Average Speed, Instantaneous Speed, Constant Speed

Here's a helpful link if you're still having issues with the many faces of speed, as well as some of the stuff we'll be studying over the next few weeks.

Read about velocity as well - what does velocity have in common with displacement?

Phinally Physics!

The second lab was about motion: how can we understand it? We have to start with the simplest question - how can motion be described?

Specifically we arrived at the concept of Mass and Inertia and Newton's First Law of Motion.

Along the way we also discussed Balanced and Unbalanced Forces, Fundamental Units and unit conversion.

Here's a helpful link to use to check your work when converting units, although on quizzes and labs you will need to show your work.

ConCERN over the Large Hadron Collider

Has the large hadron collider destroyed the world yet?

If everything goes well, the Earth Won't BLOW UP on Wednesday

Science Times, Tuesday, September 8, 2008

Fingers Crossed, Physicists Are
Ready for Collider to Roll

By DENNIS OVERBYE, NY Times

Failing a collision with an unforeseen asteroid or an invasion from Alpha Centauri, the world will probably not end on Wednesday, but a lot of people will be holding their breath anyway...

Read more...

You can visit the LHC website for live coverage at 3 a.m. Wednesday morning. Confiused? Watch a video and listen to a guy with an accent explain how it works.

What makes a meter a meter?

This week's Extra credit assignment is to research various aspects of the measurement we know as the meter:

• Who came up with it?


• Who decided exactly how long it should be, and why?


• Who makes sure that we have an accurate measure of it?


• How do we know it's accurate?


• Where is this kept, and under what conditions?


• Why is it so important that we have a unit such as the meter that is the same all over the world?


• How would an alien from another planet somewhere in our universe be able to tell exactly what the length of a meter is?

After you have presented your research in class (typed or legibly written, no more than two paragraphs), you may enter the information along with a link to where you got it (ALWAYS cite your sources) as a comment below.

Science Times: Physics in the News

Every Tuesday, the NY Times has a special Science Times section. There is almost always an article or two involving areas of physics that we will be studying.

Physics-related articles in this morning's edition included:

• Force, Pressure, Energy - New Sphere in Exploring the Abyss
  
• Waves, Force, Energy - Study Maps Faults for New York Quakes
  
• Waves, Force, Magnetism - Galactic Puzzle Solved? Threads Tie It Together

Throughout the coming school year, we will have projects involving current events that include aspects of what we are studying. Students will be expected to either view some articles on-line or get a copy of the times on Tuesdays.

Presidential Physics Quiz

Here’s your chance to sample Physics 10, the popular course taught by Richard Muller at the University of California at Berkeley. There’s no tuition fee — and you can win a prize (Dr. Muller’s new book with the same title as the course, “Physics for Future Presidents.”, which we will occasionally use in class) if you do well on the quiz. Click for the link and a chance to enter

1. How does the amount of energy per gram of TNT (that's Dynamite!) compare with the energy per gram of a chocolate chip cookie?
(a) The TNT contains about twice as much as much energy.(b) The TNT contains nearly 10 times more energy.(c) The TNT contains about 1000 times more energy.(d) The cookie contains nearly 10 times as much energy.(e) They contain roughly equal amounts of energy.

2. Based on the answer to the previous question, suggest an energy-efficient way to destroy a car.

3. To generate the electric power of a large nuclear-power plant (1 gigawatt), how much land on a sunny day would an array (this means a whole bunch, placed side by side) of solar cells (at 40% efficiency) have to cover?
(a) 1 square mile(b) 16 square miles(c) 160 square miles(d) 1,600 square miles(e) 16,000 square miles (the area of California)

4. Why aren’t more solar power plants being built?

answers must be submitted as a comment on this NY Times blog:
http://tierneylab.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/18/presidential-physics-quiz/?em

Class Supplies shopping list for 2008-2009 Montessori Freshman Physics Class

2008-2009 Freshman Physics with Mr. Barkan Required Materials:

2 "Quad-Ruled" composition books - this will be your Physics notebook journal & lab book all in one. You will probbaly only need two for the year.
Please leave the first three full pages blank.
Staples on Jericho Turnpike in Bellerose has put aside extra copies for our class, so if you don't see these, ask!

Scientific or Graphing Calculator - bring the calculator you need for Ms. Sadera's Algebra class (preferably a TI-83 or better).

Pen AND pencil, every day

Double-sided tape for attaching handouts to science journal (stapling handouts into notebooks is not recommended)

Small Metric ruler (6", acrylic), and you can print an additional ruler from here

Protractor, and you can print an additional protractor from here

Compass

Keep at home for projects:

• A set of color pencils, pens or markers
• Glue Sticks

Additional Notes on Notebooks:

• Looseleaf, spiral bound or other notebooks are not acceptable.
• Notebooks will be checked on a regular basis - keeping a current notebook in the required format is a percentage of their grade.
• Students will have a place to store notebooks in the classrooom, and are required to have them in class every day.
• All handouts should be attached into the notebooks via double-sided tape.