2-for-1 Special!!! SPACE-TIME

Space-time is kind of a big deal. As we discussed in class, when distorted by matter (massive bodies like planets, moons, etc.), it creates the sense of gravity. Earth's gravititational tug-of-war with the moon in turn is responsible for causing the Earth's tides, plus gravity causes light to bend, streeeeeetching our perception of time.

Don't worry!....both concepts take awhile to get one's head around. Here's your assignment:

Watch the video (to the right) about space-time (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAqSCuHA0j8) and watch the full animation about tides (below) -- the total viewing time is less than 5 minutes. Then post a SPECIFIC question you have about EACH concept that you want answered in class.
(That means two questions from everyone. Oh, and by the way, "I don't get space-time?" doesn't count as a good, specific question!) ;)

We'll discuss your questions in class during our following meeting and get to the bottom of these topics.

http://www.onr.navy.mil/focus/ocean/motion/tides1.htm

Centri-WHAT?!

We've discussed two new forces recently that aren't actually "new" or "forces." Centrifugal "force" is your perception of inertia/momentum's effect on you when going in a circle -- there's no actual force pushing you outwards.
Centripetal force isn't a "new" force at all, but simply a description of whatever happens to be holding something in its circular motion -- gravity, tension, air pressure, etc.

Riddle me this, what is the cetripetal-type force that allows a car to go around a turn rather than flying off in a straight line? Briefly explain why/how the force acts in a centripetal ("center-seeking") manner.

Hint: What matters most is where the rubber meets the road.

The Power of Rube...

Reuben Goldberg was an American cartoonist who's wild cartoons showed crazy contraptions doing simple tasks. His cartoons have since inspired countless people to challenge their creativity and their understanding of physics in the real-life production of simple yet complex machines. Fun, imagination, and physics are key.

The simple pattern

ENERGY -- FORCE -- ENERGY -- FORCE -- ENERGY -- FORCE -- ENERGY.......

Start by reviewing the week 6 & 7 notes on our Buckley class page (this is a mandatory part of the assignment).



Watch the large video (to the right) and find examples for the following six concepts. BE SPECIFIC and briefly explain why your examples demonstrate the concepts.

Static Friction
Kinetic Friction
Work
Gravitational Potential Energy
Elastic Potential Energy

Kinetic Energy

Slowing things down...

Now that you actually have a place to post a comment (oops!). Just describe any force (other than gravity) that you notice in the video. Try to include good details about what caused/created the force and what happened as a result of that force being applied.

Bonus; Does anyone want to try to explain why high-speed filming (shooting hundreds frames per second) makes the video look slo-mo during playback?
(FYI, this would be considered extra participation.)

Grounded for Life!!

Let's say that someone you know is driving WAY to fast on the freeway (obviously, you persoanlly are much too smart to do anything so foolhardy and dangerous!). Your friend's parents are going to see him driving at 80 mph no matter what. He can't escape getting busted! BUT, from the options below, choose which POV/frame of reference he would want his parents to have so his velocity seems the lowest relative to them.

Choose one by voting in the poll to the right, and add a comment to explain WHY your choice is best...

The parents driving 60 mph toward him (on the other side of the freeway, of course).

The parents driving 60 mph in the same direction on his side of the freeway.

The parents sitting along the freeway watching him drive by. (External)

Acceleration....Getting You Up to Speed

Thanks to our phenomenal photographers (Michael C., Rana, and Dean) and our outstanding demonstrators (Maddie, Rita, and Tyler) -- and to some clever engineering by Casio -- we were able to get three cool shots of a ball dropping.

So, what does it mean to accelerate?! There are four to five samples of the ball's location in each image. In your own words, respond to the two following questions:
1. What's different about the ball's velocity in at each point where it appears in the image?
2. Why is there more distance between each point where the ball appears in the image?
(Show me that you understand the concepts of velocity and acceleration by being detailed in your response.)

Phun Physics with Phelines...

Hope you all are cat lovers. I've always been more of a dog person, but there was no video called "Dun Dysics for Dogs." So, what did you learn from the video? Be detailed in your response...."I learned about friction" isn't the kind of response we're striving for.

Thanks for a strong first week, everyone. Have a nice and restful long weekend, and I'll see you soon.

:) Mr. R

Let's start by....

....taking a deep breath. In all likelihood, you've heard things about taking physics. Maybe scary things. Let me tell you this loudly, clearly, and from the get go.... physics isn't hard.

Ok, that statement might be a little misleading, but the point is that physics doesn't have to be hard. That's my approach. We're going to be learning what I like to call "practical physics." You know, learning about why things work and act the way they do. We'll throw in some of the essential math (you can't have physics without math; that's like having music without notes), but this won't be a course in number crunching. We'll be doing things "hands-on," creating full-scale demonstrations/experiments, gathering our own data, and do all that in order to identify the laws and forces at work in our world.

So, welcome to a year of learning and investigation together. And let me emphasize the word "together." Learning is a two-way street. I'll do my job, but it's up to you to carry your end of the bargain. Engage in the learning, ask questions, be a team player, and follow through on the handful of responsibilities thrown your way. That's what makes good teamwork and that's what makes good learning.

Let's do it.