Motion and Energy

Physical Science continued examining the concept of energy. Today, the discussion centered around conservation of energy and energy transformation. Tomorrow's lab will allow students to follow the energy conversions associated with a ball tossed in the air and the total energy of the ball will be tracked. The patterns we discussed in class today should (hopefully!) be evident in the lab investigation. As you watch the ball tomorrow, consider the variables associated with GPE and KE that are changing with time: height and velocity. Consider how those changes affect each energy type by reflecting on their respective formula. Honors Physics reviewed the homework problems for Newton's 2nd law for rotation, angular momentum and its conservation and conservation of energy for a rotating object. For momentum and energy conservation, the expressions often seem labyrinthine at first, but, as we saw in class, they quickly simplify to much cleaner equations. Currently, the exam is still slated for Friday, but depending on whether tomorrow is a snow day and how long our discussion of simple machines lasts, the test could be pushed back until Monday. Don't count your chickens before they hatch though! Physics worked on a lab that explored the relationship between torque and balance. Force is not the only player in balance; torque is the value that counts. A beam can support different weights on each side and still balance, as long as the weights are positioned to give equal and opposite torques. Tomorrow, some groups need a little time to complete their data collection and other groups will have time to complete their calculations.

Here's a good video that walks you through the concept of angular momentum and the influence of angular impulse on angular momentum:



Here is a fun video that illustrates how changing rotational radius affects angular speed because of angular momentum conservation: