Introduction to physics blog

1) What do you expect to learn in Physics this year?
    This year in physics, I would really like to gain a concrete understanding of what physics is and how it works. I think that physics is one of the most fundamental sciences, and remains present throughout the world around us everyday. I want to be able to apply what we learn to my life and be able to use my knowledge of physics to understand why things are what they are and how the world around me works. I would expect to learn formulas that can help me complete equations and learn how force, velocity, gravity, and acceleration all work. Through physics, we are able to discover so many things, and I think that it is crucial whether we want to be the next Isaac Newton or not, to understand basic physics so we have somewhat of an understanding of the world we live in.

2) Why do you think studying physics is important?
     I believe that it is important to study physics because it is present consistently throughout our daily lives. Physics plays roles in almost everything that happens in the world from why our feet stay planted to the ground to how planes fly. Physics is one of the most basic sciences, therefore understanding physics would subsequently lead to a better understanding of other sciences that I may take in the future. Being aware of our surroundings makes life more enjoyable and interesting, therefore learning physics is important.

3) What questions do you have about physics?
    Because I don't know very much about physics, I find it difficult to come up with questions about it. However, I really just want to have a deep understanding of what it is. Why is it that things happen the way they do? What is force in mathematical terms? How does math play a role in the subject of physics? How does physics relate to chemistry? How can I apply my skills in chemistry to physics? How does gravity work? Why is it that there is more gravity on planet earth than on the moon?

4) What goals do you have for yourself in physics this year?
     Most importantly, I would like to grasp a concrete understanding of what physics is and how it works. I want to be able to refer to it in my daily life, and use my knowledge of it to further understand scientific and realistic concepts in the future. I want to enjoy physics and be eager to learn it, and grow as a student and person through my knowledge and skills from the class.   I also want to maintain a 4-5 effort grade throughout the year as well as a grade within the A range.





This video was made by a high school student to explain Newtons first law of Inertia and show how it is exemplified in cars. Newtons 1st law states that objects in motion will stay in motion and objects at rest will stay at rest unless acted upon by an outside force. When someone gets in a car wreck, the car stops dramatically because most likely it has hit something or something has hit the car. Although the car stops, the person inside continues to move causing there body to slam into the walls of the car. This is why we have seat belts and other safety precautions. I chose this video because we use cars everyday, therefore this is very relative to our lives. If we were unknowing of Newtons First law, car accidents would be far more dangerous.

Hovercraft Blog 

A) Experience riding the hovercraft:
Riding the hovercraft was relatively simple. The momentum from being pushed was present, however it eventually transformed into a constant speed. I was skeptical before the experience, thinking that because of air resistance, friction, or mass, I would eventually slow down. However, the speed stayed consistent until I was physically stopped. If I were to speak to someone who has never ridden a hovercraft before, I would tell them to hold on tight because the stop can be very sharp. Newtons first law states that objects in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force, therefore the physical stop acted as an outside force. The hovercraft was unique in comparison to other forms of transportation, because friction was not present. Friction is why we slow down in other situations.

B) Inertia, netforce, equilibrium:
Although it is simple to learn about these three concepts through staring at a white board in class, the hovercraft made these lifeless terms become a reality. Inertia, which is practically Newtons first law, was proved when in the hovercraft because it remained in motion until acted upon by an outside force to stop. Netforce was present during the start and stop, however, once at a constant speed, netforce no longer existed because there were no forces acting upon the hovercraft. I also learned about equilibrium because once the hovercraft entered a consistent speed, it also entered a state of equilibrium.

C) What does acceleration depend on?
In this lab, acceleration depended mainly on mass. Those who weighed more may not have been pushed as hard, where as those who weighed less may have more momentum because they are easier to push.

D) Consistent velocity:
I would expect us to have a constant velocity once obtaining a constant speed. In this scenario, we had a constant velocity around halfway across the gym.

E) Why were some easier to stop?
Some were easier or harder to stop depending on mass. Those who weighed more, were more difficult to stop than those who weighed less.