Tides Source
I found this source to be extremely helpful in understanding how physics applies to tides. Parts of the video are actually relatively similar to parts of the tides video Ms. Lawrence made for us. However, it went to greater depths in describing how to find angles and measurements between the forces. It focused less on formulas. What made this video so helpful for me was the pictures being constantly drawn as the concepts are described. It made things very engaging. He also used colors that made it more entertaining and kept my attention. Hewitt obviously knows what he is talking about and explained things in a very effective way.
Friday, November 15, 2013
Friday, November 1, 2013
UNIT BLOG REFLECTION
WHAT I HAVE LEARNED....
Newtons Second Law
We began the second unit by learning Newtons Second Law. Having found Newtons 1st law relatively straight forward, I was surprised to find the second more complex. Not only did it deal with two aspects, but also involved a formula. For me as a learner, the simple mentioning of a "formula" often raises red flags. However, through practice and studying, I have wrestled with the material.
Newtons Second Law: Force is proportional to acceleration and mass is inversely proportional to acceleration.
So what does that mean? Although I have the basic definition down, breaking this down and really understanding it is another story. From what I gathered, because they are proportional, when force increases, so does acceleration, and when force decreases, so does acceleration. Contrasting this process, because mass is inversely proportional to acceleration, when mass increases, acceleration decreases, and when mass decreases, acceleration increases.
However, still, what does this mean?
I like to think of it like this. If something is has an extremely strong force on it, it is going to move faster, thus gain more speed, and essentially have a higher acceleration rate.
In this picture, the explosion is causing batman to fly forward at a very fast rate. It is shown in this picture that a large acceleration will mirror a large force.
When dealing with mass, things are slightly more complicated as acceleration is no longer proportional but inversely proportional. I like to think of it as bigger people tend to move slower, and it is also harder to push/lift large objects than it is to do so with small objects.
vs.
Bart can move faster because he has less mass!
Instead of writing out practice problems here, I think that this video goes into deeper depths of freefall, also it is able to portray the problem visually.
When an object is falling DOWN it is the exact same concept except instead of throwing it up, you are throwing it down. In fact, it is simpler when an object is being thrown straight down because it is being thrown from rest.
Example Problem:
Why is it that a led ball and ping pong ball hit the ground at the same time when dropped off of a ping pong ball, yet hit the ground at different times when dropped off of a building?
Because the two balls have different masses, they will have different air resistances. When a led ball is being dropped off of something it will have to increase speed to equal the force of air resistance in order to achieve equilibrium. However, for a ping pong ball, air resistance is less, therefore it will not need to go extremely fast to balance the two forces. Because of this, the led ball will go faster. However, when dropped off of the short distance of a table top, the balls do not have time to reach their terminal velocity, therefore will hit the ground at relatively, the same time.
Falling at an angle
The final concept that we studied in this unit is falling at an angle. I also found this section difficult as we incorporated a new level of match that involved included right triangle problems. We also learned how to distinguish between finding the horizontal and vertical velocities and distances. For horizontal we use the formula v=d/t and for vertical we use d=1/2gt^2
When an object is falling, everything depends on HEIGHT!
Additionally, we also learned to find perfect right triangles to help with our answers. The triangles we learned to look out for are 45, 45, 90 triangles, 30, 40, 50 triangles, and 10, 10, 10 root 2 triangles.
WHAT I HAVE FOUND MOST DIFFICULT....
Because I also struggled with it last unit, I found the equation of a line concept challenging. However, through watching the podcast on that topic and seeking extra help, I definitely have a better understanding now. I also found falling at an angle difficult, however similarly, seeking extra help and watching the podcasts were very helpful.
PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS, EFFORT:
I think that I have certainly put forth my best effort throughout the unit. I am almost positive that I have all the homework completed. I think that I could definitely pay more attention in class through actually working problems Ms. Lawrence puts on the board rather than copying them down on my paper without thinking it through. Later, when I look at the examples from class they do not make sense because I do no remember how I completed them. However, I am becoming more consistent with drawing pictures and showing my work which has helped me catch careless mistakes and become more accurate with my answers. I think that I also attempt to be as creative in this class which aids in my understanding. With our podcast, we tried our best to make it interactive and interesting in order for people to pay more attention to it. My physics confidence is certainly growing as I progress as a learner, and our class progresses as well!
REAL LIFE?
In reality, the obvious answer for this question is skydiving. Of course we know that people go skydiving all the time. However, what we do not catch as easily is that everything we learned in this unit can be applied to the real world. For instance, free fall. We drop things of buildings all the time. Also with directional falling, we do that as well! (baseball, throwing something to someone, dropping something from a plane, hanging time). Newtons 2nd law can be applied as well.
OVERALL
I enjoyed this unit! It was certainly more challenging, however it was interesting!
WHAT I HAVE LEARNED....
Newtons Second Law
We began the second unit by learning Newtons Second Law. Having found Newtons 1st law relatively straight forward, I was surprised to find the second more complex. Not only did it deal with two aspects, but also involved a formula. For me as a learner, the simple mentioning of a "formula" often raises red flags. However, through practice and studying, I have wrestled with the material.
Newtons Second Law: Force is proportional to acceleration and mass is inversely proportional to acceleration.
So what does that mean? Although I have the basic definition down, breaking this down and really understanding it is another story. From what I gathered, because they are proportional, when force increases, so does acceleration, and when force decreases, so does acceleration. Contrasting this process, because mass is inversely proportional to acceleration, when mass increases, acceleration decreases, and when mass decreases, acceleration increases.
However, still, what does this mean?
I like to think of it like this. If something is has an extremely strong force on it, it is going to move faster, thus gain more speed, and essentially have a higher acceleration rate.
In this picture, the explosion is causing batman to fly forward at a very fast rate. It is shown in this picture that a large acceleration will mirror a large force.
When dealing with mass, things are slightly more complicated as acceleration is no longer proportional but inversely proportional. I like to think of it as bigger people tend to move slower, and it is also harder to push/lift large objects than it is to do so with small objects.
vs. 
Bart can move faster because he has less mass!
Formula:
Acceleration=(net)force/mass
Applying Newtons 1st law to a problem:
A 10 kg box is being pushed with 5 N to the right and 45 N to the left, what is the box's acceleration?
solution:
A=40/10
A=4m/s^2
Newtons 2nd Law (in relation to lab)
I think that the major aspect of this lab was integrating concepts from unit 1 and unit 2. The equation of a line. Last unit, this section was by far the most challenging for me. Therefore, when I saw that it is repeating itself in this unit, I was a little dismayed. However, through Hunter's podcast, I was able to gain a much better idea of what this concept really is. Ultimately, the equation used for this is a=fnet/mass, this can be translated to a= fnet x 1/mass, which is completely compatible with the equation of a line. The equation of a line is y=mx+b.
What Hunter talked about in his podcast was how we can ignore b because it is too small to be significant. Additionally, he talked about how m is always what is kept constant, x is what you change, and y is what you solve for.
Mass vs. Weight
Before this unit, I really did not know that there was a big difference between mass and weight. However, when applied to physics, the difference is huge. I think that most importantly, weight acts as a force. Mass contributes to weight as mass and gravity are multiplied to equal the weight.
How does weight act as a force?
Weight acts as a force because the force of gravity pulls objects down at different rates depending on their forces, this process is weight.
formula:
Weight=mass x gravity
KEEP IN MIND: GRAVITY IS ALWAYS 10 N (unless dealing with labs, in which case it is 9.8)
Practice Problem:
What is the weight of a baby that has a mass of 2 grams?
Weight= mass x gravity
w=2(10)
w=20 N
*ALWAYS USE NEWTONS WHEN DEALING WITH WEIGHT*
Applying Sky Diving to Newtons 2nd Law
One of the major things that Ms. Lawrence stressed to us at the beginning of the year, is how her goal is for us to be able to apply physics to real life situations. The sky diving section of this unit is a perfect example of this. When skydiving, as soon as you jump off the plane, your velocity begins to increase. However, eventually you will reach terminal velocity which is the maximum velocity a certain object can reach. When terminal velocity is reached, velocity is decreased as equilibrium becomes present. Additionally, netforce and acceleration decrease because the object is reaching equilibrium.
How do we know this?
NEWTONS 2nd LAW! acceleration decreases because for decreases, we know this because of Newtons 2nd Law which states that acceleration and force are proportional!
When the skydiver reaches terminal velocity, net force and acceleration will equal 0.
Parachutes
When the parachute opens, things become much more complicated. The terminal velocity is suddenly broken as the parachute opens, immediately slowing down the skydiver. So what does happen when a parachute opens?
Because of the dramatic change of the process of the parachute opening, it causes acceleration and netforce to actually increase in an opposite direction. Because of this, speed decreases because of the force and acceleration pulling it upward. Air resistance also decreases because it is proportional to speed. However, eventually, the skydiver will reach terminal velocity. This terminal velocity will be slower than the one before because over the negative acceleration and force. Also when terminal velocity is reached, force, air resistance, and acceleration will equal zero.
FREE FALL
If an object is in free fall, the only force acting on it is gravity. Therefore, there is no air resistance. Just the force of gravity. Also, in free fall, acceleration will always be consistent and remain 10 m/s^2.
IN FREE FALL, WEIGHT DOESNT MATTER!
(and neither does mass!)
Instead of writing out practice problems here, I think that this video goes into deeper depths of freefall, also it is able to portray the problem visually.
When an object is falling DOWN it is the exact same concept except instead of throwing it up, you are throwing it down. In fact, it is simpler when an object is being thrown straight down because it is being thrown from rest.
Example Problem:
Why is it that a led ball and ping pong ball hit the ground at the same time when dropped off of a ping pong ball, yet hit the ground at different times when dropped off of a building?
Because the two balls have different masses, they will have different air resistances. When a led ball is being dropped off of something it will have to increase speed to equal the force of air resistance in order to achieve equilibrium. However, for a ping pong ball, air resistance is less, therefore it will not need to go extremely fast to balance the two forces. Because of this, the led ball will go faster. However, when dropped off of the short distance of a table top, the balls do not have time to reach their terminal velocity, therefore will hit the ground at relatively, the same time.
Falling at an angle
The final concept that we studied in this unit is falling at an angle. I also found this section difficult as we incorporated a new level of match that involved included right triangle problems. We also learned how to distinguish between finding the horizontal and vertical velocities and distances. For horizontal we use the formula v=d/t and for vertical we use d=1/2gt^2
When an object is falling, everything depends on HEIGHT!
Additionally, we also learned to find perfect right triangles to help with our answers. The triangles we learned to look out for are 45, 45, 90 triangles, 30, 40, 50 triangles, and 10, 10, 10 root 2 triangles.
WHAT I HAVE FOUND MOST DIFFICULT....
Because I also struggled with it last unit, I found the equation of a line concept challenging. However, through watching the podcast on that topic and seeking extra help, I definitely have a better understanding now. I also found falling at an angle difficult, however similarly, seeking extra help and watching the podcasts were very helpful.
PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS, EFFORT:
I think that I have certainly put forth my best effort throughout the unit. I am almost positive that I have all the homework completed. I think that I could definitely pay more attention in class through actually working problems Ms. Lawrence puts on the board rather than copying them down on my paper without thinking it through. Later, when I look at the examples from class they do not make sense because I do no remember how I completed them. However, I am becoming more consistent with drawing pictures and showing my work which has helped me catch careless mistakes and become more accurate with my answers. I think that I also attempt to be as creative in this class which aids in my understanding. With our podcast, we tried our best to make it interactive and interesting in order for people to pay more attention to it. My physics confidence is certainly growing as I progress as a learner, and our class progresses as well!
REAL LIFE?
In reality, the obvious answer for this question is skydiving. Of course we know that people go skydiving all the time. However, what we do not catch as easily is that everything we learned in this unit can be applied to the real world. For instance, free fall. We drop things of buildings all the time. Also with directional falling, we do that as well! (baseball, throwing something to someone, dropping something from a plane, hanging time). Newtons 2nd law can be applied as well.
OVERALL
I enjoyed this unit! It was certainly more challenging, however it was interesting!
Monday, October 21, 2013
FREE FALL
When searching for videos pertaining free fall, this was one of the first to come up. Although I usually try to find videos that are not as common, through comparison with the others, I soon discovered that this was certainly the most helpful and informative. I think that one of the most helpful aspects of this video is the pictures. Not only are they present, but he constantly changes and works with them, essentially relating them to every single thing that he talks about. Because I am more of a visual learner, this really reinforced the concepts and also kept me attentive. What also helped, is that he solved problems dealing with free fall and worked them out for viewers to understand. He went to great depths to ensure that the free fall is fulling understood through deeply explaining everything. This video was extremely helpful to me and my interpretation of free fall, and I recommend it to anyone struggling to wrestle the concept.
When searching for videos pertaining free fall, this was one of the first to come up. Although I usually try to find videos that are not as common, through comparison with the others, I soon discovered that this was certainly the most helpful and informative. I think that one of the most helpful aspects of this video is the pictures. Not only are they present, but he constantly changes and works with them, essentially relating them to every single thing that he talks about. Because I am more of a visual learner, this really reinforced the concepts and also kept me attentive. What also helped, is that he solved problems dealing with free fall and worked them out for viewers to understand. He went to great depths to ensure that the free fall is fulling understood through deeply explaining everything. This video was extremely helpful to me and my interpretation of free fall, and I recommend it to anyone struggling to wrestle the concept.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Newtons 2nd Law
I chose this video for multiple reasons. First off, I think that Khan Academy is a very credited source therefore as soon as I saw the source I knew I wanted to look into the video. I think that it is extremely helpful because he goes into great depths to explain not only Newtons 2nd law but the concepts that relate to it. The neon colors also helped me focus on what was being presented. Because he wrote everything out, I was able to follow what he said mentally and visually. Drawing examples, using pictures, and relating Newtons 2nd law to scenarios in the real world was extremely helpful. I recommend this video to anyone who is having problems wrestling this unit!
I chose this video for multiple reasons. First off, I think that Khan Academy is a very credited source therefore as soon as I saw the source I knew I wanted to look into the video. I think that it is extremely helpful because he goes into great depths to explain not only Newtons 2nd law but the concepts that relate to it. The neon colors also helped me focus on what was being presented. Because he wrote everything out, I was able to follow what he said mentally and visually. Drawing examples, using pictures, and relating Newtons 2nd law to scenarios in the real world was extremely helpful. I recommend this video to anyone who is having problems wrestling this unit!
Monday, September 30, 2013
Unit Blog Reflection
Unit Blog Reflection
In this unit I learned about...
In this unit, the main concepts that we covered included, inertia, newtons 1st law, equilibrium, net-force, speed, velocity, acceleration, and how to relate graphs and physics.
Inertia/Newtons First Law
Inertia lies mainly under the concept of Newtons 1st law. Inertia is demonstrated when objects in motion stay in motion, and objects at rest stay at rest unless acted upon by an outside force (Newtons first law). Ultimately, Newton's first law defines inertia. However, one of the most important things to remember while answering problems that use these two concepts in the answer, is that neither are nouns. You cannot say this object stayed because it had inertia. Inertia and Newtons first law are reasoning/laws explaining why things happen. Also, mass is a measure of inertia. Objects with more mass will have more inertia.
Example Problems...
When someone quickly removes a tablecloth out from under a set of dishes, why do these dishes stay at rest?
The objects stay at rest because the force exerted from pulling the table cloth out from under them was not enough to move the dishes in such a quick amount of time. Therefore, inertia was demonstrated because objects at rest will stay at rest unless acted upon by an outside force.
In a car, if you toss a coin up in the air, where will it land?
The coin will land directly back in your hand because it will stay in motion. While the car is still moving forward, the coin and other objects within are as well. We know this because of Newtons first law which states that objects in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force.
In this picture, a man is falling off of his bike. (obviously). However, while his bike stops, his body continues to move. We know this because of Newtons first law which states that objects in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force.
Net-force/ Equilibrium
Net-force is essentially all of the forces on an object. When something has a net-force, it means that it has acceleration and will be moving. Equilibrium is when something has a net-force of 0 newtons. Equilibrium occurs anytime a net-force adds up to 0 which includes when something is moving at a constant velocity, or when something is in rest.
What is force?
Force is a push or pull. It is measured in newtons.
1/4 Ib=1 N
Earth pulls down with 50N of gravity.
Example Problems...
A box is being pushed with 5N of force to the left, and 5N of force to the right. What is the net-force?
0 Newtons, the box is in a state of equilibrium.
A box is being pushed with a constant velocity with a force of 10 N. What is the force of friction between the floor and the box? How do you know this?
10 Newtons because when something is moving at a constant velocity it is in a state of equilibrium therefore will have a net-force of 0N. (no net-force). The force of friction must be equal to the force of the push.
NETFORCE=3N to the right.
Speed/Velocity
Speed and velocity are concepts that share multiple things in common. Speed and velocity are relatively the same, however, velocity requires direction. Therefore, if something is going at a constant speed it is also going at a constant velocity. However, if that object was to change directions while maintaining a constant rate, it would not have a constant velocity but would have a constant speed. If you change the direction, you change the velocity.
Formulas...
Speed=distance/time
you measure speed most commonly by meters/second
velocity=acceleration x time
constant velocity=distance/time
you also use meters/second for velocity
Example problems...
What is the velocity of a boat that went 100 meters in 50 seconds?
velocity=d/t
v=100/50
v=2 meters/second
This cheetah has a high velocity because it is running in one direction very fast.
here is our podcast on velocity.
Acceleration
Acceleration is a change in velocity. If something is accelerating it could be slowing down, speeding up, or changing directions. If something is in a constant velocity, it has no acceleration! If something is falling straight down, it will always have an acceleration of 10 meters per second squared.
formulas...
Acceleration=change in velocity/time interval
units=meters per second squared
distance=1/2 acceleration x time squared
example problems...
An object is going down a ramp very rapidly, increasing every second by 2 m/s. What is the acceleratin of the object after 10 seconds?
a=20m/s (squared)
If something is at a constant velocity, what is the acceleration?
no acceleration!
On new years eve in new york, the ball drops at midnight. What is the acceleration of that ball?
10 meters per second squared.
Equations of a Line
During our acceleration lab, we learned about how to convert our d=1/2at(squared) formula into an equation of a line.
Equation of a line...
y=mx+b
How do we convert the acceleration formula into this?
y=distance
m=slope
x=time
What I found most challenging:
As shown in my quiz grades, there were certainly aspects of this unit that I found challenging. I think that what I found most difficult was learning when to use different formulas. Because speed, velocity, and acceleration are all such similar concepts, there equations are as well. I often mixed these up on quizzes, leading to poor quiz scores.
HOWEVER:
"we learn from our mistakes" is a quote everyone knows. This definitely applies to my physics because I learned from what I did wrong in each question I answered. I also sought extra help from Mrs. Lawrence and friends to drill in formulas and meanings. I think what made this click is going over and over and over problems until I learn how to do them correctly.
Problem solving skills, effort, and learning
Problem solving skills:
One of my biggest issues in science/math is memorizing how to do something instead of actually learning how to do it. I think that this problem has occurred a little in physics so far, however the questions that Mrs. Lawrence give us challenge me to the extent that my previous approach does not always work. The problems that we face challenge us to search for and apply all the concepts we have been learning. I think that through this, my problem solving skills have definitely improved in all areas possible.
Effort:
I believe that in order to succeed in anything, effort needs to be presented consistently. In regards to homework, I think that I have put forth my best effort every night to complete the work, and understand it. I always try to engage in class and activities to further develop my understanding of concepts we learn. Also, I spend as much time as possible on my blog posts so that they makes sense, and help me and others reading them.
Learning:
There has been significant improvement of my understanding of physics as we approach the test. I think that I have learned how to apply concepts we are taught to real life scenarios through our podcasts, and class activities. Through effort, I think that I will certainly continue to learn and understand much more!
Overall...
Generally, I think that my self confidence as a student has increased. I feel more comfortable with the materials as we learn more and more about them. I collaborated very well with Jasira and Elise as we worked hard to complete a podcast on velocity. I look forward to growing more as a student in the next unit.
Goals:
I was not really aware of my dramatic grade drop until recently. My once 94 has transformed dramatically into a threatening 82 on the verge of a C and hanging on desperately to the B range. Not only am I dissapointed in myself, but I was caught off guard. Obviously, I was not paying enough attention to Physics to allow my grade to drop so much. Because of this, I intend to be a much more physics prioritized student next semester. I think that what hurt me the most were quiz grades which I hopefully will not do as poorly on. I hope that I can bring my grade back up and also understand future material that is given to me!
PART B: Connections
On the first day of physics class, Mrs. Lawrence told us that she would only teach us things relevant to our lives. Because of this, I believe that everything we have learned so far can apply to out daily lives. I now know why car accidents can often be fatal, how various concepts that include speed and force work, and can differentiate concepts that I initially thought were the same, from each other. What is so engaging in physics, is its consistent relevance to everything we do.
In this unit I learned about...
In this unit, the main concepts that we covered included, inertia, newtons 1st law, equilibrium, net-force, speed, velocity, acceleration, and how to relate graphs and physics.
Inertia/Newtons First Law
Inertia lies mainly under the concept of Newtons 1st law. Inertia is demonstrated when objects in motion stay in motion, and objects at rest stay at rest unless acted upon by an outside force (Newtons first law). Ultimately, Newton's first law defines inertia. However, one of the most important things to remember while answering problems that use these two concepts in the answer, is that neither are nouns. You cannot say this object stayed because it had inertia. Inertia and Newtons first law are reasoning/laws explaining why things happen. Also, mass is a measure of inertia. Objects with more mass will have more inertia.
Example Problems...
When someone quickly removes a tablecloth out from under a set of dishes, why do these dishes stay at rest?
The objects stay at rest because the force exerted from pulling the table cloth out from under them was not enough to move the dishes in such a quick amount of time. Therefore, inertia was demonstrated because objects at rest will stay at rest unless acted upon by an outside force.
In a car, if you toss a coin up in the air, where will it land?
The coin will land directly back in your hand because it will stay in motion. While the car is still moving forward, the coin and other objects within are as well. We know this because of Newtons first law which states that objects in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force.
In this picture, a man is falling off of his bike. (obviously). However, while his bike stops, his body continues to move. We know this because of Newtons first law which states that objects in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force.
Net-force/ Equilibrium
Net-force is essentially all of the forces on an object. When something has a net-force, it means that it has acceleration and will be moving. Equilibrium is when something has a net-force of 0 newtons. Equilibrium occurs anytime a net-force adds up to 0 which includes when something is moving at a constant velocity, or when something is in rest.
What is force?
Force is a push or pull. It is measured in newtons.
1/4 Ib=1 N
Earth pulls down with 50N of gravity.
Example Problems...
A box is being pushed with 5N of force to the left, and 5N of force to the right. What is the net-force?
0 Newtons, the box is in a state of equilibrium.
A box is being pushed with a constant velocity with a force of 10 N. What is the force of friction between the floor and the box? How do you know this?
10 Newtons because when something is moving at a constant velocity it is in a state of equilibrium therefore will have a net-force of 0N. (no net-force). The force of friction must be equal to the force of the push.
NETFORCE=3N to the right.
Speed/Velocity
Speed and velocity are concepts that share multiple things in common. Speed and velocity are relatively the same, however, velocity requires direction. Therefore, if something is going at a constant speed it is also going at a constant velocity. However, if that object was to change directions while maintaining a constant rate, it would not have a constant velocity but would have a constant speed. If you change the direction, you change the velocity.
Formulas...
Speed=distance/time
you measure speed most commonly by meters/second
velocity=acceleration x time
constant velocity=distance/time
you also use meters/second for velocity
Example problems...
What is the velocity of a boat that went 100 meters in 50 seconds?
velocity=d/t
v=100/50
v=2 meters/second
This cheetah has a high velocity because it is running in one direction very fast.
here is our podcast on velocity.
Acceleration
Acceleration is a change in velocity. If something is accelerating it could be slowing down, speeding up, or changing directions. If something is in a constant velocity, it has no acceleration! If something is falling straight down, it will always have an acceleration of 10 meters per second squared.
formulas...
Acceleration=change in velocity/time interval
units=meters per second squared
distance=1/2 acceleration x time squared
example problems...
An object is going down a ramp very rapidly, increasing every second by 2 m/s. What is the acceleratin of the object after 10 seconds?
a=20m/s (squared)
If something is at a constant velocity, what is the acceleration?
no acceleration!
On new years eve in new york, the ball drops at midnight. What is the acceleration of that ball?
10 meters per second squared.
Equations of a Line
During our acceleration lab, we learned about how to convert our d=1/2at(squared) formula into an equation of a line.
Equation of a line...
y=mx+b
How do we convert the acceleration formula into this?
y=distance
m=slope
x=time
What I found most challenging:
As shown in my quiz grades, there were certainly aspects of this unit that I found challenging. I think that what I found most difficult was learning when to use different formulas. Because speed, velocity, and acceleration are all such similar concepts, there equations are as well. I often mixed these up on quizzes, leading to poor quiz scores.
HOWEVER:
"we learn from our mistakes" is a quote everyone knows. This definitely applies to my physics because I learned from what I did wrong in each question I answered. I also sought extra help from Mrs. Lawrence and friends to drill in formulas and meanings. I think what made this click is going over and over and over problems until I learn how to do them correctly.
Problem solving skills, effort, and learning
Problem solving skills:
One of my biggest issues in science/math is memorizing how to do something instead of actually learning how to do it. I think that this problem has occurred a little in physics so far, however the questions that Mrs. Lawrence give us challenge me to the extent that my previous approach does not always work. The problems that we face challenge us to search for and apply all the concepts we have been learning. I think that through this, my problem solving skills have definitely improved in all areas possible.
Effort:
I believe that in order to succeed in anything, effort needs to be presented consistently. In regards to homework, I think that I have put forth my best effort every night to complete the work, and understand it. I always try to engage in class and activities to further develop my understanding of concepts we learn. Also, I spend as much time as possible on my blog posts so that they makes sense, and help me and others reading them.
Learning:
There has been significant improvement of my understanding of physics as we approach the test. I think that I have learned how to apply concepts we are taught to real life scenarios through our podcasts, and class activities. Through effort, I think that I will certainly continue to learn and understand much more!
Overall...
Generally, I think that my self confidence as a student has increased. I feel more comfortable with the materials as we learn more and more about them. I collaborated very well with Jasira and Elise as we worked hard to complete a podcast on velocity. I look forward to growing more as a student in the next unit.
Goals:
I was not really aware of my dramatic grade drop until recently. My once 94 has transformed dramatically into a threatening 82 on the verge of a C and hanging on desperately to the B range. Not only am I dissapointed in myself, but I was caught off guard. Obviously, I was not paying enough attention to Physics to allow my grade to drop so much. Because of this, I intend to be a much more physics prioritized student next semester. I think that what hurt me the most were quiz grades which I hopefully will not do as poorly on. I hope that I can bring my grade back up and also understand future material that is given to me!
PART B: Connections
On the first day of physics class, Mrs. Lawrence told us that she would only teach us things relevant to our lives. Because of this, I believe that everything we have learned so far can apply to out daily lives. I now know why car accidents can often be fatal, how various concepts that include speed and force work, and can differentiate concepts that I initially thought were the same, from each other. What is so engaging in physics, is its consistent relevance to everything we do.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Constant Velocity Vs. Constant Acceleration After Lab Blog Post
1) What was the purpose of this lab?
I think that the purpose of this lab was to give us a visual explanation of how constant velocity and acceleration work, and also how they differ. Through the marble going down the flat table, we were able to see the consistency in constant velocity, and how the speed stays the exact same throughout the entire experiment. However, when the table was slanted, we saw how constant acceleration works, and how the marble consistently gained more and more speed. I think that Mrs. Lawrence's intent in giving us this lab was to obviously clarify our understanding of the concepts, but also show how constant acceleration and velocity can be applied to real life.
2) The difference between constant velocity and acceleration:
Constant velocity occurs when something is going at a constant rate without changing directions. However, constant acceleration is when something is constantly gaining or decreasing speed, subsequently meaning a changing velocity.
3) What did you do in this lab?
I actually did not do this lab because I was not in class. However, from the descriptions given to me, and the brief demonstration, I am able to come up with an answer that somewhat shows my comprehension of the lab process. The idea was that we were instructed to roll a marble down a table with the beat of a metronome and mark every second while it rolled. For the first part, constant velocity occurred, as the marks were for the most part evenly spaced. This demonstrated how constant velocity works and proved its consistency. For the second part, we slanted the table causing the marble to go slightly downhill as it rolled down. This showed constant acceleration because the marble consistently moved faster and faster.
4) What do the two have in common?
From this lab, I realized that they both have in common the facts that they both deal with speed and consistency. Although they have differences (acceleration deals with speeding up and slowing down) they are both moving at constantly, even though in different ways.
5) Formulas:
constant velocity=distance/time
constant acceleration=change in distance/change in time
6) Graph comparison:
The graphs slightly differed as the constant velocity line was straight where as the constant acceleration line was curved. The graphs served as recourses to visually see our data and better understand it. It also supported our data by giving us an organized output of our results. On both graphs, distance was represented in the y-axis, and time on the x-axis. The constant velocity data resulted in a perfect line as time increased, distance did as well. For acceleration, the x-axis represented time squared, and the graph differed as it created a curve, showing how distance increased rapidly.
7) Graph applied to lab:
What I found very interesting about this lab was how we were able to apply our distance=1/2(acceleration x time squared) equation and transform it into an equation of a line. To an extent, it blew my mind a bit how math and science can relate so simply. This really helped me support my data as well as understand the concepts. It also made it easier to predict the velocity and acceleration in the future.
8) 3 most important things we learned:
I think that the most important things we learned were that 1) constant acceleration always occurs in decreasing and increasing speed, 2) how to work with graphs that pertain to distance and time, and 3) how constant velocity can be applied to daily scenarios.
1) What was the purpose of this lab?
I think that the purpose of this lab was to give us a visual explanation of how constant velocity and acceleration work, and also how they differ. Through the marble going down the flat table, we were able to see the consistency in constant velocity, and how the speed stays the exact same throughout the entire experiment. However, when the table was slanted, we saw how constant acceleration works, and how the marble consistently gained more and more speed. I think that Mrs. Lawrence's intent in giving us this lab was to obviously clarify our understanding of the concepts, but also show how constant acceleration and velocity can be applied to real life.
2) The difference between constant velocity and acceleration:
Constant velocity occurs when something is going at a constant rate without changing directions. However, constant acceleration is when something is constantly gaining or decreasing speed, subsequently meaning a changing velocity.
3) What did you do in this lab?
I actually did not do this lab because I was not in class. However, from the descriptions given to me, and the brief demonstration, I am able to come up with an answer that somewhat shows my comprehension of the lab process. The idea was that we were instructed to roll a marble down a table with the beat of a metronome and mark every second while it rolled. For the first part, constant velocity occurred, as the marks were for the most part evenly spaced. This demonstrated how constant velocity works and proved its consistency. For the second part, we slanted the table causing the marble to go slightly downhill as it rolled down. This showed constant acceleration because the marble consistently moved faster and faster.
4) What do the two have in common?
From this lab, I realized that they both have in common the facts that they both deal with speed and consistency. Although they have differences (acceleration deals with speeding up and slowing down) they are both moving at constantly, even though in different ways.
5) Formulas:
constant velocity=distance/time
constant acceleration=change in distance/change in time
6) Graph comparison:
The graphs slightly differed as the constant velocity line was straight where as the constant acceleration line was curved. The graphs served as recourses to visually see our data and better understand it. It also supported our data by giving us an organized output of our results. On both graphs, distance was represented in the y-axis, and time on the x-axis. The constant velocity data resulted in a perfect line as time increased, distance did as well. For acceleration, the x-axis represented time squared, and the graph differed as it created a curve, showing how distance increased rapidly.
7) Graph applied to lab:
What I found very interesting about this lab was how we were able to apply our distance=1/2(acceleration x time squared) equation and transform it into an equation of a line. To an extent, it blew my mind a bit how math and science can relate so simply. This really helped me support my data as well as understand the concepts. It also made it easier to predict the velocity and acceleration in the future.
8) 3 most important things we learned:
I think that the most important things we learned were that 1) constant acceleration always occurs in decreasing and increasing speed, 2) how to work with graphs that pertain to distance and time, and 3) how constant velocity can be applied to daily scenarios.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
VELOCITY AND ACCELERATION
I chose to share this video because I think it gives a very good explanation of what velocity and acceleration are. This video really helped me understand the concepts, particularly the formulas. The pictures and interesting video format makes the video entertaining and interesting. It also goes to further depths of these concepts than we have gone in class but I thought that this made me understand the two terms even further. It emphasized how position plays a role in the two concepts and how we can discover alot about them through their formulas. I know that this video helped me, and I hope that others find it as useful as I did.
I chose to share this video because I think it gives a very good explanation of what velocity and acceleration are. This video really helped me understand the concepts, particularly the formulas. The pictures and interesting video format makes the video entertaining and interesting. It also goes to further depths of these concepts than we have gone in class but I thought that this made me understand the two terms even further. It emphasized how position plays a role in the two concepts and how we can discover alot about them through their formulas. I know that this video helped me, and I hope that others find it as useful as I did.
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