Toosday

Physics and Honors Physics were both honored with a screening of Standard Deviants - Thermodynamics. The cinematic quality of this DVD is such that one wonders how the Oscar committee overlooked this gem. Regardless, the DVD was an effective vehicle to review the thermodynamics chapter, as it covered all relevant concepts and calculations. Honors Physics also got some additional review work to cement the math and theory. Here's a hint for those having trouble on the last page of the ranking exercises packet - consider the ideal gas law (PV = nRT) and how you might rewrite the equation to lose the volume variable (since it is not provided). Yes, there will be substitution...

Physical Science got to review the mathematics and concepts behind wave speed and brought this information along into the discussion of the Doppler Effect. Tomorrow, we begin to examine what happens when something steps into a wave's path of travel. The concepts of reflection, refraction, diffraction, wave interference and standing waves will be introduced and then explored in more detail in the coming sound and light chapters. For now, here's a video about the Doppler Effect: