SI Prep -- AP Physics C Weblog 2007-08 Fall Semester

Philhour

"The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery." - Mark Van Doren

AP Physics C 2007-08 / 1st Semester

Most recent update December 13, 2007 5:37 PM

Schedule

Friday, August 24th - Class begins
- AT: Earth-Moon game
  - "AT" stands for Awesome Thing. I decided last year that I needed to spend some small amount of time discussing non-AP-exam-related (but science-related) material that I find compelling. So I'll try to do a lot more of that this year.
- Introduction to the course
  - Summer review site
  - Distribute syllabi
  - Demonstrate use of:
    - teacher's website
    - AP physics course weblog
    - College Board website (Mech and E&M)
    - textbook and workbook (we're interested in Ch 1 through 14 in the first semester and Ch 25 through 34 in the second semester) -- you do not need to bring your textbook to school; we'll have a copy available in the HW party room; do bring the appropriate chapter in your workbook to class every day.
  - Describe AP Physics C exam in May and discuss pass-rate from previous years
  - Walk through use of gradebook (sample here) and discuss grading philosophy
  - Talk about the physics Homework Parties and "5th hour"; solicit "5th hours" from students with handout (or by email)
  - Invite students to become TA's, graders, or lab techs -- pass around handout/signup; Mr. O'Keefe will be moderating this
- HW:
  - Read the Preface to the Student in Knight, page xv.
  - Read the introduction on page xxv -- we're concerned with Parts I, II, III, and VI this year.
  - Read the Overview on pages 1 & 2
  - Read the Summary of Ch 1 on page 31
  - Workbook: do Ch 1 #s 37 through 41 in your workbook, not in the textbook =) If you would prefer to detach Ch 1 and carry it with you that's fine -- if you staple it, make sure the holes line up so you can put it in a binder later! Please use pencil here and everywhere.
  - Bring the syllabus on monday with your signature and your parent/guardian's signature -- if you need a new one, print it out from my homepage

Week of Monday, August 27th - Math Preliminaries
- Day 1
  - [photocopy stack of blank dynamics sheets]
  - [bring red and green pencils]
  - [10 min] solicit students to share solutions on the board
  - Try again with the overhead projector =( to walk through the gradebook & philosophy
  - AT: Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD)
  - Brief lecture: using motion diagrams to understand the dynamics of particles
  - Workbook: in small groups, do Ch 1 #s 1 - 9
  - HW
    - Read Ch 1 in your textbook [finish by Day 4 of this week]] and finish Ch 1 #s 1-9 from today
- Day 2
  - [10 min] solicit students to share solutions on the board
  - AT: Carl Sagan on the Cosmic Calendar
  - Workbook: in small groups, do Ch 1 #s 10 - 15
  - HW
    - Read Ch 1 in your textbook [finish by Day 4]
    - Workbook: do Ch 1 #s 16- 20
- Day 3
  - [10 min] solicit students to share solutions on the board
  - Short lecture: how to read the textbook
  - Hand out Atlantic Monthly article on the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegration; students are to read this sometime in the next three weeks
  - AT: PhET: Maze Game
  - Workbook: in small groups, do Ch 1 #s 21 - 26
  - HW
    - Read Ch 1 in your textbook [finish by Day 4]
    - Workbook: do Ch 1 #s 27 - 31 [note that completed packet for Ch 1 will be due by end of class]
- Day 4
  - AT: Carl Sagan on Astrology
  - 20 min Quiz on material so far
  - Workbook: in small groups, do Ch 1 #s 32 - 36
  - Turn in Ch 1 packet by end of class
  - HW
    - In your textbook, this time, do Ch 1 #s 44 & 57; [important note: for #44, you are not being asked to solve the problem, just to draw a motion diagram and pictorial representation that matches what you think the problem's solution will look like (roughly)!]
    - Read Ch 2 in your textbook [finish by Day 3 of next week]
    - (Maybe this long weekend is a good time to read the Space Shuttle Columbia article?)

Week of Tuesday, September 4th - Motion
- Day 1 (Activity Schedule)
  - Quickly peer-grade the two textbook problems (Ch 1 #s 44 & 57) from last weekend
  - Announcement: the key to Workbook Chapter 1 is posted on the white board in the Physics Lab (Room 311) -- please check it out on your own time, but do not remove, even to photocopy.
  - Short lecture on how to read & understand the printed gradesheet & how to use the one online
  - Lecture: motion graphs and interpreting slopes (derivatives) and areas (integrals)
  - Workbook: in small groups, do Ch 2 #s 1 - 6
  - HW
    - Read Ch 2 in your textbook [finish by Day 3]
    - Workbook: in small groups, do Ch 2 #s 7 - 11
- Day 2 (Activity Schedule)
  - AT: Derivative Java Puzzle game (you can check out the Big Puzzle on your own!)
  - Lecture: Big Three equations of motions and how they can be derived from calculus considerations; also, under what conditions are we allowed to use the Big Three, and when are they inaccurate (define the term UAM)
  - Workbook: in small groups, do Ch 2 #s 12 - 16
  - HW
    - Read Ch 2 in your textbook [finish by Day 3] (Seriously, crack open that book! There are plenty of things in the book I'm not lecturing on but that you are still responsible for.)
    - Workbook: in small groups, do Ch 2 #s 17 - 22 [finish Ch 2 workbook by Day 1 of next week]
- Day 3 (Activity Schedule)
  - AT: The Game of Go: an introduction (Wikipedia article)
  - Lecture: non-uniform acceleration and what to do about it (using calculus)
  - Workbook: in small groups, do Ch 2 #s 23 - 25
  - HW
    - Read Ch 3 in your textbook [finish by Day 4 of next week] (Seriously, crack open that book! There are plenty of things in the book I'm not lecturing on but that you are still responsible for.)
    - Workbook: Finish your Ch 2 workbook packet by Day 1 of next week
    - In your textbook, do Ch 2 #s 72 & 81 (bring your solutions on a piece of binder paper to peer-grade and turn in on Day 1!)
    - Study for Ch 2 Quiz on Day 1 of next week
    - Maybe this weekend is a good time to read the Space Shuttle Columbia article?

Week of Monday, September 10th - Vector Analysis
- Day 1
  - Peer-grade the two textbook problems (Ch 2 #s 72 & 81) from last weekend & turn in
  - AT: Go Problems
  - Turn in Ch 2 workbook [note that I will post the key in the physics lab]
  - Lecture: adding velocities (relative velocities) using vector analysis
  - Quiz on material of Ch 2
  - HW
    - Read Ch 3 in your textbook [finish by Day 4]
    - Check out YouTube: Vectors and PhET: Vector Addition
    - Workbook: Ch 3 #s 1 - 8
- Day 2
  - AT: Go Problems
  - Lecture: solving relative velocity problems (getting across the river, flying the plane in a wind, etc.)
  - Workbook: in small groups, do Ch 3 #s 9 - 17
  - HW
    - Read Ch 3 in your textbook [finish by Day 4]
    - Workbook: Ch 3 #s 18 - 24
- Day 3
  - AT: Go Problems
    - Ok I've punished you with Go enough =)
    - If you want to play the 9x9 free version of the Many Faces of Go, right-click to download it here
    - Some tutorial books, videos, etc., are here
    - Maybe later I'll hold some outside-of-class Go sessions for anybody who is intrigued
  - Lecture: scalar (dot) and vector (cross) products // vector components in rotated coordinate systems / begin vector worksheet (will not be collected, just for practice)
  - Workbook: in small groups, do Ch 3 #s 25 - 31
  - Hand out field trip forms for Day 2 of next week
  - HW
    - Read Ch 3 in your textbook [finish by Day 4]
    - Workbook: finish Ch 3
    - Continue working on vector worksheet (will not be collected, just for practice)
    - Study for EXAM on Day 4
      - Resources for studying include this exam from last year (skip #s 4 & 6, we'll get to that material in a few weeks) and this quiz from two years ago (all problems are good). Note that I took these quizzes and exams off the secure test prep site ... I just figured it'd be easier to find them here. Please share your answers & questions on the Public Folder.
- Day 4
  - Exam on material of Chapters 1, 2 and 3 (see study material from last night's homework)
  - HW
    - Begin reading Ch 4 in your textbook (finish by Day 3 of next week)
    - In your workbook, do Ch 4 #s 1 - 6
    - Finish working on vector worksheet (will not be collected, just for practice)
    - This is the last weekend to read the Space Shuttle Columbia article! We'll have a brief reading quiz on Day 1 of next week.
    - BRING YOUR SIGNED PERMISSION FORM ASAP

Week of Monday, September 17th - Force and Motion (Ch 4)
- Day 1
  - Brief reading quiz on the Space Shuttle Columbia article -- this will be your opportunity to show me you read it.
  - AT: using Google Reader & RSS feeds; subscribing to the RSS feeds to New Scientist, etc.
  - Demo: multiple-pulley "block & tackle" system and the use of free-body diagrams in analysis of forces; using calculus in the analysis of accelerations and relative accelerations. (Here's a website on this material)
  - HW
    - Continue reading Ch 4 in textbook (finish by Day 3)
    - Workbook Ch 4 #s 7 - 12
    - BRING YOUR SIGNED PERMISSION FORM TOMORROW
- Day 2
  - Field trip to nearby playground (if you don't have a signed form, do study hall in the library)
    - this field trip MAY extend into the lunch period -- let me know if that's a problem and I can excuse you early
    - multiple-pulley "block & tackle" system
    - free-body diagrams
  - HW
    - Continue reading Ch 4 in textbook (finish by Day 3)
    - Workbook Ch 4 #s 13 - 17
- Day 3
  - Lab: meet in Room 311
    - Form groups of three and locate a force probe for the Lab Pro.
    - Calibrate the force probe in Logger Pro by going to Experiment -> Calibrate
      - You'll need to hang two known weights from the force probe to calibrate it. Enter their weight in Newtons when prompted.
      - Verify your calibration by hanging a third known weight.
      - Note that vertical calibrations take into account the weight of the "hook" that you use to hold the weights -- it won't be calibrated, then, for horizontal use since the "hook" is no longer pulling down. You have to use a pulley to calibrate horizontally.
    - Using what you will from the provided materials (pulley, low-friction massive cart, range finder and force probe, and a variety of weights) design an experiment and verify Newton's "2nd Law" relationship between instantaneous force and instantaneous acceleration.Your experiment design need not be any implied by the choice of materials -- just design a good experiment and I'll be happy. (This lab is more about method than it is about the experiment itself.)
    - Write up due Day 1 of next week. Here are the parameters:
      - The writing in the lab must be your own
      - The only thing that can be the same between members of your group are the data themselves
      - Of course you are describing the same experiment, so things will be similar: however, I want you to do it on your own.
      - The lab writeup should include a sketch (hand-drawn or by computer) of the apparatus. You should not share sketches, but I expect that they will look similar.
      - I do not get particularly bent out of shape about format (that is, I'm not REQUIRING a formal lab writeup in the sense that you MUST have an Abstract, a Conclusion, etc.). HOWEVER, I will be expecting your lab writeup to explain to someone who has not done the lab precisely what you did, how you did it, why you did it, and how seriously I should take the results.
      - Check out this Rubric and Scientific Method for Honors Physics -- I want you to immerse yourself in the scientific method. Be careful to distinguish between theory (prediction) and experiment (actual result).
      - Error analysis is tricky and often misunderstood, even by high-performing students in an AP Physics class.
        
        First, an estimate of the measurement error must be made. Say you were measuring the length of a pencil. How accurate is your ruler? The length of the pencil might be 10.5 cm +/- 0.1 cm. The measurement error is 0.1 cm because you can't measure any more precisely with the equipment. These measurement errors must be estimated. In the case of today's lab, the range finder will be noisy and this might cause problems with measurement. You need to estimate the level of this problem (the computer analysis tools can help with this -- talk to me about it).
        
        Second, make a theoretical prediction based on the laws and equations in physics. This theoretical prediction is not the REAL VALUE because a theoretical prediction is always idealized and fails to take into account the intrinsic messiness of life. NOW, you can calculate the discrepancy between the theoretical prediction (A) and the experimental result (B) in the standard way: |(A - B)| / (A) converted to a percent discrepancy. This is NOT an error because only the experimental result has any claim on reality.
        
        A well thought-out theory combined with a well designed experiment will ensure that the discrepancy between theory and prediction is less that your estimate of measurement error. If this is not the case, then either the theory or the experiment has to be modified in a rational, clean way. Again, look to the Rubric and Scientific Method for Honors Physics.
  - HW
    - Begin lab writeup
    - Workbook Ch 4 #s 18 - 23
- Day 4
  - Lab: meet in Room 311
    - Continue work from yesterday
    - For writing up your laboratory results: Be sure to check out the lab write-ups at my hall of fame for a guide. in the past, I found that many of the lab-writeups were "2" level at the start of the year and only got to "4" level near the end. Try to hit the ground running by being verbose, accurate, and complete. Imagine giving your lab write-up to yourself 6 months ago. Would you, as you were 6 months ago, be able to follow and describe exactly how the experiment went? Include all relevant parameters that the you would need. Include a data table, graph, or some other way of organizing the important data so the reader can verify if you made a mistake. Include a portion where you formally write-up the solution to the equations that you are experimenting with. Include in your conclusion some discussion of experimental error. If you make a claim of 'human error,' be sure to explain why the human who made the error didn't just correct it. Include a sketch or photo of the experiment to help your reader visualize what went on.
  - HW
    - Continue work on lab writeup for Day 1
    - FInish Workbook Ch 4 (due Day 1 of next week)
    - Begin reading Ch 5 in your textbook (Finish by Day 3 of next week)
      - Reminder: in order to keep the amount of lecture time down so that we can do as many labs and demos asa possible, I am pushing a lot of the content of this course onto the textbook. If you've never been much of a textbook reader, now's the time to learn how to do it. You'll rely on your textbooks heavily in college, and this is a college-level class. Remember that it's not about pounding through the pages -- learn to use the book as a resource; start with the end-of-chapter summary, move to the figures, and eventually read the text if you are not understanding.
      - This is a bit of an overgeneralization but there is some truth to it: people are educated to the extent that they love to read books.

Week of Monday, September 24th - Dynamics I (Ch 5)
- Day 1
  - Lab writeup due
  - Workbook Ch 4 due
  - AT: The meaning of the equinox and solstices (using a globe); why you get so much sun glare around the equinoxes
  - Pass out gradesheets; brief reminder of the philosophy behind the gradesheet and how the gradesheet is intended to benefit you.
  - Demo: relating force to acceleration (basically I'm going to repeat last week's lab for you =)
  - Lecture: Dynamics and Newton's Laws; equilibrium
  - HW
    - Continue reading Ch 5 in your textbook (finish by Day 3)
    - Workbook Ch 5 #s 1 - 7
- Day 2
  - AT: The position of the moon and how this relates to its appearance (phase) and rise/set time
  - Lecture: Apparent weight vs. "true" weight: elevator problems
  - Demo: using spring gauges -- some common fallacies & a trick for thinking about how they work!!!
  - HW
    - Continue reading Ch 5 in your textbook (finish by Day 3)
    - Workbook Ch 5 #s 8 - 15
- Day 3
  - Lab: meet in Room 311
    - I am posting Rian's lab writeup because it had a lot of the things I was looking for in a lab.
    - Reminder of the nature of frictional forces: Check this image out
    - We'll investigate static and kinetic friction using the force probe; much like the brake pad lab from last year.
    - First of all, I want you to verify the hypothesis that static friction is a force that can vary from 0 up to a maximum value which is proportional to the normal force acting on an object. This force only exists before the object is moving.
    - Then I want you to verify the hypothesis that kinetic friction is a force that doesn't vary but is always proportional to the normal force.
    - If you want to be sure that F = (mu)*N and not F = (mu)*Weight, try tilting the surface at a (known) angle. Then N does not equal W. Otherwise, how would you know? =)
    - Write-up due Day 1 of next week.
  - HW
    - Workbook Ch 5 #s 16 - 20
    - Practice quizzes for tomorrow are in the AP Physics C test prep site. Check out:
      - Newton's Laws Quiz 2006-07
      - Newton's Laws Test 2006-07 (but skip the last problem!)
      - See you on the public folders if you have any questions. =) Feel free to post your key!
- Day 4
  - Lecture: how to set up and solve inclined-plane problems with static and/or kinetic friction
  - Quiz on material of Ch 4 and Ch 5 (through 5.3 only, so not including friction)
    - Curricular items 3a, 3b, 3e, 3h
  - HW
    - Workbook Ch 5 #s 21 - 25
    - Do Textbook Ch 5 #s 52 & 55
    - Finish write-up of friction lab from Day 3

Week of Monday, October 1st - Dynamics II (Ch 6)
- Day 1
  - Textbook problems due / Peer-grade textbook problems
  - Friction lab from Day 3 of last week due
  - AT: Digital orrery and figuring out where the planets should appear in the sky
  - Lecture: projectile motion (review of honors-level problems) / motion-diagramming
  - Begin Workbook Ch 6 #s 1 - 5
  - HW
    - Finish Workbook Ch 5 (turn in Day 2)
    - Begin reading Ch 6 in the textbook (finish by Day 4)
- Day 2
  - Workbook Ch 5 due / Peer-grade Workbook Ch 5
  - AT: Charlie Chaplin Illusion (thanks Will!) and Dragon Illusion (this is apparently called the hollow face or hollow head illusion)
  - Lecture: Breaking acceleration vectors into a component responsible for change in speed and a component responsible for change in direction / motion-diagramming these
  - Workbook Ch 6 #s 6 - 9 (to turn in on Day 4)
  - HW
    - Workbook Ch 6 #s 10 - 15 (turn in on Day 4)
    - Continue reading Ch 6 in the textbook (finish by Day 4)
- Day 3
  - Lab
    - Centripetal motion Day 1 of 3
      - Your write-up for this lab is to be no more than 2 typed pages =)
      - I want you to verify that an object in circular motion must feel a center-pointing (centripetal) force with magnitude mv^2/R
      - If you fix a force probe so that it is holding a pendulum, you can measure the tension of the pendulum when it is vertical up and down. The net force acting on the pendulum bob at that point should be mv^2/R. You can estimate what v should be by making an energy argument (when you pull the bob up and release it, you are giving it potential energy -- this is converted into kinetic energy). You can measure what v is by using a photogate so that the pendulum bob passing through sets and unsets the photogate state. You can then try this experiment with different masses and different speeds.
    - Projectile motion Day 1 of 3
      - I will set up a projectile system; you are to make a prediction about where the projectile will land as a function of its intial velocity. At the end of Day 2 we'll do some experiments where we measure the launch speed of the projectile and its landing location and see if your predictions matched the result.
      - You will not write up this second lab. It is for your amusement and edutainment.
  - HW
    - Continue reading Ch 6 in the textbook (finish by Day 4)
    - Workbook Ch 6 #s 16 - 20 (turn in on Day 4)
    - Do Textbook Ch 6 #s 40, 42 (turn in on Day 4)
- Day 4
  - Turn in Workbook Ch 6 and Textbook problems from last night
  - Lab
    - Centripetal motion Day 2 of 3
    - Projectile motion lab Day 2 of 3
  - HW
    - Do Textbook Ch 6 #s 33, 34, 64, 67 (turn in on Day 1)
    - Prepare for exam on Day 2 of next week (material of Chapters 4, 5, 6)
    - Check out this well-done Friction Lab -- I particularly liked the section near the end where he said "Ok ... what if you assumed F = (mu)W instead of F = (mu)N ... what would happen to our results?" -- I thought the argument was convincing.
    - Practice exams are located in the AP Physics C Test Prep site
      - Newton's Laws Retake A 2006-07 (skip MC #5 and FR #2)
      - Newton's Laws Retake B 2006-07 (skip MC #5 and FR #2)
      - Newton's Laws Mixed Problems I 2005-06 (skip #7)
      - Newton's Laws Test 2005-06 (skip #s 7 & 8)
      - Newton's Laws and Kinematics Test 2005-06 (skip #10)
      - see below for more detailed instructions as to what the Exam will be covering

Week of Monday, October 8th - Dynamics III (Ch 7)
- Day 1
  - Peer-grade textbook problems from weekend
  - Lab
    - Centripetal motion Day 3 of 3
      - Writeup will be due Day 4
    - Projectile motion lab Day 3 of 3
  - HW
    - Prepare for tomorrow's exam using the practice exams (see Day 4 above) and your work in Ch 4, 5, 6; see Day 2 instructions for what's on the exams
    - Continue work on lab writeup for centripetal motion (remember: max 3 pages!)
- Day 2
  - AT: more visual illusions while you take your exam
  - Exam on material of Chapters 4, 5, and 6
  - Here are the relevant curricular items in your grade report:
    - 3a: qualitatively understand Newton's 1st Law
    - 3b: qualitatively understand Newton's 2nd Law
    - 3c: qualitatively understand Newton's 3rd Law
    - 3e: use FBDs to find net or unknown forces
    - 3f: work honors-level problems
    - 3g: qualitatively describe motion under air resistance
  - Note that we are NOT YET covering the following topics in any "AP"-level depth: centripetal motion (Ch 7) and Newton's 3rd law (Ch 8); we are covering them at "honors"-level depth (I'd like to be able to refer to them, but they will not be the focus of this exam)
  - HW
    - Begin reading Ch 7 (finish by Day 1 of next week)
    - Workbook Ch 7 #s 1 - 6
    - Continue work on lab writeup for centripetal motion (remember: max 3 pages!)
- Day 3
  - AT: auditory illusions (including the Shepard tone and the McGurk effect -- don't worry, I won't play the Brown Note)
  - Lecture: fun centripetal motion problems
    - marble in banked cup (force perspective)
    - block sliding down a sphere (requires simple energy perspective)
  - HW
    - Continue reading Ch 7 (finish by Day 1 of next week)
    - Workbook Ch 7 #s 7 - 12
    - Textbook problems: Ch 7 #s 47, 60, 62 (due at midterm exam)
    - Continue work on lab writeup for centripetal motion (remember: max 3 pages!) DUE DAY 4
      - Feel free to include a brief sentence on what happened with your projectile motion prediction (not required)
- Day 4
  - You'll have a sub today but I will be on campus (observing another teacher)
  - AT: touch illusions (unfortunately we won't be doing any olfactory illusions; perhaps it's a good thing)
  - Centripetal motion lab due
  - Workbook Ch 7 #s 13 - 18 in class
  - Short Quiz on material of Chapter 7
    - 3f: work honors-level problems
    - 3h: work complex problems with centripetal forces
  - HW
    - Continue reading Ch 7 (finish by midterm exam)
    - FInish last page of workbook Ch 7 (due at midterm exam)
    - Continue work on textbook problems: Ch 7 #s 47, 60, 62 (due at midterm exam)
    - See details below for midterm exam
      - Check out midterm Exam 2006-07 Version A and Version B (with the keys) at the AP Physics C Test Prep site (also, feel free to download the equation sheet from the College Board -- you may have to register, but this is trivial -- also note that the Physics B and C sheets are all in one package, so be sure to throw out the Physics B ones.)

Week of Monday, October 15th - Midterm Exam Week
- Tuesday Midterm Exam
  - This will be a multiple-choice exam with an average of 2 minutes per question (25 questions)
  - All of sections 1, 2 and 3 in your gradebook (with the exception of 1f, 3i, and 3j) will be assessed.
  - HW
    - None: enjoy your break!

Week of Monday, October 22nd - Newton's Third Law (Ch 8)
- Day 1
  - Hand back: midterm exams and grade reports
    - Remember that I post past workbook keys on the white board in the physics lab room! You should be checking this work!
  - Demo: loop-the-loop problem
  - Lecture: continue part of Ch 7: doing the loop-the-loop problem -- at what height should we put it?
    - (The Ch 7.2 and 7.6 material we will pick up again after Thanksgiving)
  - Lecture: Newton's Third Law
    - This week we will review Newton's Third Law -- again, much of this will be review but with some more challenging problems
  - Demo: students use spring gauges to verify Newton's 3rd Law
  - HW
    - Begin reading Chapter 8 in your textbook; finish by Day 4
    - Begin workbook Ch 8 (due Day 1 of next week) -- try to do at least two pages per night
    - Begin Textbook Ch 8 #s 41 & 50 (p. 233) - finish by Day 1 of next week
- Day 2
  - Lecture: Finish third-law problem from Day 1
  - AT: how to use Word to make great lab write-ups (special symbols, drawings, using my set of drawings, text boxes, etc.)
  - Lecture: tricky third-law problems
  - Time to work on workbooks & ask questions
  - HW
    - Continue reading Ch 8; finish by Day 4
    - Continue workbook Ch 8 (due Day 1 of next week) -- try to do at least two pages per night
    - Continue Textbook Ch 8 #s 41 & 50 (p. 233) - finish by Day 1 of next week
- Day 3
  - AT: how to use LoggerPro/Graphical Analysis to make great lab write-ups (formatting graphs, doing data analysis)
  - Tricky third law problems
  - Time to work on workbooks & ask questions
  - HW
    - Continue reading Ch 8; finish reading by tomorrow
    - Continue workbook Ch 8 (due Day 1 of next week) -- try to do at least two pages per night
    - Continue Textbook Ch 8 #s 41 & 50 (p. 233) - finish by Day 1 of next week
    - Practice tests for tomorrow's exam are available in the Test Prep site on my homepage. For practice with the third law, check out:
      - 2006-07 Newton's Laws Retake B: Free response question 1 (ball in V-shaped channel)
      - 2006-07 Newton's Law Test: Free response questions 1 (winch and saw) and 2 (inclined plane)
      - The problems in the tests above dealing with a bead on a rotating hoop (for centripetal motion)
      - 2005-06 Mixed Newton's Law Problems II question # 9 (truck pulling car)
- Day 4
  - AT: how to use Excel to make great lab write-ups (entering in formulas, doing calculations)
  - Exam on all three of Newton's Laws (with a focus on the Third Law, but also including centripetal motion)
    - Curricular elements 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f, 3g, 3h
  - Quick look at Physics Club t-shirt images
  - HW
    - Finish workbook Ch 8 (Due Day 1)
    - Finish Textbook Ch 8 #s 41 & 50 (p. 233) (Due Day 1)

Week of Monday, October 29th - Impulse and Momentum (Ch 9)
- Day 1
  - Workbook and Textbook problems for Ch 8 due today
    - Peer-grade workbook & turn in
    - Turn in textbook problems only if you want (that is, if you solved the problems!)
  - Review of Impulse and Momentum from your previous physics course
  - Redefine Newton's 2nd law as a momentum relationship F = dp/dt
  - Consequences:
    - mass can change (rocket / thrust problems)
    - impulse -- aka delta-p -- as area under the curve on a force-time diagram
    - force as the slope of a momentum vs. time diagram
  - HW
    - Begin reading Chapter 9 in your textbook; finish by Day 1 of next week
    - Begin workbook Ch 9 (due Day 1 of next week)
    - Begin Textbook Ch 9 #s 53 & 72 (due Day 1 of next week)
      - note: just because these are not due until Day 1 of next week doesn't mean you should start them Sunday night! =) I expect you to have some difficulty and to talk to me about it (online or in person)
- Day 2 & Day 3
  - BJP out // work on Ch 9 textbook and workbook problems (and as homework)
- Day 4
  - Begin Collisions Lab (Day 1 / 3)
    - Please do all four labs:
      - 2-D collisions using air-hockey table and webcam
        
        Use Windows Movie Maker
        
        You might want to increase the frame rate (if possible)
        
        Do several collisions so you can select the best one for your analysis
        
        Set the scale using a ruler
      - 1-D collisions with a force plate (impulse)
        
        You might want to increase the sample rate under Experiment -> Data Collection
        
        You can Analyze -> Integral to get the impulse
      - 1-D collisions on an air-track
        
        You can do elastic collisions here but are not required to
      - 1-D collisions using Pasco carts
        
        You can do elastic collisions here but are not required to
  - HW
    - Continue reading Chapter 9 in your textbook; finish by Day 1 of next week
    - Finish workbook Ch 9 (due Day 1 of next week)
    - Finish Textbook Ch 9 #s 53 & 72 (due Day 1 of next week)
    - Lab write-up (individual) due Day 4 of the Week of Nov 12!

Week of Monday, November 5th - Energy (Ch 10)
- Day 1
  - Workbook and Textbook stuff from Ch 9 due today
  - Energy review
    - Definition of mechanical energy
    - Spring energy
    - Collisions in 1-D and 2-D (elastic and inelastic)
    - Ballistic pendulum problems (you already did one -- Ch 9 # 72 =)
  - HW
    - Begin reading Ch 10 in your book, finish by Day 4
    - Begin Ch 10 Workbook material, finish by Day 1 of next week
    - Study for tomorrow's quiz -- you might check out the 2006-07 exams Conservation Laws Part I (problems 2, 3, 9, 11) and Conservation Laws Part II (problems 3, 4, 6)
- Day 2
  - Quiz on material from Ch 9 (Impulse and Momentum)
  - HW
    - Continue reading Ch 10 in your book, finish by Day 4
    - Continue Ch 10 Workbook material, finish by Day 1 of next week
- Day 3
  - Collisions Lab (Day 2 / 4)
    - Please do all four labs:
      - 2-D collisions using air-hockey table and webcam
        
        Use Windows Movie Maker
        
        You might want to increase the frame rate (if possible)
        
        Do several collisions so you can select the best one for your analysis
        
        Set the scale using a ruler
      - 1-D collisions with a force plate (impulse)
        
        You might want to increase the sample rate under Experiment -> Data Collection
        
        You can Analyze -> Integral to get the impulse
      - 1-D collisions on an air-track
        
        You can do elastic collisions here but are not required to
      - 1-D collisions using Pasco carts
        
        You can do elastic collisions here but are not required to
  - HW
    - Continue reading Ch 10 in your book, finish by Day 4
    - Continue Ch 10 Workbook material, finish by Day 1 of next week
    - Begin textbook problems Ch 10 #s 53 and 69 due Day 1 of next week
- Day 4
  - Collisions Lab (Day 3 / 4) -- note I added one day next week so you can "clean up" your data!
    - See above for instructions
    - Lab write-up (individual) due Day 4 of next week
  - HW
    - Continue reading Ch 10 in your book, finish by Day 4
    - Continue Ch 10 Workbook material, finish by Day 1 of next week
    - Continue textbook problems Ch 10 #s 53 and 69 due Day 1 of next week

Week of Monday, November 12th - Work (Ch 11)
- Day 1
  - Textbook and workbook problems from Ch 10 due today
  - Definition of Work in dot-product form and in integral form
  - Work-energy theorem / work and mechanical energy
  - Work as it relates to two-body interactions
  - Mechanical power
  - Here's some Physics Classroom material on the Work-Energy theorem
  - HW
    - Note: you'll get one more lab day this week, so do some data crunching before Wednesday so you know which labs you need to repeat/redo
    - Begin workbook Ch 11, due Day 4 (bring to class on Day 2)
- Day 2
  - Lecture: conservative forces and potential energy - diagrams / escape velocity from Earth
  - Continue work on workbook Ch 11
  - HW
    - Continue workbook Ch 11, due Day 4
- Day 3
  - Collisions Lab (Day 4 / 4)
    - See above for instructions
    - Lab write-up (individual) due Day 1 of next week (note change)
  - HW
    - Impulse & momentum lab writeup due Day 1 of next week (note change)
    - Continue workbook Ch 11, Due Day 4 (no textbook problems from this Chapter)
    - Study for exam on Day 4
      - Conservation Laws Exam Part 1 2006-07
      - Conservation Laws Exam Part 2 2006-07
      - Conservation Laws Final Exam Free Response 2006-07
      - Conservation Laws Final Exam Multiple Choice 2006-07
      - Gravity Practice Quiz 2006-07
- Day 4
  - Workbook Ch 11 due
  - Exam on material from Chs 9, 10 & 11 (Impulse, Momentum, Energy and Work)
  - HW
    - Begin reading Ch 12
    - Begin Workbook Ch 12 over the weekend (it's relatively short) -- due Day 2 of next week
    - Begin Textbook Ch 12 # 76, due Day 2 of next week
    - Lab write-up (individual) due Day 1 of next week (note change)

Week of Monday, November 19th - Newtonian Gravity (Ch 12) (Thanksgiving Week)
- Day 1
  - Impulse & momentum lab writeup due (note change)
  - Lecture: introduction to using an integral to sum up a density distribution -- start with a one-dimensional uniform density and build up to a 3-dimensional uniform density (we'll not use 3-d density functions yet)
  - Lecture: orbits and Kepler's Laws
  - AT: Dark Matter
  - HW
    - Continue work on Workbook Ch 12 due Day 2
    - Continue work on Textbook Ch 12 # 76, due Day 2
- Day 2
  - Peer-grade Textbook and Workbook problems from Ch 12
  - Diagnostic exam
  - HW
    - Rest and enjoy your break. When we come back, we'll be learning VERY NEW material on Rotation and Oscillations.

Week of Monday, November 26th - Motion of a Rigid Body (Ch 13)
- Day 1
  - Important note: much of Ch 13 will be new material to you. This means you have to take it very seriously and do the required reading & workbook problems early!
  - Hand out People's Physics Book Ch 9 -- we'll work simple problems from here during the lectures over the next three days
  - Lecture: rotational kinematics (theta, omega, and alpha) -- the Big Three equations, and relating theta, omega and alpha to s, v, and a
  - Lecture: determining the center of mass of a discrete collections of point objects or a simple extended object (no calculus required)
  - Demo: yardstick balance
  - Lecture: determining torque; gravitational torque acting on extended objects at the center of mass
  - HW
    - Begin Ch 13 Workbook problems (14 pages in all -- start tonight!) -- pages 13-1 through 13-4 due Day 2!
- Day 2
  - Turn in Ch 13 Workbook pages 13-1 through 13-4
  - Lecture: rotational statics, problems involving net torque of zero
  - Demo: yardstick hanging from two force probes with masses hanging off various parts
  - Lecture: rotational dynamics, relationship between torque and angular acceleration, moment of inertia defined
  - HW
    - Continue Ch 13 Workbook problems -- pages 13-5 through 13-7 due Day 3!
- Day 3
  - Turn in Ch 13 Workbook pages 13-5 through 13-7
  - "Rolling without slipping" vs. rolling with slipping
    - Example problem: how long does a bowling ball slide for before it begins rolling?
  - Lecture: rotational energy
    - Problem involving a marble rolling without slipping down a bowling ball
  - Lecture: rotational angular momentum
    - Demo: precession of a bicycle wheel using torque = dL/dt
    - Demo: a gyroscope
  - Instructions for rotational statics lab on Day 4
  - HW
    - Continue Ch 13 Workbook problems due Day 1 of next week // save pages 13-9 & 13-10 for weekend // work pages 13-11 through 13-14 due Day 4!
- Day 4
  - Rotational statics lab (one day only -- meet in Lab room) [BJP will be on campus but not in class this period]
  - Turn in Ch 13 Workbook pages 13-11 through 13-14
  - HW
    - Finish Ch 13 Workbook by doing pages 13-9 & 13-10 over weekend, due Day 1
    - Do Textbook problems Ch 13 #s 59, 84 (don't forget the rotational energy!) & 85
    - Prepare for Quiz on Day 1 -- there's a practice quiz from last year on the test prep site, check it out
    - The writeup for today's lab should not exceed one page and need not include formal error analysis -- just show me what happened. This will be due Day 4 of next week.

Week of Monday, December 3rd - Oscillations (Ch 14)
- Day 1
  - Important note: much of this material involves differential equations -- we're going to come back to "diff eqs" in April in advance of the AP exam, so this will be a slightly incomplete discussion. (We will also look at air resistance in more detail at that time.)
  - Quiz on material of last week (30 min)
  - Rotation Analogy Handout 2006-07 (pdf, doc)
  - Review of introductory simple harmonic motion material
  - 2nd order differential equations and their solutions (my apologies to the math dept.)
  - HW
    - Do Ch 14 Workbook pages 14-1 to 14-3
    - Begin work on SHM handout (this will not be due -- in fact, here's a key in .pdf and .swf formats)
- Day 2
  - Finding rotational inertia for complex objects and for physical pendula (parallel and perpendicular axis theorems)
  - Period of oscillation for a physical pendulum
  - HW
    - Do Ch 14 Workbook pages 14-4 to 14-6
    - Continue work on SHM handout (this will not be due -- in fact, here's a key in .pdf and .swf formats)
- Day 3
  - Work period in classroom (SHM handout and workbook)
  - [BJP will be on campus but not in class this period]
  - HW
    - Do Ch 14 Workbook pages 14-7 to 14-9
    - Continue work on SHM handout (this will not be due -- in fact, here's a key in .pdf and .swf formats)
    - Last week's rotational statics lab is due tomorrow
- Day 4
  - Review of rotation (including collisions) and oscillations (including physical pendula)
  - HW
    - Do Ch 14 Workbook pages 14-10 to 14-12 ... you will skip the last two pages of the workbook! (turn in the rest on Day 1)
    - Continue work on SHM handout (this will not be due -- in fact, here's a key in .pdf and .swf formats)

Week of Monday, December 10th - Final Exam review (Final Exams week)
- Day 1 (Activity Schedule MONDAY)
  - Turn in Ch 14 Workbook and rotational statics lab
  - Review day & how to study for final exams
  - Mechanics flashcards (PowerPoint format / .pdf format coming)
  - AP Physics C - Mechanics -- objectives worksheet (adapted from the College Board)
  - HW
    - study for exams
- Day 2 (Activity Schedule TUESDAY)
  - Review Exam Part 1 (Kinematics, Newton's Laws, and Conservation Laws)
  - HW
    - study for exams
- Day 3 (Activity Schedule WEDNESDAY)
  - Review Exam Part 2 (Rotations and Oscillations)
  - HW
    - study for exams
    BRENDAN B. (former AP student & TA) has offered to hold a REVIEW SESSION on WEDNESDAY, DEC 12, AFTER SCHOOL in ROOM 313 ... he can be around until 5 or 6 PM.
  AP Physics review PARTY on Monday from 12:00 NOON to 3:00 PM in Rooms 310 & 313. Come with your questions. You'll also have a chance to help out the honors and regular physics students who will be studying for their finals at that time.
- Final Exam (full semester) will be TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18th and will consist of both multiple-choice and free response portions. You will be allowed the Table of Information for the MC part, and both the Table of Information and the Equation Sheet for the FR part (this is the AP standard).
  - Unit 1: Math Methods
  - Unit 2: Kinematics
  - Unit 3: Newton's Laws
  - Unit 4: Conservation Laws
  - Unit 5: Laboratory Methods
  - Unit 6: Rotational Motion
  - Unit 7: Simple Harmonic Motion
  - Unit 8: Engagement
  - The following students will take the exam at the conflict time (MONDAY, DECEMBER 17th, 11:55 am to 1:25 pm): Jake A., Rachel H.
  - Exemptions as of Thursday, Dec 13 (more pending exams this week):
    - Rian D. (Unit 4)
    - Chris D. (Unit 2)
    - Ryan G. (Unit 3)
    - Ed H. (Unit 2)
    - Charlie J. (Units 2, 3, 4)
    - Michael K. (Units 2 & 3)
    - Simon L. (Unit 2)
    - Andrew M. (Unit 2)
    - William S-C (Unit 2)

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