Stupid Snow

What a nasty little surprise to greet us as school was starting - wet, tacky snow. And lots of it. I'll be shoveling until bedtime...

Honors Physics plowed through their Chapter 8 exam and is now set to tackle fluids. We’ve been concentrating on how forces interact with solids and now is the time to examine gases and liquids. Your reading tonight will center around the buoyant force – the upward force generated by a fluid with an object is placed in that fluid.

Physical Science B and E suffered the Chapter 12 exam with great dignity and got started on their reading for the next unit. We now move into a specific form of energy – heat – and its effects on matter. The lab that E block will conduct tomorrow focuses on the conductor/insulator part of the reading. We will test materials for their ability to conduct heat energy. E block should make sure to finish reading section 13.1 and their lab sheet before coming to class tomorrow. As you’ll see, there is a lot of “down time,” in the lab and we are going to fill that time with MCAS practice.

Physics F worked with levers and pulleys in lab and explored how the machines function to make work easier. The contrast between ideal and actual mechanical advantage was noted as was the varying efficiency of the machines. We’ll discuss the lab tomorrow as part of the general review for Monday’s exam.

Physics G discussed yesterday’s lab investigation and then discussed the concept of efficiency. That dratted friction prevents any machine from being 100% efficient and mean old conservation of energy ensures that no machine is more than 100% efficient. Remember to bring with you all your questions for the review session tomorrow. We didn’t cover all the topics in the chapter, so use your slide packet as a guide for studying.

Homework

Honors Physics: 9.1 Section Review and Practice 9A
Physical Science B and E: Read 13.1 and complete the practice on page 424 and the section review on page 426
Physics F: Complete lab write up
Physics G: Complete simple machines worksheet