Honors Physics endured one of the most debilitating experiences in the course - the Chapter 3 exam. I have no idea why this exam torments people so much, but every year, students leave the room with a despondent look in their eye and a dirge rhythm to their step. Make sure that if you didn't come back after school to complete your exam that you do so before school tomorrow. We'll talk about things on Friday and include possibilities for assisting people whose grades need it. Tomorrow, two lab investigations, both centering around forces and Newton's 2nd Law of Motion. Acceleration of an object is directly proportional to net force and inversely proportional to the object's mass. If you read ahead in the book, you have a good theoretical basis off of which to evaluate your lab results.
Physical Science B conducted two investigations that targeted motion. The first examined the impact of air resistance on the motion of an object in free-fall. The book definitely showed accelerated motion, but the coffee filter demonstrated constant velocity. Consider the phrase "terminal velocity" when you go to write up the lab synopsis. The second investigation looked at launch distance (time of travel) and velocity. In a system with constant acceleration, like a cart rolling down a ramp, the longer the time interval, the greater the final velocity. Don't worry about working on the lab write up tonight - use your time to study for tomorrow's exam. We'll talk about the lab on Friday and you will have the weekend to complete the work.
Physical Science E went over their motion review sheet and addressed general questions about our motion unit. Questions from previous MCAS exams were distributed and we will take time on Friday to look those over to get an idea about how the MCAS approaches the concept of motion. Study for your exam tonight and consider what you might do to improve your performance over the last exam.
Physics F and G reviewed for tomorrow's exam and took a little time to touch on a review of relative motion. Our walk-through of the chapter highlighted what you should know for the exam, so I hope that you did a good job taking notes during the review. Friday, we begin our study of forces with Physics G conducting two lab investigations on Newton's 2nd Law of Motion and Physics F beginning their discussion of forces.
Homework
Honors Physics: Read lab protocol sheet. 4.1 Section Review and Practice 4A for Friday.
Physical Science B and F: Study for exam
Physics F and G: Study for exam
9/30/09
9/29/09
Day 5 C Block
Day 5 of the schedule is my least favorite day of the rotation. C Block is long and I am assigned to hall/bathroom duty. 90 minutes sitting in front of the bathrooms checking passes. The joy is describable...
Honors Physics went over their relative motion homework and engaged in a general review of the chapter in preparation for tomorrow's exam. If you are wondering what will be on the test exactly, consider that the exam block is only 41 minutes and I like to assess your understanding of the material as a whole. You can probably assume that any single problem that takes 20 minutes to work through will not be on the test. The lab on Thursday will lead us into our examination of forces. Remember to have the work for Friday completed and ready to go. You might also want to read through 4.3 in your books in preparation for your lab investigations.
Physical Science B reviewed their homework and worked out any bugs with their understanding of the Motion material. We also took time to to look over motion questions from the previous MCAS exams. Math, graphing and basic understanding of concepts...nothing surprising, but they do require thorough and accurate knowledge. The lab activities tomorrow will emphasize the basics of motion and also of the action of friction on objects in motion. Exam on Thursday and a review of the lab, MCAS items and a start to forces on Friday.
Physical Science E went over their Motion and Forces worksheet and began working on a review sheet for motion concepts. We will go over this sheet tomorrow, as part of the review for Thursday's exam (remember to omit #9 and 10). I will give you some practice MCAS exam questions tomorrow that will also help to review for the chapter exam.
Physics F and G completed their projectile motion. We ran through the homework problems and the normal problems that folks encounter with these showed up today, as well. So, if the homework gave you some trouble, do not be discouraged. These problems do take some practice and discussion before the technique for their solution sinks in. We completed, also, our discussion of relative motion and will use tomorrow as review time for Thursday's exam.
Homework
Honors Physics: Study for exam
Physical Science B: Read lab protocol sheet and complete Motion and Forces worksheet
Physical Science E: Complete motion review sheet
Physics F: 3.3 Section Review
Physics G: None
Honors Physics went over their relative motion homework and engaged in a general review of the chapter in preparation for tomorrow's exam. If you are wondering what will be on the test exactly, consider that the exam block is only 41 minutes and I like to assess your understanding of the material as a whole. You can probably assume that any single problem that takes 20 minutes to work through will not be on the test. The lab on Thursday will lead us into our examination of forces. Remember to have the work for Friday completed and ready to go. You might also want to read through 4.3 in your books in preparation for your lab investigations.
Physical Science B reviewed their homework and worked out any bugs with their understanding of the Motion material. We also took time to to look over motion questions from the previous MCAS exams. Math, graphing and basic understanding of concepts...nothing surprising, but they do require thorough and accurate knowledge. The lab activities tomorrow will emphasize the basics of motion and also of the action of friction on objects in motion. Exam on Thursday and a review of the lab, MCAS items and a start to forces on Friday.
Physical Science E went over their Motion and Forces worksheet and began working on a review sheet for motion concepts. We will go over this sheet tomorrow, as part of the review for Thursday's exam (remember to omit #9 and 10). I will give you some practice MCAS exam questions tomorrow that will also help to review for the chapter exam.
Physics F and G completed their projectile motion. We ran through the homework problems and the normal problems that folks encounter with these showed up today, as well. So, if the homework gave you some trouble, do not be discouraged. These problems do take some practice and discussion before the technique for their solution sinks in. We completed, also, our discussion of relative motion and will use tomorrow as review time for Thursday's exam.
Homework
Honors Physics: Study for exam
Physical Science B: Read lab protocol sheet and complete Motion and Forces worksheet
Physical Science E: Complete motion review sheet
Physics F: 3.3 Section Review
Physics G: None
9/28/09
Moving Through Motion
A busy start to the week – and nice weather to boot!
Honors Physics went over their projectile motion worksheet. A few folks were given the wrong sheet on Friday. If you notice that, say when you are checking the answers online, email me and I can send you the right one electronically. We also chatted about relative motion and how it can affect our perceptions of and calculations for a situation. We will go over the homework tomorrow and any other items in the chapter you wish in preparation for Wednesday’s exam.
Physical Science B reviewed Chapter 10 and began to work on a study guide for Thursday’s exam. We will look at how the MCAS approaches motion tomorrow and use questions from old MCAS exams as part of our exam review.
Physical Science E contrasted balanced and unbalanced forces and spent extra time discussing friction. You should be able to define and contrast static and kinetic friction, as well as the flavors of kinetic friction : sliding, rolling and fluid. We will go over your worksheet tomorrow and begin working on a study guide for Thursday’s test.
Physics F and G completed their projectile motion lecture and had time to work on practice problems for horizontal projectile motion. Think about how you approached your calculations in the last lab when working on this problem set. We’ll go over these tomorrow and conduct a discussion of relative motion. Wednesday will be exam day, so start preparing questions!
Homework
Honors Physics: Practice 3F and 3.4 Section Review
Physical Science B: Complete Motion Review worksheet
Physical Science E: Complete Motion and Forces worksheet
Physics F and G: Complete Practice 3D, 3E #3 only and #'s 34 and 37 of the Chapter Review
Honors Physics went over their projectile motion worksheet. A few folks were given the wrong sheet on Friday. If you notice that, say when you are checking the answers online, email me and I can send you the right one electronically. We also chatted about relative motion and how it can affect our perceptions of and calculations for a situation. We will go over the homework tomorrow and any other items in the chapter you wish in preparation for Wednesday’s exam.
Physical Science B reviewed Chapter 10 and began to work on a study guide for Thursday’s exam. We will look at how the MCAS approaches motion tomorrow and use questions from old MCAS exams as part of our exam review.
Physical Science E contrasted balanced and unbalanced forces and spent extra time discussing friction. You should be able to define and contrast static and kinetic friction, as well as the flavors of kinetic friction : sliding, rolling and fluid. We will go over your worksheet tomorrow and begin working on a study guide for Thursday’s test.
Physics F and G completed their projectile motion lecture and had time to work on practice problems for horizontal projectile motion. Think about how you approached your calculations in the last lab when working on this problem set. We’ll go over these tomorrow and conduct a discussion of relative motion. Wednesday will be exam day, so start preparing questions!
Homework
Honors Physics: Practice 3F and 3.4 Section Review
Physical Science B: Complete Motion Review worksheet
Physical Science E: Complete Motion and Forces worksheet
Physics F and G: Complete Practice 3D, 3E #3 only and #'s 34 and 37 of the Chapter Review
9/27/09
Movies
Two movies can make me stop in my tracks and watch them through to the end - Apollo 13 and The Wizard of Oz. The latter is on right now...
When I was growing up, The Wizard of Oz was shown once a year and it was a major event. Kids kept their eyes peeled when reading the TV Guide for its listing and passed the word around in school to any who had missed the notification. Often, we gathered in groups to watch the film - large bowls of popcorn and glasses of soda littering some poor parent's living room. We would sing along with the songs, argue over who was the best traveling companion for Dorothy (I was a Scarecrow proponent, myself) and boo enthusiastically with every showing of poor Margaret Hamilton, as the Wicked Witch of the West.
Television was still something of a big deal back then. Other shows that made one appearance a year were It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Christmas, A Year Without a Santa Claus, The Little Drummer Boy, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman. This was long before videotapes or DVD's, so each showing was something special. Today, I have them all on DVD, but, oddly, I don't watch them. I wait until they show up on television, pop some popcorn, grab the dogs and transport myself back 40 years for an evening...
Here's hoping you are having a good time tonight, too.
When I was growing up, The Wizard of Oz was shown once a year and it was a major event. Kids kept their eyes peeled when reading the TV Guide for its listing and passed the word around in school to any who had missed the notification. Often, we gathered in groups to watch the film - large bowls of popcorn and glasses of soda littering some poor parent's living room. We would sing along with the songs, argue over who was the best traveling companion for Dorothy (I was a Scarecrow proponent, myself) and boo enthusiastically with every showing of poor Margaret Hamilton, as the Wicked Witch of the West.
Television was still something of a big deal back then. Other shows that made one appearance a year were It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Christmas, A Year Without a Santa Claus, The Little Drummer Boy, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman. This was long before videotapes or DVD's, so each showing was something special. Today, I have them all on DVD, but, oddly, I don't watch them. I wait until they show up on television, pop some popcorn, grab the dogs and transport myself back 40 years for an evening...
Here's hoping you are having a good time tonight, too.
9/25/09
Friday is a Fine Day
Friday comes at last…
Honors Physics continued their practice with projectile motion problems by working with a situation that we’ve not encountered – what happens when you have to determine launch angle? Using the skills we’ve already developed for solving projectile motion problems, this set adds a new skill and a new challenge. Folks appeared to be catching on pretty well and had worked through the first couple successfully. We will go over the problems on Monday and I will post the solutions key on the course website. The vote was for the exam to be on Wednesday, so Wednesday it is. We’ll do a full review on Tuesday, so make sure to have your questions prepared.
Physical Science B completed their discussion of friction and its types. People had a lot of good questions about friction and its effects on motion and good answers for the section review questions. The next chapter allows us to delve more deeply into forces and we’ll meet up with friction again…
Physical Science E conducted two lab investigations today – one centered around the effect of air resistance on the motion of objects and the other on frictional forces. Objects are impacted by multiple forces all the time – we have to figure out what is the net force to determine what happens to the object’s motion. In the case of air resistance and friction – they act in directions opposite that of the object’s motion. We have an applied force, that is generally considered to be positive, and a resistive force that is considered negative. The net force on the object is the sum of the two, usually meaning that the acceleration of the object will be reduced from what we would calculate using the applied force alone. Sometimes the applied force isn’t even enough to get the object started! Not until it overcomes the static friction will the object begin to move, which explains why you can push or pull on an object and it stays at rest until you give it a harder tug. We’ll discuss the lab on Monday and go into more detail about frictional forces.
Physics F discussed yesterday’s lab and put the lab into context with what we have been discussing about vectors. We then used the lab to springboard the discussion of projectile motion. We’ll concentrate mostly on horizontal projectiles, but will take a little time for an overview of projectiles launched at an angle. Physics G also started in on this discussion today, after reviewing Practice 3B. Physics F has until Wednesday to give me test corrections and Physics G has until Tuesday. If you choose to do them, don’t wait until the last minute and make sure to utilize all the resources that you have available to you.
Homework
Honors Physics: Projectiles worksheet
Physical Science B: None
Physical Science E: Complete lab write up
Physics F and G: None
Honors Physics continued their practice with projectile motion problems by working with a situation that we’ve not encountered – what happens when you have to determine launch angle? Using the skills we’ve already developed for solving projectile motion problems, this set adds a new skill and a new challenge. Folks appeared to be catching on pretty well and had worked through the first couple successfully. We will go over the problems on Monday and I will post the solutions key on the course website. The vote was for the exam to be on Wednesday, so Wednesday it is. We’ll do a full review on Tuesday, so make sure to have your questions prepared.
Physical Science B completed their discussion of friction and its types. People had a lot of good questions about friction and its effects on motion and good answers for the section review questions. The next chapter allows us to delve more deeply into forces and we’ll meet up with friction again…
Physical Science E conducted two lab investigations today – one centered around the effect of air resistance on the motion of objects and the other on frictional forces. Objects are impacted by multiple forces all the time – we have to figure out what is the net force to determine what happens to the object’s motion. In the case of air resistance and friction – they act in directions opposite that of the object’s motion. We have an applied force, that is generally considered to be positive, and a resistive force that is considered negative. The net force on the object is the sum of the two, usually meaning that the acceleration of the object will be reduced from what we would calculate using the applied force alone. Sometimes the applied force isn’t even enough to get the object started! Not until it overcomes the static friction will the object begin to move, which explains why you can push or pull on an object and it stays at rest until you give it a harder tug. We’ll discuss the lab on Monday and go into more detail about frictional forces.
Physics F discussed yesterday’s lab and put the lab into context with what we have been discussing about vectors. We then used the lab to springboard the discussion of projectile motion. We’ll concentrate mostly on horizontal projectiles, but will take a little time for an overview of projectiles launched at an angle. Physics G also started in on this discussion today, after reviewing Practice 3B. Physics F has until Wednesday to give me test corrections and Physics G has until Tuesday. If you choose to do them, don’t wait until the last minute and make sure to utilize all the resources that you have available to you.
Homework
Honors Physics: Projectiles worksheet
Physical Science B: None
Physical Science E: Complete lab write up
Physics F and G: None
9/24/09
Projectiles a'Flyin'
Physics F conducted their horizontal projectile lab with, like G block, very good results. By measuring table height (Δy), time could be calculated and used to determine horizontal displacement (Δx). The photogates were very precise delivering initial velocity values and groups were able to predict with admirable accuracy the impact point of their ball bearing. For the extension, graphing launch velocity versus launch position would allow you to set the launch point to hit any target. We will discuss the lab in more detail tomorrow and use this to lead us further into our discussion of projectile motion.
Physics G went over their labs and had good ideas about what real-world situations qualify as horizontal projectiles. We had time to go over Practice 3A and will work on Practice 3B tomorrow. Remember to have your tests corrected by Tuesday if you are opt to improve your score. Full, worked out/explained answers are required and you may use any and all resources to assist you (even me).
We took time in Honors Physics to go over the Chapter Review problems and will continue to do so tomorrow. As folks seem like they could use a bit more practice with these, I'll have some additional problems to work on tomorrow. As for the exam, we will finish up the material early next week and the test could be Wednesday or Friday (Thursday is lab day). If you opt for Friday, we will start Chapter 4 on Wednesday. Think about this tonight and be ready to vote tomorrow.
Physical Science B was introduced to the nature of forces today and began to discuss a specific force - friction. We will cover forces in depth in the next chapter, but this chapter tosses forces into the mix to answer a question many people ask - What causes acceleration? We will review the basic concept of forces tomorrow and go into more depth about friction, specifically. Physical Science E discussed circular motion and the acceleration and force that are responsible for circular motion - centripetal acceleration and centripetal force. We will mention these again when we talk about gravity and orbits. Tomorrow, your lab will let you investigate air resistance and sliding friction and how they impact the motion of objects. Read over the lab sheet tonight so that you are ready for the procedure tomorrow.
Homework
Honors Physics: Look over Chapter Review problems and work on making corrections
Physical Science B: None
Physical Science E: Read lab protocol
Physics F: Complete lab write up
Physics G: Begin working on test corrections (if desired)
Physics G went over their labs and had good ideas about what real-world situations qualify as horizontal projectiles. We had time to go over Practice 3A and will work on Practice 3B tomorrow. Remember to have your tests corrected by Tuesday if you are opt to improve your score. Full, worked out/explained answers are required and you may use any and all resources to assist you (even me).
We took time in Honors Physics to go over the Chapter Review problems and will continue to do so tomorrow. As folks seem like they could use a bit more practice with these, I'll have some additional problems to work on tomorrow. As for the exam, we will finish up the material early next week and the test could be Wednesday or Friday (Thursday is lab day). If you opt for Friday, we will start Chapter 4 on Wednesday. Think about this tonight and be ready to vote tomorrow.
Physical Science B was introduced to the nature of forces today and began to discuss a specific force - friction. We will cover forces in depth in the next chapter, but this chapter tosses forces into the mix to answer a question many people ask - What causes acceleration? We will review the basic concept of forces tomorrow and go into more depth about friction, specifically. Physical Science E discussed circular motion and the acceleration and force that are responsible for circular motion - centripetal acceleration and centripetal force. We will mention these again when we talk about gravity and orbits. Tomorrow, your lab will let you investigate air resistance and sliding friction and how they impact the motion of objects. Read over the lab sheet tonight so that you are ready for the procedure tomorrow.
Homework
Honors Physics: Look over Chapter Review problems and work on making corrections
Physical Science B: None
Physical Science E: Read lab protocol
Physics F: Complete lab write up
Physics G: Begin working on test corrections (if desired)
9/23/09
On the Mend
After two days of abject suffering, I am back in the saddle. And, I have to say that I am very glad to be back at work.
Today was catch-up day for most classes. We went over the work assigned Friday or when I was out sick in Physical Science. B Block will have time to conduct their velocity lab during our next long block, when we will combine it with a lab on friction. Honors Physics plowed through non-perpendicular vectors and horizontal projectiles. Physics F reviewed basic vector operations and Physics G conducted a lab on projectile motion. It was a nice opportunity to tie classroom calculations with real-world phenomenon. People did a great job of making precise measurements and that led to nice accuracy when the ball was heading towards the target. The nice thing about projectile motion is that if you need a value, like time, you can probably solve for it easily in one direction. In this case, it was easy to solve for time in the vertical direction and, since the time in the horizontal direction had to be the same as in the vertical direction, range was simple to calculate. We’ll discuss the lab tomorrow and take time to review basic vector operations
Homework
Physics F: Complete #2 of Practice 3C
Physical Science E: Complete Graphing Skills on page 337 and # 30-32 of the Chapter 10 Chapter Review
Today was catch-up day for most classes. We went over the work assigned Friday or when I was out sick in Physical Science. B Block will have time to conduct their velocity lab during our next long block, when we will combine it with a lab on friction. Honors Physics plowed through non-perpendicular vectors and horizontal projectiles. Physics F reviewed basic vector operations and Physics G conducted a lab on projectile motion. It was a nice opportunity to tie classroom calculations with real-world phenomenon. People did a great job of making precise measurements and that led to nice accuracy when the ball was heading towards the target. The nice thing about projectile motion is that if you need a value, like time, you can probably solve for it easily in one direction. In this case, it was easy to solve for time in the vertical direction and, since the time in the horizontal direction had to be the same as in the vertical direction, range was simple to calculate. We’ll discuss the lab tomorrow and take time to review basic vector operations
Homework
Physics F: Complete #2 of Practice 3C
Physical Science E: Complete Graphing Skills on page 337 and # 30-32 of the Chapter 10 Chapter Review
9/20/09
Sick as a Dog
And, I actually have gotten my dogs sick, as well. Someone gave me their cold last week and it is now a full-blown extravaganza of misery. I won't be in tomorrow, but the substitute will have a nice laundry list of work for you guys to do. Tell your parents that I won't be at Open House, but there will be sign-up sheets outside my door for parent-teacher conferences. Also, they can email me anytime for information about the course. Have a good Monday and spare a thought for poor little me wallowing in a vast ocean of cold germs...
Classwork/homework for the next 2 days:
Honors Physics: Complete #34-41 of Chapter 3 Chapter Review, read 3.3 and complete Practice 3D and 3E
Physical Science B: Graphing Skills p. 337, #22-32 of Chapter 10 Chapter Review, 10.3 Section Review
Physical Science E: #22-29 of the Chapter 10 Chapter Review, 10.3 Section Review
Physics F and G: #1-5 of the 3.3 Section Review and #30-33 and #36 of the Chapter 3 Chapter Review, Practice 3A and #1-5 of Practice 3B
Classwork/homework for the next 2 days:
Honors Physics: Complete #34-41 of Chapter 3 Chapter Review, read 3.3 and complete Practice 3D and 3E
Physical Science B: Graphing Skills p. 337, #22-32 of Chapter 10 Chapter Review, 10.3 Section Review
Physical Science E: #22-29 of the Chapter 10 Chapter Review, 10.3 Section Review
Physics F and G: #1-5 of the 3.3 Section Review and #30-33 and #36 of the Chapter 3 Chapter Review, Practice 3A and #1-5 of Practice 3B
9/19/09
Into the Weekend
Boy, can I tell its Friday…
Physical Science B had class time to work on a series of questions and problems dealing with velocity and acceleration. I was a bit surprised by the amount of whining over having to actually do work and by the reluctance to work independently on the assignment. Remember two things – this is high school and this is an honors course. You need to cultivate your own skills both through cooperation and independent work. Further, with the amount of trouble people had with the homework, you should be eager to get more practice working with the same type of problems. Learning is an opportunity, not a burden. We will go over the work on Tuesday. Monday is your chance to conduct the Velocity investigation and observe the motion of an accelerated object in detail.
Physical Science E reviewed how to draw and interpret position-time graphs and began a discussion of acceleration. We took time to draw together all pieces of the past few days to go deeper into the data from the Velocity lab investigation. On Monday, you will get a chance to work on some practice problems for velocity and acceleration before we move on to circular motion.
Honors Physics had the chance to work with non-perpendicular vectors today. Remember that when you add vectors to align them tail to tip. Getting your vector diagram correct at the onset of a problem is the key to success. Some people like to read the problem and make a rough sketch of the vectors before actually formalizing the diagram – charting out the story the problem is telling. Keep a close eye on direction of your vectors when calculating values; this is another potential problem area. Monday, we will go over these problems and begin discussing the motion of horizontally-launched projectiles. This will lead into Tuesday’s lab on projectile motion.
Physics F and G began their discussion of vectors with a study of the graphical method of analyzing vectors and the mathematical method for combining vectors. We will use vector operations often in this course, so take care to get sufficient practice now. Now is also a good time to refresh yourself on the trig functions of your calculator – they are going to get heavy use in this section. Monday, we will go over your vector work and look at how to take a resultant vector and break it into its components. This will be a necessary skill when working with 2-dimensional motion.
Homework
Honors Physics: Practice 3C and #29 of the Chapter Review
Physical Science B: Read lab sheet and complete worksheet packet by Tuesday
Physical Science E: Read 10.2 and complete the practice problems on page 328
Physics F and G: None
Physical Science B had class time to work on a series of questions and problems dealing with velocity and acceleration. I was a bit surprised by the amount of whining over having to actually do work and by the reluctance to work independently on the assignment. Remember two things – this is high school and this is an honors course. You need to cultivate your own skills both through cooperation and independent work. Further, with the amount of trouble people had with the homework, you should be eager to get more practice working with the same type of problems. Learning is an opportunity, not a burden. We will go over the work on Tuesday. Monday is your chance to conduct the Velocity investigation and observe the motion of an accelerated object in detail.
Physical Science E reviewed how to draw and interpret position-time graphs and began a discussion of acceleration. We took time to draw together all pieces of the past few days to go deeper into the data from the Velocity lab investigation. On Monday, you will get a chance to work on some practice problems for velocity and acceleration before we move on to circular motion.
Honors Physics had the chance to work with non-perpendicular vectors today. Remember that when you add vectors to align them tail to tip. Getting your vector diagram correct at the onset of a problem is the key to success. Some people like to read the problem and make a rough sketch of the vectors before actually formalizing the diagram – charting out the story the problem is telling. Keep a close eye on direction of your vectors when calculating values; this is another potential problem area. Monday, we will go over these problems and begin discussing the motion of horizontally-launched projectiles. This will lead into Tuesday’s lab on projectile motion.
Physics F and G began their discussion of vectors with a study of the graphical method of analyzing vectors and the mathematical method for combining vectors. We will use vector operations often in this course, so take care to get sufficient practice now. Now is also a good time to refresh yourself on the trig functions of your calculator – they are going to get heavy use in this section. Monday, we will go over your vector work and look at how to take a resultant vector and break it into its components. This will be a necessary skill when working with 2-dimensional motion.
Homework
Honors Physics: Practice 3C and #29 of the Chapter Review
Physical Science B: Read lab sheet and complete worksheet packet by Tuesday
Physical Science E: Read 10.2 and complete the practice problems on page 328
Physics F and G: None
9/18/09
Starting New Things
A gloomy day brightened by happy students ready to learn and grow…at least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it…
Honors Physics reviewed their exam before proceeding on to a discussion of vectors and vector combination. Grades were good, overall. A few scores could be improved, but the first test is always challenging due to it being a unique situation. Next time, you will have a better idea of the test format and the expectations. That will help you plan the most effective study strategy. See me if you need any help. The discussion of vectors sort of glossed over the procedure of analyzing vectors graphically, but do not think that it is not a viable method. It just happens that, for our purposes, the mathematical method is quicker and more convenient. Often, too, it is more accurate, as it eliminates human error in making and measuring the vector diagrams. Tomorrow, we turn around and look at vector resolution – taking a single vector and breaking it into its components. We’ll also discuss how to handle non-perpendicular vectors. It is not too tough, it just takes time and organization.
Physical Science B completed their discussion of motion, velocity and displacement and added acceleration to the picture. Again, the analysis of motion graphs was emphasized as there is a lot of information that can be gleaned from a position-time or velocity-time graph. Tonight’s homework has you work with the acceleration formula. Take care to watch out for unit conversions and to make sure that all answers have the correct unit. We’ll go over those problems tomorrow and get a bit more practice working with motion problems before discussing the special circumstance of circular motion.
Physical Science E reviewed their exams before starting their exploration of motion. Take time to look over your papers and your corrections and evaluate what you need to do to improve your performance on the next test, if necessary. See me if you need help. If you had a bit of trouble with yesterday’s lab, today’s discussion should have clarified things. Rework your lab synopsis, if needed, to reflect your new understanding of the material. Tomorrow, we’ll add acceleration to our descriptors of motion and practice working problems with acceleration.
Physics F and G sweated through their Chapter 1-2 exam. Tomorrow, we begin an examination of vectors. Some of you may have worked with vectors and trig functions in math, for others, this may be something new. We’ll take time to make sure that folks are comfortable with vector operations before applying them to 2-dimensional motion.
Homework
Honors Physics: Finish reading 3.2. Complete Practice 3B
Physical Science B: Complete practice problems on page 328
Physical Science E:
Physics F and G: Read pgs. 84-91. Complete #1-5, 10-13 of the Chapter Review
Honors Physics reviewed their exam before proceeding on to a discussion of vectors and vector combination. Grades were good, overall. A few scores could be improved, but the first test is always challenging due to it being a unique situation. Next time, you will have a better idea of the test format and the expectations. That will help you plan the most effective study strategy. See me if you need any help. The discussion of vectors sort of glossed over the procedure of analyzing vectors graphically, but do not think that it is not a viable method. It just happens that, for our purposes, the mathematical method is quicker and more convenient. Often, too, it is more accurate, as it eliminates human error in making and measuring the vector diagrams. Tomorrow, we turn around and look at vector resolution – taking a single vector and breaking it into its components. We’ll also discuss how to handle non-perpendicular vectors. It is not too tough, it just takes time and organization.
Physical Science B completed their discussion of motion, velocity and displacement and added acceleration to the picture. Again, the analysis of motion graphs was emphasized as there is a lot of information that can be gleaned from a position-time or velocity-time graph. Tonight’s homework has you work with the acceleration formula. Take care to watch out for unit conversions and to make sure that all answers have the correct unit. We’ll go over those problems tomorrow and get a bit more practice working with motion problems before discussing the special circumstance of circular motion.
Physical Science E reviewed their exams before starting their exploration of motion. Take time to look over your papers and your corrections and evaluate what you need to do to improve your performance on the next test, if necessary. See me if you need help. If you had a bit of trouble with yesterday’s lab, today’s discussion should have clarified things. Rework your lab synopsis, if needed, to reflect your new understanding of the material. Tomorrow, we’ll add acceleration to our descriptors of motion and practice working problems with acceleration.
Physics F and G sweated through their Chapter 1-2 exam. Tomorrow, we begin an examination of vectors. Some of you may have worked with vectors and trig functions in math, for others, this may be something new. We’ll take time to make sure that folks are comfortable with vector operations before applying them to 2-dimensional motion.
Homework
Honors Physics: Finish reading 3.2. Complete Practice 3B
Physical Science B: Complete practice problems on page 328
Physical Science E:
Physics F and G: Read pgs. 84-91. Complete #1-5, 10-13 of the Chapter Review
9/16/09
Blowin' in the Wind
With the wind whipping this morning, I hope that my dogs are firmly secured to the ground at their daycare. Last time we had high winds, I had to go pick them up in Kittery…
Honors Physics suffered through their first exam this morning and everyone seemed to make it out alive. For all exams, the procedure will be the same – you get the exam and a formula sheet. Make sure I get both back when the exam is over. Tomorrow, we begin an examination of vector analysis (graphical and mathematical). We will use vector operations often in this course and it starts with two-dimensional motion.
Physics reviewed for their chapter 1-2 exam and went over the last set of homework questions for Chapter 2. Have your calculator with you tomorrow! I will provide the formula sheet and a list of metric prefixes with their multipliers. Make sure I get all of them back when you have finished the exam – paper doesn’t grow on trees, you know…
Physical Science B went over yesterday’s exam for the first piece of class. Make sure that as we go through test papers that you correct your work, notify me of any mistakes that I may have made and ask me to work or go over more thoroughly any item for which you need additional help. The grades a bit on the low side, but that is not unusual for the first exam. You don’t know what to expect or how to tailor your personal study style to the material. Consider carefully how long you studied, how you studied and how you might alter that regimen for the next exam. Also, consider how you use your class time. When we are going over homework or discussing things in class, are you paying attention or are you chatting with a neighbor. Especially for physics, reading the book is not sufficient for success. You have to practice, discuss, think and use every skill in your bag to attack the material. If your performance on the next exam is also a tad lackluster, see me for help. Also, don’t forget to ask for extra help whenever you are having trouble with the material. The remainder of the period was devoted to starting our study of motion. Motion, frame of reference, distance, displacement, speed and velocity were defined and the concept of scalars and vectors was introduced. This is going to be a graph-heavy chapter, so keep those skills at your fingertips. There will also be a variety of formulas introduced in this chapter. For the exam, you will have those formulas provided for you, but you need to recognize the variables in each and know when to apply each formula to a problem.
Physical Science E conducted a lab investigation of velocity and how it is impacted by travel time and angle of incline. I threw in a bit extra for the graphing, as this chapter emphasizes graphing motion and the MCAS expects you to be able to make and interpret graphs of objects in motion. Again, never underestimate the importance of slope! As you write your lab synopsis, reflect on the idea of acceleration (in the next section of text) and how you interpret that idea. Acceleration, also, is a product of force – how might changing the angle of inclination affect how the force of gravity impact the cart’s motion? Tomorrow, you will get your exams back and we will go over the test items. Then, it’s a review of the lab and a leap into the concept of motion.
Homework
Honors Physics: Read pgs. 84-91 and complete Practice 3A
Physical Science B: None
Physical Science E: Complete lab write up
Physics F and G: Study for exam
Honors Physics suffered through their first exam this morning and everyone seemed to make it out alive. For all exams, the procedure will be the same – you get the exam and a formula sheet. Make sure I get both back when the exam is over. Tomorrow, we begin an examination of vector analysis (graphical and mathematical). We will use vector operations often in this course and it starts with two-dimensional motion.
Physics reviewed for their chapter 1-2 exam and went over the last set of homework questions for Chapter 2. Have your calculator with you tomorrow! I will provide the formula sheet and a list of metric prefixes with their multipliers. Make sure I get all of them back when you have finished the exam – paper doesn’t grow on trees, you know…
Physical Science B went over yesterday’s exam for the first piece of class. Make sure that as we go through test papers that you correct your work, notify me of any mistakes that I may have made and ask me to work or go over more thoroughly any item for which you need additional help. The grades a bit on the low side, but that is not unusual for the first exam. You don’t know what to expect or how to tailor your personal study style to the material. Consider carefully how long you studied, how you studied and how you might alter that regimen for the next exam. Also, consider how you use your class time. When we are going over homework or discussing things in class, are you paying attention or are you chatting with a neighbor. Especially for physics, reading the book is not sufficient for success. You have to practice, discuss, think and use every skill in your bag to attack the material. If your performance on the next exam is also a tad lackluster, see me for help. Also, don’t forget to ask for extra help whenever you are having trouble with the material. The remainder of the period was devoted to starting our study of motion. Motion, frame of reference, distance, displacement, speed and velocity were defined and the concept of scalars and vectors was introduced. This is going to be a graph-heavy chapter, so keep those skills at your fingertips. There will also be a variety of formulas introduced in this chapter. For the exam, you will have those formulas provided for you, but you need to recognize the variables in each and know when to apply each formula to a problem.
Physical Science E conducted a lab investigation of velocity and how it is impacted by travel time and angle of incline. I threw in a bit extra for the graphing, as this chapter emphasizes graphing motion and the MCAS expects you to be able to make and interpret graphs of objects in motion. Again, never underestimate the importance of slope! As you write your lab synopsis, reflect on the idea of acceleration (in the next section of text) and how you interpret that idea. Acceleration, also, is a product of force – how might changing the angle of inclination affect how the force of gravity impact the cart’s motion? Tomorrow, you will get your exams back and we will go over the test items. Then, it’s a review of the lab and a leap into the concept of motion.
Homework
Honors Physics: Read pgs. 84-91 and complete Practice 3A
Physical Science B: None
Physical Science E: Complete lab write up
Physics F and G: Study for exam
9/15/09
Starting the First Exams
Physical Science endured their Chapter 1 exams today. I was a bit dismayed by the number of people who did not bring their calculators for the exam. Whereas I do keep a couple around for such emergencies, it is vital that you have your own and learn how to effectively use it. If you are having a hard time obtaining a calculator, see me for assistance. Tomorrow, E Block will conduct an investigation on velocity. Reading 10.1 and the lab sheet prior to tomorrow will definitely help you with conducting the investigation and analysis. B Block will start discussing 10.1 tomorrow and get a little extra practice working speed/velocity problems.
Honors Physics reviewed for tomorrow’s Chapter 1-2 exam. Have your calculators available for the exam and remember that I will provide the relevant formulas for you to use. On Thursday, we will begin our examination of 2-dimensional motion and start by exploring vector quantities and operations. Brush up those trigonometry skills, as you will need to use sine, cosine and tangent functions (plus their inverses) frequently in this chapter. They Pythagorean Theorem is also going to come in handy, so brush up on that one, too.
F Block physics conducted their motion lab today and, like G Block yesterday, got good results. Pay attention to those graphs and remember my hints as you go to complete your lab synopsis. Also, reflect back on yesterday’s lecture as this topic was the focus of that discussion. G Block reviewed their lab work from yesterday and discussed the theory behind free fall motion. For both blocks, tomorrow is exam review day, so come prepared with questions.
Homework
Honors Physics: Study for exam
Physical Science B: Read 10.1 and answer section review questions
Physical Science E: Read 10.1, answer the section review questions and read over your lab sheet
Physics F: Complete lab write up
Physics G: 2.3 Section Review #1-5
Honors Physics reviewed for tomorrow’s Chapter 1-2 exam. Have your calculators available for the exam and remember that I will provide the relevant formulas for you to use. On Thursday, we will begin our examination of 2-dimensional motion and start by exploring vector quantities and operations. Brush up those trigonometry skills, as you will need to use sine, cosine and tangent functions (plus their inverses) frequently in this chapter. They Pythagorean Theorem is also going to come in handy, so brush up on that one, too.
F Block physics conducted their motion lab today and, like G Block yesterday, got good results. Pay attention to those graphs and remember my hints as you go to complete your lab synopsis. Also, reflect back on yesterday’s lecture as this topic was the focus of that discussion. G Block reviewed their lab work from yesterday and discussed the theory behind free fall motion. For both blocks, tomorrow is exam review day, so come prepared with questions.
Homework
Honors Physics: Study for exam
Physical Science B: Read 10.1 and answer section review questions
Physical Science E: Read 10.1, answer the section review questions and read over your lab sheet
Physics F: Complete lab write up
Physics G: 2.3 Section Review #1-5
9/14/09
Monday - Friday
Our first full week of school - ugh...However, every day brings us closer to summer, so all is not dire....
Physical Science reviewed for tomorrow's exam. We walked through the chapter and addressed any questions that arose during the period. Remember that both lecture and lab material can appear on the exam, so don't forget about your Making Cents of Math lab and how to calculate/interpret slope and the equation of a line. Don't forget your calculators, either, as they can be used on the test. On Wednesday, E block will conduct a lab on velocity and B Block will review their exam and begin Chapter 10. E block will review their exam on Thursday.
Physics G conducted two investigations that allowed students to analyze aspects of motion with constant acceleration. The big key is the interpretation of the graphs that you produced in class. Can you explain what each graph says about the object's motion and how each graph relates to the others. For your Picket Fence lab, concentrate on your values for acceleration due to gravity and the precision of your data. We will go over the lab tomorrow, so make sure to have completed the lab sheet and the lab synopsis. Further, we will review the 2.2 section review homework and discuss the final section of the chapter, which deals specifically with free fall motion. F Block Physics discussed free fall motion today and will conduct their lab investigations tomorrow. Wednesday is set aside for exam review, so come prepared with questions.
Honors Physics completed their discussion of one-dimensional motion today with an exploration of free fall motion. We reviewed Friday's lab investigation and used it to help clarify points in the lecture. Note: a number of folks did not submit a lab synopsis. I talked to one of you and made arrangements, but the rest might want to have that piece completed by tomorrow. I'll take it this time, as this is your first lab, but remember to turn in your synopsis with your lab sheet for every lab. If you have trouble writing your synopsis, ask me for assistance. Tomorrow, we will review for the Chapter 1-2 exam, so come with any questions that you want addressed.
Homework
Honors Physics: 2.3 Section Review
Physics F: 2.3 Section Review #1-5
Physics G: Complete lab writeup
Physical Science B and E: Study for exam
Physical Science reviewed for tomorrow's exam. We walked through the chapter and addressed any questions that arose during the period. Remember that both lecture and lab material can appear on the exam, so don't forget about your Making Cents of Math lab and how to calculate/interpret slope and the equation of a line. Don't forget your calculators, either, as they can be used on the test. On Wednesday, E block will conduct a lab on velocity and B Block will review their exam and begin Chapter 10. E block will review their exam on Thursday.
Physics G conducted two investigations that allowed students to analyze aspects of motion with constant acceleration. The big key is the interpretation of the graphs that you produced in class. Can you explain what each graph says about the object's motion and how each graph relates to the others. For your Picket Fence lab, concentrate on your values for acceleration due to gravity and the precision of your data. We will go over the lab tomorrow, so make sure to have completed the lab sheet and the lab synopsis. Further, we will review the 2.2 section review homework and discuss the final section of the chapter, which deals specifically with free fall motion. F Block Physics discussed free fall motion today and will conduct their lab investigations tomorrow. Wednesday is set aside for exam review, so come prepared with questions.
Honors Physics completed their discussion of one-dimensional motion today with an exploration of free fall motion. We reviewed Friday's lab investigation and used it to help clarify points in the lecture. Note: a number of folks did not submit a lab synopsis. I talked to one of you and made arrangements, but the rest might want to have that piece completed by tomorrow. I'll take it this time, as this is your first lab, but remember to turn in your synopsis with your lab sheet for every lab. If you have trouble writing your synopsis, ask me for assistance. Tomorrow, we will review for the Chapter 1-2 exam, so come with any questions that you want addressed.
Homework
Honors Physics: 2.3 Section Review
Physics F: 2.3 Section Review #1-5
Physics G: Complete lab writeup
Physical Science B and E: Study for exam
9/12/09
9/11/09
TGIF
Friday rocks the house in a big way. The week was busy, but productive so I am sure everyone is ready for some R&R.
Physical Science completed their discussion of Chapter 1 with a review of scientific notation, accuracy and precision and significant figures. Make sure you can easily and quickly work with scientific notation on your calculator – that will be a big help during the year and on the MCAS. Also, even if the MCAS doesn’t directly deduct points if you don’t use or incorrectly use significant figures in your open response questions, you should get into the habit of using them in class. They are what real scientists use in their work and we will follow their example as much as possible. On Monday, we will tidy up any loose ends and I will answer any questions that you have about the material or Tuesday’s exam, so look over the chapter this weekend. On Wednesday, we move onto Motion!
Honors Physics completed the Ball Toss and Picket Fence Acceleration labs, which focused on the displacement, velocity and acceleration of objects in free fall. Lots of graphs to work with and interpret, which is common for motion studies. Data was good for “g,” but you might reflect on why it did not exactly give you the accepted 9.81 m/s2. We’ll discuss this in class on Monday and a review of section 2.3 in your book should give you the relevant information (hint: might be something you wish to put in your conclusion section of your lab synopsis). After the exam on Wednesday, we expand our model of motion to include 2-dimensional motion. The equations will be familiar, but how we use them will take some explanation. Fun will be had by all…
Physics completed their discussion of acceleration and kinematics. We will assume all acceleration values listed in problems represent constant acceleration so that you can use the kinematics formulas in the chapter to solve motion problems. On Monday, we will begin to explore vertical motion, with G block conducting their lab investigations and F Block discussing free-fall acceleration (the last section of this chapter). The same concepts that we’ve been reviewing will apply, with the exception that we generally always know acceleration ahead of time: acceleration due to gravity.
Homework
Physical Science B: 1.3 Section Review #5-7
Physical Science E: None
Honors Physics: Complete lab writeup
Physics F: 2.2 Section Review
Physics G: 2.2 Section Review. Read lab sheet for Monday.
Physical Science completed their discussion of Chapter 1 with a review of scientific notation, accuracy and precision and significant figures. Make sure you can easily and quickly work with scientific notation on your calculator – that will be a big help during the year and on the MCAS. Also, even if the MCAS doesn’t directly deduct points if you don’t use or incorrectly use significant figures in your open response questions, you should get into the habit of using them in class. They are what real scientists use in their work and we will follow their example as much as possible. On Monday, we will tidy up any loose ends and I will answer any questions that you have about the material or Tuesday’s exam, so look over the chapter this weekend. On Wednesday, we move onto Motion!
Honors Physics completed the Ball Toss and Picket Fence Acceleration labs, which focused on the displacement, velocity and acceleration of objects in free fall. Lots of graphs to work with and interpret, which is common for motion studies. Data was good for “g,” but you might reflect on why it did not exactly give you the accepted 9.81 m/s2. We’ll discuss this in class on Monday and a review of section 2.3 in your book should give you the relevant information (hint: might be something you wish to put in your conclusion section of your lab synopsis). After the exam on Wednesday, we expand our model of motion to include 2-dimensional motion. The equations will be familiar, but how we use them will take some explanation. Fun will be had by all…
Physics completed their discussion of acceleration and kinematics. We will assume all acceleration values listed in problems represent constant acceleration so that you can use the kinematics formulas in the chapter to solve motion problems. On Monday, we will begin to explore vertical motion, with G block conducting their lab investigations and F Block discussing free-fall acceleration (the last section of this chapter). The same concepts that we’ve been reviewing will apply, with the exception that we generally always know acceleration ahead of time: acceleration due to gravity.
Homework
Physical Science B: 1.3 Section Review #5-7
Physical Science E: None
Honors Physics: Complete lab writeup
Physics F: 2.2 Section Review
Physics G: 2.2 Section Review. Read lab sheet for Monday.
9/10/09
The Chill
Why in the world is it so cold? Mother Nature and I have to have a talk sometime soon…
Physical Science B conducted their lab investigation to familiarize themselves with the Vernier equipment and practice some of the graph interpretation and slope/equation of the line calculation skills that we discussed in class. Remember to complete the lab synopsis, as well as the lab sheet, before turning in your work tomorrow. E Block reviewed the process of making and interpreting line graphs and the necessity of having strong skills in that area. The MCAS loves graphs and they show up in abundance every year.
Honors Physics discussed acceleration and the four basic kinematics formulas that can be used to describe motion with constant acceleration. You book rewrites the formulas a bit in the next section to apply them to vertical motion, but you don’t have to follow their model. The formulas discussed today work just fine provided you are mindful of your signs. Tomorrow’s lab will allow you to investigate vertical motion and practice interpreting position-time and velocity-time graphs describing motion. Also, you will experimentally determine acceleration due to gravity (g) at this location and factors that can affect the net acceleration an object experiences while in free fall. Exam looming next Wednesday, so if you need extra help, make sure to seek it in advance.
Physics also discussed acceleration and the requirement for constant acceleration for using the basic kinematics formulas. You will also investigate vertical motion in your lab blocks next week and tomorrow, we will start examining that concept in lecture. Your exam is tentatively scheduled for next Thursday– we’ll see what the next day or so brings before finalizing that date.
Homework
Honors Physics: Read lab packet. Practice 2F for Monday.
Physical Science B: Complete lab work.
Physical Science E: 1.3 Section Review
Physics F and G: None
Physical Science B conducted their lab investigation to familiarize themselves with the Vernier equipment and practice some of the graph interpretation and slope/equation of the line calculation skills that we discussed in class. Remember to complete the lab synopsis, as well as the lab sheet, before turning in your work tomorrow. E Block reviewed the process of making and interpreting line graphs and the necessity of having strong skills in that area. The MCAS loves graphs and they show up in abundance every year.
Honors Physics discussed acceleration and the four basic kinematics formulas that can be used to describe motion with constant acceleration. You book rewrites the formulas a bit in the next section to apply them to vertical motion, but you don’t have to follow their model. The formulas discussed today work just fine provided you are mindful of your signs. Tomorrow’s lab will allow you to investigate vertical motion and practice interpreting position-time and velocity-time graphs describing motion. Also, you will experimentally determine acceleration due to gravity (g) at this location and factors that can affect the net acceleration an object experiences while in free fall. Exam looming next Wednesday, so if you need extra help, make sure to seek it in advance.
Physics also discussed acceleration and the requirement for constant acceleration for using the basic kinematics formulas. You will also investigate vertical motion in your lab blocks next week and tomorrow, we will start examining that concept in lecture. Your exam is tentatively scheduled for next Thursday– we’ll see what the next day or so brings before finalizing that date.
Homework
Honors Physics: Read lab packet. Practice 2F for Monday.
Physical Science B: Complete lab work.
Physical Science E: 1.3 Section Review
Physics F and G: None
9/9/09
Making Those Firefighters Work
A fire drill is always good for getting out for fresh air and B Block was lucky enough to experience this. We made it through the basics of a line graph by period’s end, but did not get to discuss other forms of graphing. We’ll pick that up on Friday, along with scientific notation and significant figures. Tomorrow – lab day! E Block was able to complete their discussion of dimensional analysis and get some practice working conversion problems. We’ll review this again tomorrow before moving on to making measurements and presenting data. Looks like the tentative test date is going to get moved to next Tuesday, which I’m sure is not hardship for those involved.
Honors Physics examined the concept of velocity and how it differs from the similar concept of speed. Velocity, a vector, requires magnitude and direction. Speed, a scalar, only requires magnitude. Velocity and speed calculations for motion do not always give the same answer, as the homework problems bore out and it takes folks a bit to become comfortable with that idea. Graph analysis will be a major part of this unit and we started to look at position-time graphs today. Tomorrow, we discuss acceleration, the rate of change of velocity and begin to make use of the basic kinematics formulas. Friday’s lab will allow practice interpreting motion graphs and examining objects experiencing free-fall motion.
Physics started 1-dimensional motion today by defining motion and exploring the importance of a frame of reference. Displacement and distance were contrasted and, tomorrow, we’ll add speed and velocity to the picture. There are going to be a fair number of formulas in this chapter, but remember that you are not required to memorize them. They will be given to you on the exam and this will be the pattern for all exams in the course.
Homework
Honors Physics: Practice 2B, 2C and 2D. Only work #1-3 in each section.
Physical Science B: None
Physical Science E: Read over lab sheet for tomorrow’s activity
Physics F and G: Read 2.1 and answer the section review questions.
Honors Physics examined the concept of velocity and how it differs from the similar concept of speed. Velocity, a vector, requires magnitude and direction. Speed, a scalar, only requires magnitude. Velocity and speed calculations for motion do not always give the same answer, as the homework problems bore out and it takes folks a bit to become comfortable with that idea. Graph analysis will be a major part of this unit and we started to look at position-time graphs today. Tomorrow, we discuss acceleration, the rate of change of velocity and begin to make use of the basic kinematics formulas. Friday’s lab will allow practice interpreting motion graphs and examining objects experiencing free-fall motion.
Physics started 1-dimensional motion today by defining motion and exploring the importance of a frame of reference. Displacement and distance were contrasted and, tomorrow, we’ll add speed and velocity to the picture. There are going to be a fair number of formulas in this chapter, but remember that you are not required to memorize them. They will be given to you on the exam and this will be the pattern for all exams in the course.
Homework
Honors Physics: Practice 2B, 2C and 2D. Only work #1-3 in each section.
Physical Science B: None
Physical Science E: Read over lab sheet for tomorrow’s activity
Physics F and G: Read 2.1 and answer the section review questions.
9/8/09
Back At The Salt Mine
Returning from a long weekend is always difficult, but today went quite smoothly for all involved. Next week will be our first full week and I’m sure that it will tax everyone, but let’s enjoy the 4-day week ahead of us without unnecessary apprehension.
Physical Science is moving through the basics of doing science. B Block went into detail on the process of dimensional analysis, which we will use continually through the year, and E Block spent time discussing Thursday’s lab and reviewing the scientific method. This week will find both periods finishing up this unit and I am looking towards next Monday as the day for the assessment. I’ll firm that up in a few days when I am sure of our progress this week.
Honors Physics blasted through Chapter 1 like no other class in previous years and I don’t feel the need to throw a separate assessment at you guys for that bit of information. We started Chapter 2 (one-dimensional motion) today and there will be a few questions from Chapter 1 on the exam for this unit. One-dimensional motion will find us focusing on the basic definitions associated with motion and the descriptors of motion – distance, displacement, velocity, speed and acceleration. This chapter does not cover dynamics, or the study of the causes of motion/changes in motion. That will come later on, so don’t worry about having to add force and momentum to the picture at the moment. We will cover several formulas in this chapter that can be used both for horizontal or vertical motion. It will be very important to use a consistent coordinate system when doing your calculations and the basic one I put on the board today is the one most commonly used. For velocity, displacement and acceleration, the sign designates direction and this is very important when working with motion. For speed and distance, sign is not present, as they can only be positive. We will spend some time differentiating vector quantities (displacement, velocity, acceleration) from scalar quantities (speed, distance) a bit later.
Physics continued on with their examination of the tools and techniques for doing science. We reviewed dimensional analysis and introduced the idea of significant figures. It usually takes people awhile to get into the habit of using significant figures when working problems or reporting results, but make the effort early on so it becomes habit quickly. Part of the discussion today lent itself towards using common sense when doing physics. Common sense and logic will be powerful tools for evaluating answers to problems and making predictions. As physics describes what actually happens in our world, it should be assumed that you have sufficient prior knowledge and experience to have an idea about things before you actually work a problem or do a lab. If your answer/data does not match your predictions; that is a sign that something may have gone wrong. Time to go back and look over things for potential error.
Homework
Honors Physics: Read 2.1 and answer section review questions
Physical Science B: Read 1.3 and answer #1-4 of the section review questions
Physical Science E: Complete the 1.2 section review and the practice problems on page 17
Physics F and G: Read 1.3 and complete #1, 2, 4, 5 of the section review
Physical Science is moving through the basics of doing science. B Block went into detail on the process of dimensional analysis, which we will use continually through the year, and E Block spent time discussing Thursday’s lab and reviewing the scientific method. This week will find both periods finishing up this unit and I am looking towards next Monday as the day for the assessment. I’ll firm that up in a few days when I am sure of our progress this week.
Honors Physics blasted through Chapter 1 like no other class in previous years and I don’t feel the need to throw a separate assessment at you guys for that bit of information. We started Chapter 2 (one-dimensional motion) today and there will be a few questions from Chapter 1 on the exam for this unit. One-dimensional motion will find us focusing on the basic definitions associated with motion and the descriptors of motion – distance, displacement, velocity, speed and acceleration. This chapter does not cover dynamics, or the study of the causes of motion/changes in motion. That will come later on, so don’t worry about having to add force and momentum to the picture at the moment. We will cover several formulas in this chapter that can be used both for horizontal or vertical motion. It will be very important to use a consistent coordinate system when doing your calculations and the basic one I put on the board today is the one most commonly used. For velocity, displacement and acceleration, the sign designates direction and this is very important when working with motion. For speed and distance, sign is not present, as they can only be positive. We will spend some time differentiating vector quantities (displacement, velocity, acceleration) from scalar quantities (speed, distance) a bit later.
Physics continued on with their examination of the tools and techniques for doing science. We reviewed dimensional analysis and introduced the idea of significant figures. It usually takes people awhile to get into the habit of using significant figures when working problems or reporting results, but make the effort early on so it becomes habit quickly. Part of the discussion today lent itself towards using common sense when doing physics. Common sense and logic will be powerful tools for evaluating answers to problems and making predictions. As physics describes what actually happens in our world, it should be assumed that you have sufficient prior knowledge and experience to have an idea about things before you actually work a problem or do a lab. If your answer/data does not match your predictions; that is a sign that something may have gone wrong. Time to go back and look over things for potential error.
Homework
Honors Physics: Read 2.1 and answer section review questions
Physical Science B: Read 1.3 and answer #1-4 of the section review questions
Physical Science E: Complete the 1.2 section review and the practice problems on page 17
Physics F and G: Read 1.3 and complete #1, 2, 4, 5 of the section review
9/7/09
Back In My Day...
I had cause today to reflect on times and skills gone by as I was reduced to using the command line for certain tasks on my computer. My first computer was nothing but command line – no GUI whatsoever. Plus, you pretty much had to write all your own programs. No stealing from the Internet, either, as that really didn’t exist as an entity at the time. The first “modern” machines that I worked with was an Apple IIE and a Macintosh “C.” You still had to do most of the work yourself, but there were at least programs that you could buy. The Apple took those delicious 5 ¼” floppies. The Mac took the more traditional floppies, but it required about 140 trillion to carry a program like Word. Software installation was a major undertaking and was only entered into after the proper sacrifices had been made to the appropriate digital deities.
My first PC was a ProGen, which was an epoch-equivalent of an e-Machine. The software situation still being dicey, at best, one had to default to DOS, to accomplish many tasks and perform routine maintenance. There was a day when I had a strong command of DOS; today, I have a hard time remembering what DOS stands for…(ok, it means “disk operating system,” but you get my point). It is so rare for the modern computer user to require peeking behind the curtain of the bells-and-whistles operating systems that it has even become difficult on recent machines to find the mystical portal to the command prompt. It is not totally without reason; there is a ridiculous amount of damage that you can do playing around with a command-line interface.
Today, though, I had to run a few programs written off the grid – highly functional but explicitly not user friendly. That meant a return to the glorious yin-yang of black screen with white text. I am happy to say that the computer on which I was working is still fully functional and no demons from the Dark Dimensions were summoned accidentally in the process. With that success, I can relax and enjoy the remaining hours of Labor Day vacation. Accomplishment sets the mind at ease like nothing else…
My first PC was a ProGen, which was an epoch-equivalent of an e-Machine. The software situation still being dicey, at best, one had to default to DOS, to accomplish many tasks and perform routine maintenance. There was a day when I had a strong command of DOS; today, I have a hard time remembering what DOS stands for…(ok, it means “disk operating system,” but you get my point). It is so rare for the modern computer user to require peeking behind the curtain of the bells-and-whistles operating systems that it has even become difficult on recent machines to find the mystical portal to the command prompt. It is not totally without reason; there is a ridiculous amount of damage that you can do playing around with a command-line interface.
Today, though, I had to run a few programs written off the grid – highly functional but explicitly not user friendly. That meant a return to the glorious yin-yang of black screen with white text. I am happy to say that the computer on which I was working is still fully functional and no demons from the Dark Dimensions were summoned accidentally in the process. With that success, I can relax and enjoy the remaining hours of Labor Day vacation. Accomplishment sets the mind at ease like nothing else…
9/3/09
Entering the LONG Weekend
Finally, a day without interruptions. That it falls on the day of the schedule rotation that actually has all the periods in proper order likely has some far-reaching mystical significance. Regardless, the day was a productive one and next week should find everyone back in the scholastic groove.
Physical Science B completed their discussion of the scientific method and dangled their toes in the concept of making and evaluating measurements. We will spend Tuesday detailing and practicing dimensional analysis and use it to convert not only metric units, but any quantity with units that have a numerical relationship. Have calculators ready for this, as we will spend the period doing math. E Block conducted the Making Cents of Math lab to familiarize themselves with the Vernier system and the nature of linear relationships. Every group had its own share of problems, as was expected, and finally came up with great results (again, as expected). We will discuss the lab on Tuesday and, additionally, you will get the scientific method discussion on Tuesday and move into the dimensional analysis piece on Wednesday.
Honors Physics suffered through a review of the metric system, scientific notation, significant figures and dimensional analysis. We will use those skills over and over, though, so it is suffering for a good cause. Have the chapter review questions ready for Tuesday so we can wrap up this chapter. Wednesday, we hit one-dimensional motion. If you had physical science, you probably remember some of those basic ideas, though we will put some meat on the bones. If you didn’t have physical science, it is a good chapter for getting the feel of physics and how to approach physics problem-solving.
Physics started their introduction to the nature of physics and the process by which we conduct physics investigations and report data. We will continue on with our discussion on Tuesday and complete going over the 1.2 section review. The ability to use dimensional analysis and scientific notation will be important this year, so make sure that you are very confident in your abilities and seek help if you have the need.
Homework
Honors Physics: Chapter Review #’s 7, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 23, 27
Physical Science B: 1.2 SR and Practice Problems on page 17
Physical Science E: Complete lab writeup
Physics: None
Physical Science B completed their discussion of the scientific method and dangled their toes in the concept of making and evaluating measurements. We will spend Tuesday detailing and practicing dimensional analysis and use it to convert not only metric units, but any quantity with units that have a numerical relationship. Have calculators ready for this, as we will spend the period doing math. E Block conducted the Making Cents of Math lab to familiarize themselves with the Vernier system and the nature of linear relationships. Every group had its own share of problems, as was expected, and finally came up with great results (again, as expected). We will discuss the lab on Tuesday and, additionally, you will get the scientific method discussion on Tuesday and move into the dimensional analysis piece on Wednesday.
Honors Physics suffered through a review of the metric system, scientific notation, significant figures and dimensional analysis. We will use those skills over and over, though, so it is suffering for a good cause. Have the chapter review questions ready for Tuesday so we can wrap up this chapter. Wednesday, we hit one-dimensional motion. If you had physical science, you probably remember some of those basic ideas, though we will put some meat on the bones. If you didn’t have physical science, it is a good chapter for getting the feel of physics and how to approach physics problem-solving.
Physics started their introduction to the nature of physics and the process by which we conduct physics investigations and report data. We will continue on with our discussion on Tuesday and complete going over the 1.2 section review. The ability to use dimensional analysis and scientific notation will be important this year, so make sure that you are very confident in your abilities and seek help if you have the need.
Homework
Honors Physics: Chapter Review #’s 7, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 23, 27
Physical Science B: 1.2 SR and Practice Problems on page 17
Physical Science E: Complete lab writeup
Physics: None
9/2/09
We All Survived Day One
The senior class meeting at up most of the Honors Physics class period, but we did at least get to make a start with the ideas of the nature of physics and the scientific method. We’ll complete that discussion tomorrow and spend time with discussing measuring and reporting techniques. This chapter will move very quickly and we will likely be done with it by Tuesday.
Physical Science got an earful about the branches of science, the scope of physics and the steps and importance of the scientific method. Remember that the scientific method is really about common sense and taking a logical approach to problem solving. You’ll notice that as we conduct our lab investigations, the format of the lab sheets simulates the scientific method. The problem, hypothesis, experimental methodology and data analysis procedures are specified and the questions lead you make meaning of the results, i.e. reach a conclusion. B Block had no homework, but E block needs to read over that lab sheet. We will go through the setup procedure as a class, step by step, before you are turned loose to complete the procedure in your group. Reading over the protocol beforehand, however, really gives you a head start and a sense of familiarity with the investigation that will make the experiment flow far more smoothly. And you never know, some days you might be confronted with a pre-lab quiz to see if you have been doing that advanced reading (not tomorrow, though).
Physics G got their Day One materials and discussion that we skipped yesterday to do lab, and F block got their own shot at the introductory lab. Unsurprisingly, the results were very good in both classes and were concordant with each other. Groups seem pretty comfortable using the technology and that will make this year’s lab experience very enjoyable. Everyone is working on 1.2 for tonight, which should be a review for most folks. If you get stuck, that’s ok. Check the answers online and/or make sure to make the appropriate corrections tomorrow in class.
Homework: Honors Physics – None because of senior class meeting
PhysSciB: No homework
PhysSciE: Read lab investigation
Physics: 1.2 SR
Physical Science got an earful about the branches of science, the scope of physics and the steps and importance of the scientific method. Remember that the scientific method is really about common sense and taking a logical approach to problem solving. You’ll notice that as we conduct our lab investigations, the format of the lab sheets simulates the scientific method. The problem, hypothesis, experimental methodology and data analysis procedures are specified and the questions lead you make meaning of the results, i.e. reach a conclusion. B Block had no homework, but E block needs to read over that lab sheet. We will go through the setup procedure as a class, step by step, before you are turned loose to complete the procedure in your group. Reading over the protocol beforehand, however, really gives you a head start and a sense of familiarity with the investigation that will make the experiment flow far more smoothly. And you never know, some days you might be confronted with a pre-lab quiz to see if you have been doing that advanced reading (not tomorrow, though).
Physics G got their Day One materials and discussion that we skipped yesterday to do lab, and F block got their own shot at the introductory lab. Unsurprisingly, the results were very good in both classes and were concordant with each other. Groups seem pretty comfortable using the technology and that will make this year’s lab experience very enjoyable. Everyone is working on 1.2 for tonight, which should be a review for most folks. If you get stuck, that’s ok. Check the answers online and/or make sure to make the appropriate corrections tomorrow in class.
Homework: Honors Physics – None because of senior class meeting
PhysSciB: No homework
PhysSciE: Read lab investigation
Physics: 1.2 SR
9/1/09
And Away We Go...
First day of school – more exciting than Opening Day at Fenway Park. Pretty much goes the same way for each class: syllabus, textbook, lab and homework protocols, MCAS information (as appropriate). Glad to see familiar faces and siblings of familiar faces – all people who know what they are getting themselves into. And it will be a whirlwind year. With the significantly reduced lab experience due to the new schedule, there is extra time to march through the material and hit some topics that we normally don’t get to in previous years. I’m not sure if this is a fair trade, but we’ll try and make the best of it.
People tend to freak out a bit after the first day when they hear about the nature of a physics course and the mathematics requirements necessary for a successful physics experience. While I can’t downplay your anxiety, I can assure you that you all have the necessary math skills. The trick is learning how to use those skills in a meaningful way and that is what we work on in class and why we have the homework protocol that we do. Also, I can generally stay afterschool any day with a day’s notice, so feel free to ask when you need help (and don’t wait until the day before the exam!).
This week is an abbreviated one, but an important one in that we focus on the fundamentals of doing science. We’ll review the scientific method, the metric system, scientific notation and significant figures. After this, everyone is going to move into one-dimensional motion. Freshmen, keep an eye on those curriculum frameworks as a guide to where we are going in the course.
Today’s homework is as follows:
Honors Physics: 1A, 1.2
Honors Physical Science: 1.1
Physics: Read Making Cents of Math lab or complete lab write-up
People tend to freak out a bit after the first day when they hear about the nature of a physics course and the mathematics requirements necessary for a successful physics experience. While I can’t downplay your anxiety, I can assure you that you all have the necessary math skills. The trick is learning how to use those skills in a meaningful way and that is what we work on in class and why we have the homework protocol that we do. Also, I can generally stay afterschool any day with a day’s notice, so feel free to ask when you need help (and don’t wait until the day before the exam!).
This week is an abbreviated one, but an important one in that we focus on the fundamentals of doing science. We’ll review the scientific method, the metric system, scientific notation and significant figures. After this, everyone is going to move into one-dimensional motion. Freshmen, keep an eye on those curriculum frameworks as a guide to where we are going in the course.
Today’s homework is as follows:
Honors Physics: 1A, 1.2
Honors Physical Science: 1.1
Physics: Read Making Cents of Math lab or complete lab write-up
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