9/30 qod

Describe how the first equation on your card could be used to calculate the final velocity as Isaac Cosculluela enters the endzone with a touchdown reception.
-ch

9/29 Clyde

Today, we turned in our answers to the Kinematics Test Review. We didn't have to turn in the question sheets if we didn't write on them, but we did have to remember to staple the graph descriptions to our review packets.

Then...

We took a test.

And that's it.

I'm not allowed to talk about the test, because the information on it is super-duper top secret, but I'd say that as long as you studied and did the review worksheet, you should probably be fine on the test. There was no homework assigned for tonight.

QOD: Acceleration is measured in units of meters per second squared.  What do those units even mean?

To my understanding, these units of meters per second squared mean that the object in motion speeds up or slows down a certain number of meters per second, per second. That is to say, the number of meters per second squared represents the change in velocity (m/s) per second, a positive number of units showing that the object is speeding up, and a negative number showing that the object is slowing down.

9/29 qod

Acceleration is measured in units of meters per second squared.  What do those units even mean?


--ch

9/28 Buck

We didn't turn anything in today, but we checked the bookwork from last night, pg 53 #7-10.  She went over #8 on the board since people seemed to struggle with it.  For the rest of the class period we worked individually on our test review.  WE HAVE A TEST TOMORROW. In case you didn't know :) The internet wasn't working, so we couldn't check our answers... speaking of which, I need to go do that now. I had completely forgotten.  Yayyy, physics blog really is helpful! Fun Fact: a muscle in my arms was twitching for the whole class period, it was annoying.  Ask my table about it, it was pretty intense.  The test review is due tomorrow at the beginning of class.
QOD: What do you think will be on the test?
That's easy, there will be physics:)  There will probably be questions regarding interpretting graphs because we did like 27 billion of those on the review assignment and in labs throughout the unit.  There will probably be calculations involving speed, time, and distance and maybe a little ROXY.

9/28 qod

What do you think will be on the test?

--ch

09/27 Bloomberg

Today in class we were given the Kinematics Test Review sheet, which we were shown the key to online by Mrs. Coats- Haan. We were told that the test review will be collected on the day of the test, which is Thursday 9/29, although it was recommended that students should try to do the test review tonight so they can ask Mrs. Coats- Haan questions about it on Wednesday. Next, the class took notes over velocity, including displacement, and average velocity, during which Mrs. Coats- Haan managed to make a few puns about people's names (especially mine). The class also enjoyed a lively debate about what color and pattern to make the rectangle on the velocity notes PowerPoint. Following that we discussed assorted Adam Sandler movies, because of a Happy Gilmore reference on Mrs. Coats- Haan's PowerPoint. After that Mrs. Coats- Haan wrote Hunters name in smiles and mine (Sunny) in rainbow. Also we learned that Physics makes Mrs. Coats- Haan happy. The class was then told to finish the pairs check that we had been given in class a previous day. For the pairs check we used what we learned in class to finish the last three problems. Some specific things we learned in class were how to use ROXY to find displacement. We also learned that average velocity is the displacement vector divided by the corresponding change in time, which will be used on the homework for tonight which is page 53 numbers 7 through 10 in our physics book.

Question of the Day: Why did vectors come up again today?
Answer: Vectors were once again mentioned today because today we discussed displacement and displacement is just the difference in two position vectors. Also, velocity is a vector quantity and average velocity is the displacement vector divided by the change in time.

Want to hear a joke?
A poultry farmer was distressed because his chickens stopped laying eggs. He didn't know what to do about it, but one of his friends, a physicist, offered to help. The physicist came out to the farm, took a bunch of measurements, and went back home to analyze the data. The physicist called the farmer on the phone and said: "Okay, I have a solution for your problem, but it only works with spherical chickens in a vacuum." -Physics joke from The Big Bang Theory

9/27 qod

Why did vectors come up again today?

--ch

9/26 Alaimo

Today we started off class by going over our Kinematics Problems 3 homework that was assigned over the weekend.  After checking the homework, Coats-Haan showed our class a cartoon about Neutrinos that had some of us laughing.  We then proceeded by flying our model airplanes, that we had so carefully built in class on Friday, and recorded our results on page 33 of the lab manuals.  Some airplane flights were successful, while others resulted in broken planes.  Katie proved that the damaged planes could indeed be fixed with careful taping, and in the end they once again took flight.  After flying the planes, our groups met back up in Coats-Haan's room and turned in our completed labs.  There was no homework assigned for tonight!

Question of the Day: Which control surface controls which axis of motion on your plane? The rudder controls the yaw, the ailerons control the roll, and the elevators control the pitch.

9/26 qod

Which control surface controls which axis of motion on your plane?

--ch

09/23 Zimmerman

We started class by Coats-Haan rushing us to sit down saying we dont have a lot of time. Which is a normal daily occurence. Then Coats-Haan checked for completion for the previous nights homework, Pg. 52 #1-6,  and then proceeded to pass out the key to the homework. Today i learned that i did surprising well on last nights homework. After quickly checking the homework, Coats-Haan explained that we are going to make air planes! She instructed that one person from each table acquire a plane frame, the cut outs, and instructions for each person at their table. In the center of the table was four sheets of news paper, and four bottles of glue (glue = bad). Some of the glue was brand new, and some of the glue was old. My glue, for example, was new, so I thought this to be a good thing, No. It was really dry at first, coming out very slowly. So I squeezed harder, still coming out slowly. Then SPLAT! all over my desk. Then once we built the beautiful planes Coats-Haan crushed our dreams and said we couldnt fly them until monday! Instead, we colored our air planes. And at the end of class we sang the clean up song.

Question of the Day: Why are we building planes?
Answer:
My best guess as to why we are building planes, other than the fact that it is fun and they make great christmas presents, is so we can record their flight distances and times and find their average speeds and velocitys.

9/23 qod

Why are we building planes?
--ch

9/22 Williams

At the start of class, Johnny and Coats-Haan once again competed for best paper passer outer, and today Johnny showed clear improvement. We then checked the "Kinematics Problems II" worksheet, and turned in any work from yesterday as needed. We then went over a work sheet reviewing graph shapes, after which Coats-Haan told us a story/joke, about a physicist, a psychologist and an engineer giving an advice to a struggling cow farmer. Though it was a valiant effort, the class did not understand the joke, and thus did not actually find it funny. But it did teach the lesson that physicists like to simplify things. Also, we got a little off topic and discussed popcorn reading, and Coats-Haan told an interesting story about not being able to pronounce Pseudopod correctly, which has clearly scarred her for life. To end the class, we did 3 problems from a pair check on speed and velocity, and were assigned problems 1-6 from p. 52 in the book for homework. 

Question of the Day Answer:

As was somewhat previously mentioned, the physicist wants to assume the cow is a sphere to simplify things, as physicists have a tendency to do. This was the punchline of the joke, which no one understood, and thus was not funny to the class.

9/22 qod

Why does the physicist want to assume the cow is a sphere?

--ch

09/21 Wandersee

HARMON vs. COATS-HAAN

~paper passing out contest~

Coats-Haan takes the lead!! 

At the beginning of class this morning we checked the "Graphing Exercises" homework from the night before where we had to describe what motion each graph was making. Directly following we jumped right in and continued with the lab that we started on Tuesday. We also had a "motion graph scavenger hunt" where we analyzed different  graphs to determine what motion they were making (this was similar to the homework from Tuesday night, just more practice). Both items were to be turned in by the end of class. However, if your group did not have time to finish the lab, Coats-Haan will accept it tomorrow at the beginning of class. In addition, we were assigned "kinematics Problems II". These are problems exactly like the ones from Monday night's homework.

Question of the Day: Describe the position vs time graph and the velocity vs time graph of Bengals wide receiver, AJ Green, if her runs with uniform motion to the end zone.

Answer: I'm not big on football, and actually have no clue who AJ Green is. However, using physics knowledge, the position vs time graph would have a linear slope. I am still confused on whether or not the slope would be positive. The velocity vs time graph would be a horizontal line. The horizontal line could not be stationed on zero because that would indicate no motion but again, I am not sure if the line would go above or below the zero.

9/21 qod

Describe the position vs. time graph and the velocity vs. time graph of Bengals wide receiver, AJ Green, if is running with uniform motion to the end zone.
--ch

9/20 Vidas

At the beginning of the period today (Tuesday, September 20), we turned in our Kinematics pair check worksheet if we had not done so already at the end of class Monday.  We also checked our answers from Monday night’s homework, the “Kinematics Problem I” worksheet, which was graded for completion.  After our homework was checked and we worked some problems, we completed an activity called “Following Jack”.  Then, we took notes on graphing position vs. time graphs and velocity vs. time graphs.  The next activity we did was on page 31 of our lab manuals.  We played with cars (and tractors and space shuttles!) to perform what the graphs were representing.  Following this, we started a lab called “Graphing the Look of Motion”, on pages 28-29 of the lab manual.  We are going to finish this tomorrow in class.  For homework, we were assigned a graphing exercises worksheet to turn in on Wednesday.

Answer to the QOD-   Assuming that the truck is moving to the right, the position vs. time graph would be a curve with a positive slope, which shows changed velocity.  The velocity vs. time graph (also assuming the truck is moving right), would have a straight line above the x-axis that continues on to show the constant acceleration.  

9/20 qod

You are chasing a truck full of chicken nuggets that keeps going faster and faster, describe the position vs. time and the velocity vs. time graph for the truck's motion.

--ch

9/19 qod

You are running from a bear.  At first, you speed up because you want to get away, but eventually you slow down because you get tired.  If you survived this experience and plotted your motion on a graph of position vs. time, would it be appropriate to draw a straight line through your data points?
--ch

9/16 Tesmer

On Friday, September 16, we continued our work on the Kinematics Discovery Lab. At the beginning of the period, Mrs. Coats-Haan told us that she was dressed in a t-shirt because she had a nose bleed earlier in the day and got her other shirt dirty. We were asked to have completed through number nine in the lab for Friday, but it was not checked. Then, we finished the lab in class. If a group did not get through all of the questions, they have until Monday to turn in the lab in its entirety.  For homework, we were assigned the 2.1-2.2 Guided Reading worksheet to be turned in on Monday.

Question of the Day:

By looking at a graph of distance vs. time, you can tell which object is traveling faster and which object has uniform speed by looking at their line of best fit. The object with uniform speed will have a relatively straight line of best fit. The object which is traveling faster and gaining speed will have a curved or very steep line of best fit.

9/16 qod

If the motion of two objects is plotted on a graph of distance vs. time, how can you tell from looking at the graph which motion was uniform and which object was traveling faster?

--ch

9/15 Schwab

Today we turned in our homework, page 25 – 27 from the lab manual. After Ms. Coats-Haan explain why we should NOT connect the dots on our graphs. The points on the graph are in the general area of the value, so draw a line close to as many as possible, don’t connect the dots. Before Ms. Coats-Haan let us go work on the lab with our group she did the first check point of the lab together as a class. She explained the 3 barriers that prevent uniform motion on our tracks. They were Gravity, friction and the start up.  Then she let us go and get to work on our lab. If your group didn’t get to #9 on the lab it became homework. And Mr. Hunter miller had a fashionable late entrance to class today.

QOD- The units on the slope of our graphs in the labs are time(in seconds) and distance(in whatever measure your group chose, mine chose feet) slope is in ft per second. This means if you have a slope of 2  your ball is rolling at a speed of 2 feet per second. 

9/15 qod

What are the units of the slope of your graph in the lab?  What do they mean?

--ch

9/14 Miller

Yesterday on the 14th in class, Ms. Coats-Haan reviewed the answers to the Pondering Speed worksheet that was the previous night's homework. After this the class took a quiz over the Good Graphing Techniques from the lab manual. Then Ms. Coats-Haan discussed the lab that will last through Friday. She emphasized the importance of the checkpoints and displayed the materials for use, such as the track, the ball, the stop watch and Play Doh ( which is not to be eaten). Then for the rest of the class period each table group worked on their individual labs. For homework Lab Manual pages 25 - 28 were assigned. The answer to the question of the day, what barriers prevent uniform motion on the track, unknown variables such as possible winds from outside ( when the windows are open ) and other possible damages to the track may prevent uniform motion. Well, that was September 14 in 3rd Period Honors Physics. Have a great day!

9/14 qod

What are the barriers to creating uniform motion with your ball and track?

--ch

9/13 Meese

Today in 3rd period Honors Physics it was the most deadly of all school days, unit test day. The test was over mostly vectors, how to add them and how to put them into either unit vector notation or polar vector notation, with some Bernoulli's Principle and Unit Circle sprinkled in. The worksheet titled Pondering Speed (given to the class on Monday) will be due tommorrow, as will reading pages 23 and 24 of your lab manual on how to make a good graph. To answer the question of the day, an operational definition for volume of a liquid is how much space that the liquid occupies in the container. Well, since my blog is awfully short due to the lack of classwork, I also want to state that the test we took was fairly difficult, but when I feel like I am the only one who has ever struggled in that class, or even on that test, I can always remember that I scored higher than Mrs. Lamb did on the Unit Circle portion of the test and that is something that I will always be proud of.

9/13 qod

Give an operational definition for the volume of a liquid.

--ch

9/12 qod

What common source of error in the lab did we discuss today?  What is one way of minimizing its effect?

-- ch

9/9 Lee

To start of the third period Honors Physics class, Mrs. Coats-Haan checked our book work (pg 23 #'s 32-34 and 40-43) and gave us the key.  She also collected our Football lab's from the day before.  Then, Mrs. Coats-Haan passed out the Vector Graphic Organizer that is to be due Monday.  She quickly went over the Lab that we would be working on that day.  She passed out a lamanated sheet for each table that had a group number on it.  We were told that any measuring device was allowed to be used.  The lab was executed on Main Street. Quickly, the class seperated into teams and moved towards their starting points. The sheet that was handed out at the beginning of the class told us where to start and what direction and how many feet we should go. There were multiple vectors on the sheet, but our group realized that it was more effective to add all the vectors, north with south and east with west, so that we only had one x value and one y value (somewhat like the Football Lab).  The objective of the lab was to find the "treasure" at the end of our vector, which for pour group turned out the be under a water fountain.  As each group finished, which not all the groups found their "treasure" (a piece of tape), they returned to the room and worked on the homework for Monday.  When all the groups returned, Mrs. Coats-Haan gave everyone a dumdum the flavor of our choice. 

qod answer:
It was more effective to add the vectors east and west and then the north and south so that we could find one long vector for each distance (x for east and west and y for noth and south). 

9/9 qod

What is the most efficient way to use what you learned in class to find your "treasure"?

--ch

9/8 qod

What is the one thing you can look at to determine if you need to add 180 degrees to your angle?

--ch

09/07 Harmon

To start off the third period, Coats-Haan checked our vector addition homework and passed out answer keys for us to make corrections. Once the answer keys were collected, our class was introduced a second way to solve vectors called Unit Vector Notation. the class diligently took notes from the smartboard on how to convert our old method of vectors, the polar form, to Unit Vector Notation(one solves the x and y values just like we did in the ROXY chart, and put the coefficient i with the x-value and j the y-value), and how to convert Unit Vector Notation to the polar form(one uses the Pythagorean Theorem to find the vector's magnitude, and then one has to use the inverse tangent function (y/x) to find the direction. In the moments after completing the notes for the day, Coats-Haan passed out a pair-check, which we all completed and turned in, a Unit Vector Notation worksheet, and she assigned lab manual page 9 for homework(this is a sheet we started in class and the rest was homework). In the midst of our tedious, and I mean tedious work, the bell rang, and I almost had to be dragged from the room. September 7th was another fantastic day for 3rd period physics!

QOD Answer:

The advantage of using unit vectors as opposed to polar form is that it is much easier to add unit vectors together, because all one has to do is combine like terms(i's with i's and j's with j's).

9/7 qod

What is the advantage to using unit vectors instead of the polar form?

-- ch

9/06 Han

Today, September 6th, the first thing we did was turn our Vector Addition Partner Check that was either completed in class on Friday, or done for homework over the weekend. We then proceeded to check our Vector Addition 1 homework assigned to the class over our long weekend and asked questions if we encountered any problems. As we continued to check the homework, Coat-Haan passed out another partner worksheet, the homework, as well as copy of the unit circle. After we had all finished checking our homework, we passed back the answer keys and told to get out a piece of paper. We took copious notes, learning a new method to solving vectors not drawn at 90 degrees. Our notes included the steps to solving these vectors, what quadrant the vector was in and what action to perform on that angle (nothing, add 180 degrees, or add 360 degrees). As this great class continued, so did the wonderful notes. Coats-Haan then taught the class of the ROXY chart method, which used the other two vectors and their sine and cosine functions, in order to be able to use the Pythagorean Theorem and inverse tangent to find the direction of the third vector. We did an example of how to use the ROXY chart method together as a class and the teacher explained how to solve the problem. We went on to talk about the unit circle, with the copy we received as we were checking our homework. Coat-Haan explained how the unit circle was set up and how to locate the points of different angles (we need to know this chart for the test). Taking the partner worksheet also handed out with the unit circle and homework, we got together with our partners and worked on the problems. After we had completed each problem, we compared our answers with the answers posted on the board. For most of the class, the worksheet was not completely finished, but don't worry, unlike the other partner worksheet, this one did not have to be complete for homework. Instead, if you had completed all the problems up through number 4, you could turn it in. Though the whole class dreaded it, the bell finally rang, signally the end to another memorable Physics class. We all grabbed our homework, which was another Vector Addition Worksheet, and regretfully exited through the door into the crowded hall.

QOD Answer:

ROXY allows us to create a right triangle through the sine and cosine functions. This allows us to then use the Pythagorean Theorem and inverse tangent to find the last vector.

9/6 qod

How is ROXY a combination of adding collinear vectors and adding right angle vectors?

-- ch

9/02 Gaitan

Today, on Friday September 2^nd, we had one assignment due, and it was the Measuring Vectors Lab.  Each group completed the Vector Addition POGIL as well as the peer evaluation paper about the POGIL.  A specific member in each group turned in the POGIL, and we all turned in the peer evaluation paper along with it.  For the groups that did not finish the Pair Check, it was assigned for homework, along with the Vector Addition I Homework.  We were supposed to have grasped the point on how to successfully measure the lengths of vectors, the directions of them, as well as plotting the lengths and directions of the vectors.  Learning how to perform each task in our group was also something important.  We also need to know what a resultant vector is and how to plot it and spot it.  Since we ran out of time to learn how Bernoulli’s principle applies to the kites that we had made, we went over that.  When you add two vectors that form a right angle with each other, you have to use the Pythagorean Theorem and also use tangent in order to figure out the length and direction of the resultant vector.

9/2 qod

How do you add two vectors that form a right angle when drawn head to tail?

 

--ch

9/1 Clyde

Today we turned in our What is a Radian? lab that we had on page 5 of our lab manuals, also returning any protractors we borrowed. Once we’d done that, everyone had to set up their books and binders in a line in the middle of the table so that nobody could see what was going on on the other side of the table. We then received the mysterious ‘Ye Ole Treasure Map’, with a picture of a pirate ship in one corner and a treasure chest in the other. Half of each table received blank maps with just these, while the other half had complete maps, which showed all of the dangers awaiting us in the sea, and the only safe path to get to the treasure! The students with complete maps then used rulers and protractors to attempt to lead the students with blank maps to the treasure chest at the end without being blown to smithereens by running into a mine, being eaten by running into a shark, or peeking at the answers. After completing this dangerous task, luckily with no severe injuries or deaths (because no one is allowed to die in physics), Brian’s team was successfully able to reach the end of the puzzle before the rest of the class and received the priceless booty inside... candy.

As those two ate their newly-won Dum Dums, the class transitioned into a new activity, a POGIL. We were assigned specific roles to play as we worked on the POGIL packet about vectors. Most groups got through the first page before we wrapped up class and left.

In the way of homework, we were assigned Page 7 of our lab manuals,  Measuring Vectors. While the page in the manual gives an example for what we should use as a scale, it’s not advised that you use said scale, unless you’d like to tape together 9 meters’ worth of paper just to finish number four. 1/10mm = 1km would be the recommended scale. You know, unless you wanted to do that 9 meters of paper thing.

QOD:

The information needed to accurately describe a vector would be the angle, the length of the line (or magnitude), and the reference line. This last bit was what got most of us on Ye Ole Treasure Map, as several of us were measuring on the opposite side of the reference line as those guiding us, and ending up going in all the wrong directions. However, having all three pieces of information would allow someone to successfully replicate a vector.

9/1 qod

What information do you need to accurately describe a vector?

 

-- ch