Seeing the Light

Honors Physics took time to review the assignments pertaining to reflection and mirrors. It would be prudent to start laying a foundation in the brain as to the types of images and sign conventions associated with flat, concave and convex mirrors. Makes problem solving a lot easier. Tomorrow, we take on color and polarization, then it’s off to refraction.

Physical Science B got a reminder about the importance of the MCAS exam in June and we then headed into a discussion of the nature of charge and static electricity. We discussed the concept of fundamental charge, the ability of charge to produce forces of attraction and repulsion and started to describe methods of generating a charge on a neutral object. Remember, charge is produced on objects by an imbalance of positives and negatives. The negatively-charged electrons are the particle that is in motion when an object acquires a charge. We’ll continue discussing methods of generating charge tomorrow and begin to assess how to quantify the size of the electric force generated by charged objects – Coulomb’s Law.

Physical Science E participated in a lab investigation about static charge and the forces that charged objects can produce. Students were able to charge objects through friction, conduction and induction and see how the subsequent forces were able to influence the motion of matter. Electric force behaves like any force, the amount of acceleration produced on an object is directly proportional to the size of the force and inversely proportional to the object’s mass. We’ll discuss the lab in more detail tomorrow and use it to highlight our discussion of charge and static electricity.

Physics F and G worked on completing their lab investigations. Groups finished up with data collection and/or worked on the data analysis and lab write up. Tomorrow, we discuss the behavior of light when it reflects off of curved mirrors.

Homework

Honors Physics A: None
Physical Science B: None
Physical Science E: Complete lab write up
Physics F and G: Complete lab write up