical Science - Looked over the homework sheets and many people did well. A few could use more practice, and you can get more problems from me for extra work. Tomorrow, we will investigate acceleration down and inclined plane and how this acceleration can be influenced by angle. Hint: practice with the stopwatch before you begin taking data. They always give people difficulties when you first start to use them. Once you get the hang of how sensitive are the buttons, things will go smoothly.
10/5/08
You're on Your Own
I won't be in tomorrow, so you guys (1)listen to the substitute (2)do your work (3)leave the room in the condition you found it. Honors Physics - yes, the exam is still on Wednesday. See you Tuesday!
10/3/08
Friday's Findings
Physical Science had a lot of information thrown at them today. A review of vectors and then an overview of acceleration. Work well on the homework worksheets and we will go over them on Monday, when you will get problems dealing with the more complex formulas that you saw on the MCAS formulas sheet. Watch out for unit conversion issues on those worksheets and remember to report values with the proper unit and direction (if applicable). We will spend a good bit of time examining graphical and mathematical techniques to analyze and describe motion, so hold on to your hats!
Physics - Quiz scores varied, but work with projectiles will allow you to further practice those vector skills.
Honors Physics - take time and work hard on the additional projectile problems. We will go over them on Monday and engage in a discussion of relative motion. The exam is still scheduled for Wednesday.
Have a great weekend!
Physics - Quiz scores varied, but work with projectiles will allow you to further practice those vector skills.
Honors Physics - take time and work hard on the additional projectile problems. We will go over them on Monday and engage in a discussion of relative motion. The exam is still scheduled for Wednesday.
Have a great weekend!
10/2/08
Vampire Vectors
Some of you in Physics left class looking like your blood had been drained by an unholy being. Yep, vectors can do that to you...Regardless, folks made a lot of progress with skills for drawing appropriate vector diagrams, understanding coordinate systems and vector combination. Tomorrow's quiz will be a few questions concerning the nature of vectors, basic vector addition, vector resolution and coping with non-perpendicular vectors. I think that there are 7 questions on the quiz (don't quote me, though, as I wrote it yesterday) and none will have 11 different vectors to work with (like today's activity).
Honors Physics folks also looked exsanguinated and, again, this was not a surprise. Projectiles launched at an angle make for tough analysis. The infuriating thing is that the math is not really hard and the basic concepts are not hard. But, putting it all together takes very sharp problem-solving skills and a good measure of creativity. Being willing to take a risk and start over if necessary is also a big help. The two problems that were assigned today are not simple, but they are fun, if you appreciate a challenge. We will discuss them tomorrow and perhaps allow some time for group brainstorming.
Physical Science - You guys got your feet wet in the Great Vector Ocean today and seemed to take to them fairly well. We will discuss today's worksheet in class tomorrow before embarking on a discussion of aceceleration (which is also a vector). There will be a good number of practice problems for acceleration and velocity to work on in class tomorrow, so have calculators at hand. Note: class average for the Mathematcs exam was 81.6%, which is quite respectable. Good job!
Honors Physics folks also looked exsanguinated and, again, this was not a surprise. Projectiles launched at an angle make for tough analysis. The infuriating thing is that the math is not really hard and the basic concepts are not hard. But, putting it all together takes very sharp problem-solving skills and a good measure of creativity. Being willing to take a risk and start over if necessary is also a big help. The two problems that were assigned today are not simple, but they are fun, if you appreciate a challenge. We will discuss them tomorrow and perhaps allow some time for group brainstorming.
Physical Science - You guys got your feet wet in the Great Vector Ocean today and seemed to take to them fairly well. We will discuss today's worksheet in class tomorrow before embarking on a discussion of aceceleration (which is also a vector). There will be a good number of practice problems for acceleration and velocity to work on in class tomorrow, so have calculators at hand. Note: class average for the Mathematcs exam was 81.6%, which is quite respectable. Good job!
10/1/08
Tru Dat...
more music charts
Beyond this piece of wisdom, not much to add for today. Physics did a great job working with vectors - the challenge comes tomorrow! Physical Science - most students stayed awake during lecture, so I'll count that as a win. Have calculators tomorrow as we work problems concerning motion and the rate of motion. Honors Physics - Some very good shots today that nearly hit the target. Two groups per class missed the target by a mile, but strangely (1) had similar values for initial velocity and (2) sat at the same lab stations. Could be technical difficulties - I will investigate tomorrow. Be ready for 3E discussion tomorrow and for more practice with projectile motion. Gotta go...Ghost Hunters, House and Bones all on simultaneously. My sore remote control finger makes typing tough...
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