11/26/13

Momentum

Physics D and F were introduced to the idea of momentum today, along with the impulse-momentum theorem. We looked at how mass and velocity were involved in momentum and how momentum could be impacted by impulse, the product of force and time. We discussed examples of the impulse-momentum theorem in real life, such as safety nets and follow-through in sports and practiced solving problems using this concept. Tomorrow, Physics F doesn't meet because of the half-day, but Physics D will begin on the idea of conservation of momentum.

Honors Physics reviewed the concepts of momentum and impulse and reviewed their impulse-momentum theorem homework. Attention then turned to conservation of momentum. In a closed system, the total momentum of all objects in the system is conserved. As they interact, some gain momentum, some lose, but the gains will always balance the losses. We discussed some examples of conservation of momentum and practiced solving problems using this concept. We'll go over these problems tomorrow and get a few more of a slightly more complex variety to pump up our skills.

Intro Physics conducted an investigation on Archimedes Principle and buoyancy. Three objects were evaluated for the buoyant forces acting on them and we compared that to the weight of the fluid displaced by the objects. Then, the experiment was repeated using saltwater instead of tap water and it was seen that the objects showed an apparent weight loss greater in the saltwater than the fresh. Tomorrow, we'll go over the results and spend time working on the buoyancy practice problems that were assigned yesterday.

11/25/13

Starting a Short Week

Physics D and F took their Chapter 5 exams and will start with the concept of momentum tomorrow, which is exactly the topic Honors Physics tackled today. Momentum, the product of mass and velocity, is changed when objects experience forces. However, the duration over which the force acts also plays a role in the momentum change. The product of force and time interval is called impulse and it is equal to the object's change of momentum. We examined examples of this relationship and how manipulating force and time influenced momentum change and factored into safety equipment such as air bags, and follow-through in sports. Tomorrow, we begin to take a look at conservation of momentum.

Intro Physics reviewed the basics of Archimedes Principle and worked through two sample problems as a class before turning attention to problems to work on individually. Keep an eye out for unit conversions and make sure to organize information very well when working on this problem set. Tomorrow, a lab on buoyancy and that might help you visualize the concepts for that problems set more easily. We'll go over the problems on Wednesday and review our lab as our last bit of info for this shortened week.

11/23/13

WooHoo!

The Day of the Doctor was BRILLIANT! AMAZING! STUPENDOUS! And, oh the end... let's say the cameo at the end meant a lot to me and others my age... If you didn't catch it on BBC America, try and catch a repeat - it is so worth it.

AND a new Sherlock trailer! We're getting close folks..

11/22/13

Countdown to Doctor Who!

If you don't know what tomorrow is, then I sort of pity you because it's the broadcast of Day of the Doctor! Doctor Who is 50 years old this year and there's been lots of good things going on, including last night's broadcast of An Adventure in Space and Time, Mark Gatiss's docudrama about the creation of the show back in 1963. It was amazing and will be on BBC America tonight for those who want to get a look at what goes into making a television program, especially one that has lasted 50 years. And Mark's husband, Ian Hallard makes a nice cameo, which is always fun to see. Here's the trailer for that:


Tomorrow is the Day of the Doctor on BBC America and that's going to be a lot of fun, since we are still not 100% certain as to which of the former Doctor's will be in the program. I know I'll be watching! Here's the trailer:

and the prequel mini-episode The Night of the Doctor
If you want to see which Doctor Who your personality best aligns with, try BBC America's Doctor Who Personality Quiz... It's probably not a surprise that I match up with the first Doctor, played by William Hartnell (and I'm absolutely thrilled):

Some people think you are crabby and difficult to get close to. They may have a point, but what they see as rudeness is just you being careful with the friends you pick.

You have incredibly high standards, but once someone has proven themselves to be worthy of your attention you’ll pull an entire planet apart for them. And rescue them in the event of a Dalek attack.

Also, woe betide anyone that thinks you are frail or weak. There’s a spark in your eyes that could become a raging fire.




11/21/13

Winding Down with Work

Physics D had their review for their work and energy exam, after reviewing specifically the topic of power. Tomorrow, we'll be working on a lab that has you investigate the properties of simple machines and how they manipulate the force and distance components of work. There should be time during lab, if necessary, for you to ask individual questions in preparation Monday's exam. Physics F conducted the lab investigation yesterday and we went over it at the start of class today. The lab material won't be on Monday's test (we'll save that for later when we discuss simple machines and torque), but our discussion about power will be. Remember that power is the rate at which work is done or energy is transformed and that broad definition means it can be approached in a variety of ways mathematically. We looked at the possible ways to calculate power associated with a situation and the problems you're working on tonight will give you practice using those techniques. Tomorrow, a review of Chapter 5 in preparation for Monday's exam.

Honors Physics conducted an investigation that focused on how inclined planes and simple/multiple pulleys manipulated force and distance to make work easier. Folks saw that as a machine multiplied effort force, it did so at the expense of distance and experienced a loss of useful energy. There is always a cost to using a machine, but since it makes work easier to do, we pay that cost gladly. The lab material won't be on tomorrow's exam, but do remember to have the lab packet completed by Monday.

Intro Physics finished their lab on density. Density, as you found, is independent of the size and shape of the object. Your graphs of mass vs. volume, documented a direct, linear relationship, the slope of which was the material's density. As you add mass, it needs more space and that relationship is fixed for solids and liquids. Gases is another story and we'll discuss that when we look at gases specifically. Finish up the calculations, questions, graphs and slope calculations for your lab tonight so we can discuss your results in detail tomorrow.

11/20/13

Short Day!

With parent-teacher conferences taking up half the day, Intro Physics didn't meet. You'll finish up your density lab tomorrow and start on your discussion of buoyancy.

Physics D took on the idea of power, the rate of work being done or energy being transformed. Make sure you are very aware that power does not equal the amount of work done or transformed, however, just how fast it is happening. We looked at mathematical methods for calculating work and worked on a variety of practice problems using these techniques. Tomorrow, we'll go over your homework for power and review for Monday's exam. Friday - a lab on inclined planes and pulleys, which Physics F worked on today. For each of those simple machines, mechanical advantage and efficiency was assessed and, for pulleys, we contrasted ideal mechanical advantage (IMA) with actual mechanical advantage (AMA). We'll go over this lab tomorrow before turning our attention to the topic of power.

Honors Physics reviewed their work with power, then looked at reviewing for Friday's exam. We walked through the chapter topic by topic and addressed any loose ends. Tomorrow is a lab on simple machines and if you have further questions for the exam, you should have time to ask them during lab.

11/19/13

Conservation of Energy

Physics D and F reviewed gravitational and elastic potential energy and rolled this information into conservation of energy. Energy in total is always conserved, but mechanical energy is only conserved in the absence of friction. If we assume friction is negligible, then we can assume mechanical energy is well-conserved and that can simply problem solving. We'll go over your problems tomorrow (D) before taking on power. F Block will be working on a lab focused on machines, where we'll examine work, mechancial advantage and efficiency.

Honors Physics reviewed their work with conservation of mechanical energy and moved onto power. Make sure you don't confuse power with work - power is the rate at which work is done or energy is converted. So, a more powerful machine does the same work as a less powerful machine, it just does it faster. The unit of the Watt (J/s) applies to the rate at which energy is transfomed or physical work is performed. Tomorrow is review for our exam on Friday and Thursday will be lab work on machines and their relationship to work.

Intro Physics reviewed their pressure with depth problems, then started an activity with density. Folks are looking at how mass and volume are related and make sure to pay attention to the volume measurements done with the ruler and the displacement method. That is going to come into play with our work with buoyant forces. We'll have a little more time with that tomorrow before talking about density and starting to dip toes into buoyancy.

11/18/13

Under Pressure

Intro Physics reviewed their pressure and hydraulics problems, then turned attention to pressure at depth, the focus of Friday's lab. We looked at the factors that influence the pressure in a column of fluid and why pressure increased as you descended the fluid column and decreased as you rose in that fluid. We looked at the formulas for gauge and absolute pressure and saw how the absolute pressure formula was actually the equation of the line we found in Friday's investigation. The practice problems you have for homework will let you work with this formula a bit more, so remember what you did with your Applications questions for your lab activity and match up the y, m, x, and b with their appropriate variables for our fluids. We'll go over these problems tomorrow and then work on an activity to gain some understanding of the concept of density.

Physics D and F reviewed work and the work-kinetic energy theorem before turning attention to potential energy. We will focus only on two types (gravitational and elastic potential energy) right now and add a few later in the year. Make sure you understand the variables associated with these energy types and how changes in these variables impact the quantity of the energy measured. Know the relationship between work and energy change (as for work and kinetic energy) and how to use the formulas to calculate values for potential energy of either type. Tomorrow, we look at conservation of energy, which is the last piece of the puzzle for you to have your lab write up ready for Friday.

Honors Physics reviewed potential energy, then turned attention to conservation of energy. We contrasted mechanical and non-mechanical energy, discussed why mechanical energy is not completely conserved (though total energy is always conserved) and looked at examples of problems involving conservation of energy. We'll go over those homework problems tomorrow before taking on the concept of power.

11/15/13

Work, Energy and Pressure

Intro Physics took another look at pressure today by investigating how pressure in a fluid changes with depth. We used gas pressure sensors to assess the pressure at different positions in a column of water and saw that in increased linearly as the depth grew larger. There were three different samples of water to test and you found a different slope for each sample. This was due to the different densities of of the water samples and we'll go into that in more depth on Monday. Also on Monday, try to have your pressure and hydraulics problems completed, but we'll take 5 minutes or so on Monday if you need to tidy up loose ends. We'll also discuss our lab and use it to highlight our discussion of fluid pressure and how it varies with depth or height.

Physics D and F spent time discussing kinetic energy and the work-kinetic energy theorem. We defined kinetic energy, examined the formula and then discussed how work done on an object affected the kinetic energy of an object. Positive work would increase velocity, so kinetic energy would rise. Negative work would decrease velocity, so kinetic energy would fall. We'll review this on Monday and then turn out attention to potential energy.

Honors Physics had the potential energy conversation today, after reviewing their work on the work-kinetic energy theorem. We looked at gravitational potential energy and elastic potential energy, which are lumped with kinetic energy as mechanical energy. Both are energy waiting to do work and involve the position of an object in respect to something. For gravitational potential energy, it is position relative to a defined point in Earth's gravitational field and for elastic potential energy, it is the relaxed length of the elastic material. We looked at the formulas for each energy type and we'll review our homework problems with these energy types on Monday before turning attention to conservation of energy.

11/14/13

Work, Energy and Forces

Physics D completed their lab investigation on energy and energy conversions and we'll pick up with our discussion of energy in class tomorrow. As we move through discussing energy forms and the conservation of energy, keep you lab investigation in mind and how our class discussion helps to explain your patter of results - there's the basis for your conclusion section.

Physics F discussed the topic of work in class today and began with defining 'work' in the scientific sense. We then looked at examples where forces are and are not doing work, how work is calculated and the difference between positive and negative work. Tomorrow, we'll start on our discussion of energy and how it and work are connected. We'll start with kinetic energy and the work-kinetic energy theorem, before moving to the energies of position - gravitational potential and elastic potential.

Honors Physics reviewed their homework for topics associated with work and then took on kinetic energy and the work-kinetic energy theorem. As the velocity of an object changes, that indicates acceleration, which further indicates a force acting on the object. With a force acting and the object covering a distance, we can assess the work done in the situation. As the velocity changes, so does the kinetic energy and the change of the object's kinetic energy will be equal to the work done on or by the object. A velocity decreases (-ΔKE)indicates negative work done in the situation and a velocity increase (+ΔKE) indicates positive work. We'll go over your homework problems tomorrow before taking on gravitational and elastic potential energies.

Intro Physics reviewed their homework questions and basics of pressure before looking in more depth at pressure and hydraulics. We talked about the mathematical strategies for solving hydraulics problems, then started to practice with pressure and hydraulics problems. Tomorrow's lab will look at pressure in a different light (how does fluid pressure vary with depth) and we'll return to these problems on Monday.

11/13/13

Long Weekend

Folks enjoyed a 4-day weekend, with the holiday and the professional-development day occupying Monday and Tuesday, but today was business as usual. Intro Physics reviewed their Forces and Newton's Laws of Motion exam and then moved to begin an examination of forces in fluids. We described how internal fluid pressure is generated, then looked at the basic pressure formula, which helped to differentiate the concepts of force and pressure, which many people mistake as being the same thing. We then discussed how pressure differences accounted for the motion of fluids and, at the end of class, began to take on Pascal's Principle and how it pertains to hydraulic devices. Tomorrow in class we'll review this material and get some practice working with pressure and hydraulics problems.

Physics D began their investigation of energy transformations and conservation of energy and Physics F finished that investigation during their short block. Physics D will finish tomorrow and F Block will move onto the idea of work.

Honors Physics reviewed their energy conservation lab, their Chapter 4 exam and then turned to the idea of work. We defined work, discussed examples where a force is and is not doing work on an object, described the concept of net work and how some forces generate positive work and others negative work and then looked at the work formula in preparation for tonight's homework. Tomorrow, we go over this homework as a review, then turn attention to kinetic energy and the work-kinetic energy theorem.

11/7/13

One Long Day

Lots of exams... lots and lots of exams...

Physics D, F and Honors Physics took their Chapter 4 exam today and, since F block was long, Physics F spent the second half of the period starting on a series of lab investigations on energy conversions and conservation of energy. A tossed ball continually converts energy between kinetic and gravitational potential forms, as the velocity and height vary and our graphs showed clearly that total energy remained constant during the ball's motion. Tomorrow, we'll look at kinetic and elastic potential energy for an oscillating spring and see if a similar pattern holds. Honors Physics will conduct both labs tomorrow and Physics D gets their chance next week.

Intro Physics reviewed for their forces and Newton's Laws of Motion exam. Next week, we move on to forces in fluids, taking a look at density, buoyancy and pressure at depth. That bit is not MCAS material, but since you're honors-level folks, you get to do lots of little extra things...

11/6/13

Facing Exams

Physics D, F and Honors Physics all reviewed for tomorrow's exam on forces. Make sure to review over your notes, textbook, homework, classwork, etc. to prepare. On Friday - Work and Energy!

Intro Physics discussed their practice problems from yesterday and then we moved on to Newton's 3rd Law of Motion. Be very aware of what Newton-3 says (in an interaction, two forces are simultaneously generated that are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction) and what it doesn't say (what happens to the objects because of the forces). We discussed examples of Newton-3 and will review this, along with all of Newton's Laws of Motion tomorrow in preparation for Friday's exam. On Monday - Forces in Fluids!

11/5/13

Reviewing

We started reviewing ideas today in preparation for the exams at the end of the week. Honors Physics and Physics D worked additional problems involving the force of friction, net force, and acceleration. Students had to determine the values for the normal force and friction, in order to calculate net force and acceleration and Honors Physics, especially, had to work with kinematics to solve their problems. We'll go over any last bits of this tomorrow before starting our review for Thursday's exam. Physics F used their static and kinetic friction lab to highlight our discussion about friction. We looked at why static friction (maximum) is larger than kinetic friction and how the normal force and coefficient of friction play into friction calculations. We ended the class by working on a couple of problems involving friction and an object's motion and we'll go over those tomorrow before starting on our review for our exam. On Friday, all these folks start our next unit - Work and Energy.

Intro Physics discussed their lab on projectile motion and addressed any lingering questions about the calculations or assumptions we made to accomplish those calculations. We then started on a series of practice problems involving projectile motion, net force, free-fall motion, etc. as preparation for Friday's exam. Tomorrow we'll do some tying-up of loose ends before taking a look at Newton's 3rd Law of Motion, the last bit of this chapter's information that's on Friday's exam. We'll save the momentum piece for it's own unit.

11/4/13

More Forces and More Motion

Intro Physics conducted a lab investigation centering on projectile motion. Students had to make relevant measurements and perform calculations to predict the impact point of a ball bearing rolled off of a table. Groups had to carefully organize data and remind themselves of the properties and assumptions associated with projectile motion for their work and success was had by all, in that all groups hit their target. Tomorrow, we'll discuss the lab and review our work with 2-dimensional motion and air resistance.

Physics D and Honors Physics worked with static and kinetic friction, defining the two types, reviewing our lab on the concept for emphasis, and working on calculations involving frictional forces. Physics F is a day behind, working today with weight and the normal force, hitting friction tomorrow. For Physics D/Honors Physics tomorrow will be more work with friction and a discussion about air resistance. For all, Wednesday is review day and Thursday is our exam. On Friday - Work and Energy!

11/1/13

Phryday!

Intro Physics continued with their discussion of free-fall motion with a look at the specific impact of air resistance on objects and how it contributed to the concept of terminal velocity. Remember that, without air resistance, all objects would experience an acceleration of -9.81 m/s2, regardless of mass or size. It is the cumulative effect of air resistance (increases with increasing velocity) that ultimately grows to a size to balance the object's weight and cause the object to fall at constant speed. We then dipped our toes into the arena of projectile motion and will conduct an investigation on the motion of a horizontally-launched projectile on Monday. Expect a test on Forces (up to Newton's 3rd Law of Motion) next Friday.

Physics D completed their static and kinetic friction lab today and Physics F/Honors Physics discussed that lab during their class periods. We used the lab to help highlight the concepts of weight and normal force and will take on friction formally on Monday. Remember that our exam on Chapter 4 is next Thursday and the lab write-ups are due on Friday.