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O'Keefe, Philhour and Stecher

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

2008-09 Physics Honors - Second Semester Course Weblog

Most recent update: May 18, 2009 12:46 PM

Physics is the study of the most fundamental laws of nature. Physicists are concerned with the behavior of the whole universe and its constituents, ranging from the smallest subatomic particles up to enormous galaxy clusters. Physics is an experimental science, meaning that all theories -- no matter how elegant -- can be rejected if in conflict with the results of a single experiment.

Week of Wednesday, January 7th

  • Day 1 (45 min activity schedule)
  • Day 2 (45 min activity schedule)
    • Lecture: electrical potential energy, voltage, U = qV, work required to move charges
    • Demo: Van de Graf generator
    • YouTube: Plinko win (useful for visualizing electrical resistance)
    • HW
  • Day 3 (45 min activity schedule)
    • Lecture: conductors, insulators, capacitors
    • Demo: flash-bang capacitor
    • HW

 

Week of Monday, January 12th

  • Day 1
    • Lecture:
      • Coulomb's Law conceptually, attractive or repulsive force, Newton's 3rd Law
      • Attraction of a charged object to a neutral object (and vice-versa) through polarization -- application to chemistry
      • One-dimensional problems involving Coulomb's Law
    • Demo: attraction of a thin line of dripping water (neutral) to a charged object
    • HW
  • Day 2
    • Warmup: 1-d Coulomb's Law problem
    • Recap instructions for using the Public Folders & website
    • Lecture: two-dimensional problems involving Coulomb's Law
    • Work practice problems in-class
    • HW
  • Day 3
    • Activity: using Scotch tape to verify the attraction and repulsion of charged objects
    • Work practice problems in-class
    • HW
      • Continue reading the Physics Classroom chapter on Static Electricity - you'll want to get through lesson three by Day 4 of this week - be sure to work the 'Check your understanding' problems
      • (Note: we moved the Quiz to Day 1 of next week!)
  • Day 4

Week of Monday, January 19th

  • Monday - No Class: MLK Day
  • Day 1
    • Quiz on Electricity (BJP out of town Tuesday)
    • HW
  • Day 2
    • Review
      • Electric Field & Electric Force
        • Vectors & Field Lines
    • An Energy Perspective: Electric Potential ("Voltage") and Electric Potential Energy
      • symmetrical to gravitational potential & potential energy
      • Electric Potential: V = k q / r
      • Electric Potential Energy: U = q V
    • Java applet -- now look at equipotentials
    • Voltage / altitude analogy
    • Conceptual Worksheet - Electric Field & Potential (here's a key)
    • Relationship between potential energy and electric potential (analogy to definition of electric field)
    • Relationship between electric field and electric potential (via work)
    • HW
      • PPB Ch 12 #s 6, 7, 10, 17, 21 (come to a HW Party if you have questions) // use the tutorials on the physicsclassroom.com - they're very helpful
  • Day 3
    • Review:
      • Electric Field & Electric Force
        • Vectors & Field Lines
      • Electric Potential (voltage) & Electric Potential Energy
        • Scalars & Potential Lines
    • In-class work: revisiting some concepts from chemistry (here's a key in .pdf)

Week of Monday, January 26th

  • Day 1
    • In-Class Problems: PPB Ch 12 #28
    • BJP's classes: sketching electric field lines
    • HW
      • Finish the in-class problem from today - we'll collect #s 28 & 29 in class tomorrow
      • PPB Ch 12 #s 29 // Start studying for the exam.
  • Day 2
    • BJP's classes: E = -delta V / delta x (aka V = Ed)
    • The Physics of Lighning
    • Why are you safe in a car if lightning strikes? Electric field inside of conductors is zero.
    • Make your own problem using PhET Simulations
    • HW
      • Start working on a practice test from the PPB website and complete some problems (This will be checked for a grade). Bring in questions tomorrow with questions and be prepared to work productively in groups.
      • Fields are tough to understand. Check out these helpful pages:
  • Day 3
    • Work Practice Test on Electricity
    • HW: Study for Quiz and read p. 26-27 in the Miniature Guide on Scientific Thinking (the small green book) -- the article is called The Questioning Mind in Science: Newton, Darwin, and Einstein
  • Day 4
    • 1st, 3rd, 6th, & 7th periods: QUIZ - Static Electricity
      • Keys are posted on the PPB
    • HW
      • prepare for Exam on Day 1 of next week - be sure to go to PPB Ch 12 and look for the key to today's quiz
      • read pp. 28 - 29 in the Miniature Guide on Scientific Thinking (The Logic of Science & The Logic of Physics)

Week of Monday, February 2nd (short week due to visit from Fr. General)

  • Day 1
    • AOK on retreat
    • 1st, 3rd, 6th, & 7th periods: EXAM - Static Electricity
    • HW
      • Read PPB Chapter 13 and associated online / web resources (including the Java applets)
  • Day 2
    • AOK on retreat
    • Introduction to Electric Circuits
    • What is an electric circuit? What is the purpose of building circuits?
    • Definitions
      • Current, I [Amperes]
      • Voltage, V [Volts]
      • Resistance, R [Ohms]
      • Ohm's Law V = IR
      • Electrical Power, P [Watts] = IV (derive from U = qV by dividing by delta-t)
    • HW
  • Day 3
    • Lab
    • HW
      • Study for a short quiz on Day 1

Week of Monday, February 9th

  • Day 1
    • BJP out sick Day 1 - we'll compress the week into three days and do a Circuits/Magnetism quiz on Day 1 of next week
    • If you are taking the AP Physics B exam in May, check out our Physics B test prep site ... there you will find equation sheets, lists of topics, and practice tests with solutions.
    • Quiz: Circuits (1st and 6th period: moved to next week along with Magnetism quiz)
    • Introduce Magnetism
    • Electrostatics vs Electrodynamics
    • Sketching Magnetic Field around current-carrying wire
    • Right Hand Rule (RHR) #1
    • PhET: Magnet & Compass
    • HW
  • Day 2
    • Calculating the magnetic field around a current carrying wire
    • Lorentz Force or Magnetic Force
      • Calculating the magnetic force felt by a charge moving through a field made by a wire
      • Right Hand Rule #2
    • HW
  • Day 3
    • BJP's classes
      • More practice with Lorentz Force
      • Magnetic Force on a current-carrying wire in a magnetic field
      • Demo: kicking wire magnet
    • AOK's classes
      • Lorentz Force or Magnetic Force
        • Calculating the magnetic force felt by a charge moving through a field made by a wire
        • Right Hand Rule #2
    • HW
  • Day 4
    • AOK's classes
      • Magnetic Force on a current-carrying wire in a magnetic field
      • Demo: kicking wire magnet
    • BJP's classes
    • HW
      • BJP's classes
      • AOK's classes
        • Get caught up on homework

Week of Monday, February 16th

Week of Monday, February 23rd

  • Day 1
    • BJP on retreat for both 1st and 6th periods
      • Work Practice Exam in Class - key will be available after about 30 minutes - you'll turn in what you've done at the end of the period
    • AOK's classes
      • Lenz's Law & Faraday's Law of Induction
    • HW
  • HAPPY MARDI GRAS! ... Where in the US did Mardi Gras begin? (Hint...AOK's Hometown)
  • Day 2
    • 1st period: Quiz -- note that this quiz has been cancelled for 6th period (you'll still have an exam on Day 4)
    • Demo: hand-held Tesla coil and cathode ray tube -- using magnet to demonstrate deflection
    • Recap Faraday's & Lenz's Laws of Induction
    • Hand-crank generators
    • Build a Speaker!
    • HW
      • Work practice exams for Magnetism (at People's Physics Book)
      • Note for 6th period: our quiz was cancelled -- so see the quiz you WOULD have taken "Magnetic Induction Quiz" at the People's Physics Book (Ch 14) -- give it a try and print out the key to grade yourself
  • Day 3
    • 1st period: see Day 2 above for today's schedule (we'll do the Day 3 material on Monday)
    • AOK's quiz was canceled: see PPB for a practice quiz
    • Demo: magnet and black & white television
    • Galvanometers -- Ammeters and Voltmeters (how they work as magnetic devices and how to avoid destroying them in the lab)
    • Build an Electric Motor!
    • HW
      • study for magnetism exam on Day 4 -- for some periods, we'll be handing out a practice exam and key
  • Day 4
    • Exam - Magnetism including induction (Step 3)
    • HW
      • begin studying for midterm exam (see notes below)

Week of Monday, March 2nd

  • Monday - Activity Schedule
    • Demo: rebar launcher!
    • Demo: big Tesla coil / lighting a fluorescent tube
    • Catch-up / slack
      • 1st period: see Day 3 above for today's schedule (building motors)
    • Special Topic- Astrophysics & Magnetism
      • AOK
        • Earth & Sun's Magnetic Fields
        • Aurora
      • BJP
        • Magnetic stellar corpses & exotic astrophysical objects (white dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes, supernovas, quasars ...)
    • HW
      • study for midterm exam!!! See notes below
  • Tuesday
    • Midterm Exams -- your midterm exam will be the Step 4 (FINAL) exam for Electrostatics with some (minor) electric circuits material to make it interesting; no magnetism (for now!) - you'll be tested at Step 4 for magnetism at the Spring final exam in May
      • HW Check: we plan to check your work in Chapters 12, 13, and 14 for completion
  • Wednesday
    • Midterm Exams -- your midterm exam will be the Step 4 (FINAL) exam for Electrostatics with some (minor) electric circuits material to make it interesting; no magnetism (for now!) - you'll be tested at Step 4 for magnetism at the Spring final exam in May
      • HW Check: we plan to check your work in Chapters 12, 13, and 14 for completion
  • Thursday - Teacher Inservice
  • Friday - Quarter Break -- NO HOMEWORK OVER BREAK, ENJOY!

 

Week of Monday, March 9th

  • Day 1
    • Warmup: use electronics kit - build a circuit that lights the lightbulb. Then try putting various resistors in SERIES with the lightbulb -- what happens to the brightness of the bulb? Then try putting 100 Ohm (ONLY) resistors in PARALLEL with the lightbulb -- what happens to the brightness of the bulb?
    • Return to Circuits
    • HW
      • PPB Ch 13 #s 6, 7, 8, 10, 11 (for some problems, you can check your answers by buiding the circuits and taking measurements with the PhET Circuit Construction Kit)
      • Continue working the worksheet from today
  • Day 2
    • Warmup: use electronics kit & the voltmeters & ammeters to confirm the series & parallel formulas for resistors
    • Complex Circuits
    • PhET Circuit Construction Kit
    • HW
      • AOK's Classes: Finish Circuits Worksheet 1 (here's a key)
      • BPJ's Classes: PPB Ch 13 #s 9, 12, 14. You may find some of these to be especially challenging. If so, that's understandble and I encourage you to drop by a HW party for help. For some problems, you can check your answers using by buiding the circuits and taking measurements with the PhET Circuit Construction Kit)
      • Be sure to check out the cost of a kw-hr of energy by taking a look at your parents' electric bill!!!
  • Day 3
    • Quiz - Circuits
    • Electric Power
      • Demo: GE power meter hooked up to hair dryer
      • Power / conversion of kW-hr to Joules / hair dryer
      • 1 kw-hr is 3,600,000 Joules; 1 kw-hr of energy costs about 13 cents in San Francisco (CHECK THIS VALUE WITH YOUR PARENTS)
    • HW
      • All classes: Begin this Circuits Worksheet 2 (Here's a Key but there's a mistake in #1 circuit B ammeter 2, the current should be 1.5 A, not 1.8 A). If you have trouble come to a HW party or use the public folders...this stuff takes practice but isn't too bad once you understand the rules
      • AOK's classes, also work these problems from the PPB Ch 13 #s 9, 12, 14.
  • Day 4
    • Begin Electric Circuits project
      • Work Project 1 in the Electric Circuits project; if you finish early, move on to Project 6 (BUT DO NOT TURN ON POWER until your teacher has checked the placement of your ammeter!!!!!)
      • Remember not to destroy the ammeters: they must ALWAYS be in series with a resistor!!!
      • You can continue to work this project on your own time throughout the 4th quarter
    • HW
      • Finish any HW you've neglected
      • Work practice exam on PPB website

Week of Monday, March 16th

  • Day 1
    • EXAM - CIRCUITS
    • HW
      • Read through Ch 10 and the associated web resources - in particular, play around with the pendulum lab (!) and the springs & masses lab (!) -- we are going to RUSH through this material in class, but it is very important so we're counting on you to work hard outside of class on it.
  • Day 2
  • Day 3
    • The next week or so will be a hybrid of Chapter 11 and Chapter 17 -- we'll use parts from each
    • What is a wave?
      • Properties of waves as related to simple harmonic motion
    • Begin Light & Optics
    • HW
  • Day 4
    • [15 minutes] X-ray Physics Worksheet (.pdf, .doc)
    • 1st period (Thursday): verifying the nominal spring constant values from our Equal Length Spring Set by measuring the period of oscillation when attached to a known mass
    • Friday only: Special Lecture: Medical Physics with Dr. Michael Gillin
    • HW

Week of Monday, March 23rd

  • Day 1
    • 2nd period only: see Day 2 from last week, above [BJP]
    • Generic wave properties
      • Constructive & Destructive interference
        • Wave interference
          • Note there are three tabs at the top: water, sound, and light. Start with water.
          • Vary the frequency and amplitude of the drips. What does this do to the water waves that result? Be sure to 'show graph' so you can see the wave in cross-section.
          • In the 'sound' tab, try both 'grayscale' and 'particles' -- which is more physically realistic? Why?
          • In the 'light' tab, try two sources of light and show the intensity on a screen. Why are there permanent dark and light parts on the screen?
        • n*lambda = d*sin(theta) in the context of interference
        • Sound
          • This is best experienced with audio
      • Diffraction
        • Ripple Tank Applet!!! (turn up the resolution to slow it down -- this also makes it look better)
        • The Ripple Tank above has TONS of fun experiments in it
      • n*lambda = d*sin(theta) in the context of diffraction
    • HW
      • Experiment with all the Java applets above on your own time -- this is a great way to build familiarity with these ideas. In particular, the Ripple Tank has lots of options under Setup -- again, turn up the resolution to slow it down
      • Work Ch 11 # 10 and Ch 17 #s 28 & 29
  • Day 2
    • 2nd period only: see Day 3 from last week, above [BJP]
    • Lab: Laser Interference - measuring the wavelength of light in a laser beam
    • HW
      • Ch 17 #s 30 & 32
      • Prepare for Quiz on Day 3
  • Day 3
  • Day 4
    • 2nd period only: Quiz [get proctor]
    • Sound as a Wave (a grab-bag of short topics)
      • Longitudinal (compressional, or pressure) waves vs transverse waves
      • Beats (f_beat = f_1 - f_2)
      • Doppler shift (delta-lambda/lambda = v/c)
      • How strummed & woodwind instruments generate sound (conceptual introduction)
      • Demo: Waves on a String (using strobe light to "freeze" the picture)
      • Demo: tuning fork oscillations (strobe)
    • HW

Week of Monday, March 30th

  • Day 1
    • Concept of resonance
    • Standing Waves on a String (Harmonics) -- mathematical calculations
      • Demo: Waves on a String (using strobe light to "freeze" the picture)
      • Wave on a String
        • Explain what effect varying the damping and tension slider bars has on the speed of waves on this string.
        • You can cause waves to 'reflect' off the right hand end. How do reflections off a fixed end differ from reflections off a loose end?
        • Change to 'oscillate' at the left end. See if you can produce a wave that seems to 'stand in place' -- this means the reflected wave and the wave you are generating are interfering in such a way to make a 'standing wave'
      • How strings in motion can be used as an anology to bridge or building motion -- place NODES where the bridge is supported and ANTINODES where the bridge is free to swing
    • HW
  • Day 2
    • Concept of resonance
    • Harmonics in a Pipe
      • Demo: tuning fork oscillations (strobe)
      • Begin making music lab (.pdf)
    • HW
      • Work Ch 11 #s 16, 20, 21
  • Day 3
    • Lab
      • Making Music (.pdf)
      • Speed of Sound (.pdf)
    • HW
      • Work Ch 11 #s 4, 5, 11
      • Prepare for Quiz on Day 4
  • Day 4
    • Resonance & standing waves continued
      • Demo: flaming tube
      • Demo: breaking glass
    • Quiz on Standing Waves (strings & pipes)
    • HW
      • Prepare for Exam on Day 1 -- be sure you've completed the reading in the Physics Classroom assigned above

Week of Monday, April 6th

  • Day 1
    • EXAM - Waves: Light & Sound
    • HW
      • Briefly review the electricity & magnetism material from Chapters 12 & 14 of the People's Physics Book
  • Day 2
    • Diagnostic Exam (not for grade!)
    • HW
      • None - Enjoy the Break!
  • Wednesday - Special Schedule
  • Thursday - Holiday
  • Friday - Holiday

Spring Break -- no homework over spring break -- enjoy & get recharged for the final push!!!

Week of Monday, April 20th

  • Practice AP Physics B Exam
    • If you are taking the AP Physics B exam, you need to take the practice exam. You'll need to take the TWO 90-minute segments on any TWO of the following THREE days. EXAM is in ROOM 313.
      • Monday May 4 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm (MC portion only)
      • Tuesday May 5 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm (MC or FR portions)
      • Wednesday May 6 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm (FR portion only)
    • OPTIONAL REVIEW SESSIONS
      • Monday, April 27th @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm in Room 313 - Meet at Flagpole (BJP)
      • Tuesday, April 28th @ 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm in Room 313 (AOK)
      • Thursday, April 30th @ 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm in Room 313
  • Day 1
    • What are we covering the rest of the year?
    • Begin Thermodynamics & Fluids
    • Pressure Defined as Force / Area
      • Demo: Bed of Nails
    • Conceptual discussion of pressure of a gas (collisions of particles)
    • HW
      • Read PPB Ch 19 and work associated web resources (including PhET: Gas Properties)
      • PPB Ch 19 #s 7, 8, 9, 20, 21
      • If you're taking the AP Physics B exam, scroll up or down for the BOLD BLUE SCHEDULEs for review sessions & practice exams
  • Day 2
    • Tuesday 4/21 is a meeting day
    • Kinetic theory of gases (average KE = 3/2kT)
    • Work re-defined as P(delta-V)
    • Thermal Energy & Ideal Gas Law -- revisiting the ideal gas law from the perspective of the work-energy theorem
    • PhET: Gas Properties
    • HW
      • PPB Ch 19 #s 1 - 6, 22, 32
      • If you're taking the AP Physics B exam, scroll up or down for the BOLD BLUE SCHEDULEs for review sessions & practice exams
  • Day 3
    • Demo: Stirling Engine (video, with sound, from 2006-07 school year)
    • P-V Diagrams
      • Adiabats (no heat in or out), isotherms (no net change in internal energy), isobars (no change in pressure), and isochores (no change in volume)
      • From Chapter 19:
        • An adiabatic process is a process in which no energy enters or leaves the system in the form of heat. The classic example is a pocket of air rising upwards in the Earth’s atmosphere. As the pocket climbs to regions of lower pressure, it expands, doing work on the air around it. The use of this energy to do work is recouped in a lower temperature: thus the air pocket cools as it rises. No energy is transferred out of the air pocket through heat flow, but it is transfered through work.
          • In an isothermal process, the temperature of a system does not change. The classic example is a boiling pot of water, in which the energy that is injected into the system by the flame below the pot is being used to break the molecular bonds in the liquid water to produce steam. However, the temperature of the water as it moves from liquid to gas doesn’t change.
          • In an isobaric process, the pressure of a system does not change. The classic example is a lightweight lid on a large boiling pot of water. As the pressure increases inside the pot, the lid lifts to release it, maintaining an equilibrium pressure.
          • An isochoric process is one in which the volume of the container does not change. The example to keep in mind is a pressure cooker. A pressure cooker is an oven with strong, air-tight walls. By increasing the pressure inside the cooker, the temperature increases. The rigid walls of the cooker prevent a change in
    • Heat Engines - extracting work from heat
      • The basics of analyzing engine cycles
        • Somewhat technical animation
        • Work is the AREA bounded by the PV diagram
        • You can get more work out if you increase the area, so increase the pressure swing or increase the volume swing (also known as the stroke)
      • (1st and 6th period -- moved to Day 4): The three laws of thermodynamics which limit the ultimate performance of heat engines
    • HW
      • PPB Ch 19 #s 13 - 15, 29, 30, 31
      • If you're taking the AP Physics B exam, scroll up or down for the BOLD BLUE SCHEDULEs for review sessions & practice exams
  • Day 4
    • 1st and 6th periods: The three laws of thermodynamics which limit the ultimate performance of heat engines
    • Quiz - Thermodynamics & Gases
    • HW

Week of Monday, April 27th

  • Practice AP Physics B Exam
    • If you are taking the AP Physics B exam, you need to take the practice exam. You'll need to take the TWO 90-minute segments on any TWO of the following THREE days. MEET IN ROOM 313.
      • Monday May 4 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm (MC portion only)
      • Tuesday May 5 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm (MC or FR portions)
      • Wednesday May 6 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm (FR portion only)
    • OPTIONAL REVIEW SESSIONS
      • Monday, April 27th @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm in Room 313 - Meet at Flagpole (BJP)
      • Tuesday, April 28th @ 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm in Room 313 (AOK)
      • Thursday, April 30th @ 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm in Room 313 (both AOK & BJP)
  • Day 1
    • Continued discussion of fluids (from last week)
    • Gases vs Liquids
      • One fundamental difference is that liquids are incompressible meaning that the volume does not change. This means that you can't really increase their internal energy by doing work on a liquid. Likewise, a liquid will only do work if you put an equivalent amount of energy into it at the same time (see hydraulics below)
    • Hydraulics & Pascal's Principle
      • The principle is that the pressure is the same everywhere in the liquid. This means you can 'leverage' force by using larger and smaller areas.
      • Hydraulic Lift problem (one car on a lift -- two cars on a lift -- more force needed?)
    • Demo: Hydraulic Lift (?)
    • Bernoulli's Principle
      • Work-energy theorem re-written as conservation of kinetic energy density, potential energy density, and pressure
        • Demo: blowing above a piece of paper to get "lift"
        • 1st and 6th periods: Thrust force, lift force and drag force for an airplane
      • Conservation of flux -- the quantity velocity times area is conserved in a liquid moving through a pipe
        • pressure in a pipe -- note that larger pipes require lower velocities (to conserve flux), and so have higher pressure (by Bernoilli's principle), which is why the walls are much thicker for big pipes
    • HW
      • PPB Ch 18 # 9, 10, 12, 14
  • Day 2
    • Pressure of a fluid increases with depth
    • Demo: Peeing Cylinder
    • Buoyancy
      • Buoyant force is equal to the weight of the displaced fluid
      • Derivation using pressure considerations
      • Conceptual derivation (from Hewitt): if you push 100 N of water out of the way, it'll push with 100 N of force back at you!
    • HW
      • PPB Ch 18 #s 2, 6, 7, 15 & continue work on concept development sheets
  • Day 3
  • Day 4

Week of Monday, May 4th - AP EXAMS THIS WEEK

  • Practice AP Physics B Exam
    • If you are taking the AP Physics B exam, you need to take the practice exam. You'll need to take the TWO 90-minute segments on any TWO of the following THREE days. MEET IN ROOM 313
      • Monday May 4 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm (MC portion only)
      • Tuesday May 5 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm (MC or FR portions)
      • Wednesday May 6 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm (FR portion only)
  • Day 1
    • Concept dev. sheets
    • Optics
      • color & perception - white as a composite color; RGB
      • index of refraction n = c / u
      • refraction & Snells law
      • Demo: vanishing test tube
      • Law of reflection
      • Brief note on dispersion
    • HW
  • Day 2
    • Mini-lab: forming images (no measurements, just making real & virtual images)
    • Optics - ray tracing / diagrams
    • HW
      • PPB Ch 17 #s 19 - 23, 25 & work on concept dev. sheets
      • Resources for understanding & drawing ray-diagrams for lenses and mirrors:
      • Sign conventions:
        • object is to left of mirror or lens; object distance is positive
        • concave mirror: focal length is positive and left of mirror; if the image distance is negative (right of the mirror / behind the mirror) the image is virtual; if the image distance is positive (left of the mirror / in front of the mirror) the image is real
        • convex mirror: focal length is negative and right of mirror; if the image distance is negative (right of the mirror / behind the mirror) the image is virtual; if the image distance is positive (left of the mirror / in front of the mirror) the image is real
        • concave lens: focal length is negative; if the image distance is negative (left of the lens) the image is virtual; if the image distance is positive (right of the lens) the image is real
        • convex lens: focal length is positive; if the image distance is negative (left of the lens) the image is virtual; if the image distance is positive (right of the lens) the image is real
      • Sign Conventions for focal lengths:
        • converging lenses (convex) & converging mirrors (concave): focal lengths are positive
        • diverging lenses (concave) & diverging mirrors (convex): focal lengths are negative
  • Day 3
    • BJP's classes:
      • Lab: verify the nominal focal length on a converging or diverging lens or mirror; calculate a percent error
        • Measuring the Focal Length of a Converging Lens (.doc, .pdf)
    • AOK's classes:
      • Practice problems in optics
    • HW
      • PPB Ch 17 #s 14, 15, 24 & work on concept dev. sheets
      • Here's a picture and some (major) hints to help you with Ch 17 # 17
      • Quiz postponed to Day 1 of next week
  • Day 4

 

Week of Monday, May 11th - AP EXAMS THIS WEEK

  • Day 1
    • AP Physics Exams Monday afternoon
    • Quiz - Optics (note that students taking the AP Physics C exam are exempt from this quiz)
    • HW
      • Have a quick look-see at the Nuclear War Project (to be assigned tomorrow)
      • Continue reviewing optics (see exam next week)
  • Day 2
  • Day 3
    • Modern physics (time permitting) -- note for 6th period the following might get moved to next week
    • OR Slack day due to AP Exams for Juniors on Wed
    • Exploratorium Project - due to TURN IT IN DOT COM by 10 PM Friday evening (see tutorial below for submitting)
      • Tutorial for submitting your assignment to turnitin.com
      • If your file size exceeds the 10 MB limit, you can resize the file to make them smaller (resizing the file size is NOT the same thing as resizing the image size). The simplest way to resize a photo on a Windows machine or a Mac is to open the files and take screenshots. Screenshots are almost always below 1 MB
        • To take a screenshot in Windows, press "Print Screen" in the top right corner of your keyboard. This stores an image of your screen on the clipboard, so you can click "paste" inside your document and the screenshot will appear. Then you can crop it to make it the size you need.
        • To take a screenshot on Macs, press "Shift + Command + 4" and you can draw a box around the part of the screen you want to take a picture of. The picture will be saved to your desktop so you can insert it into your document.
        • If you want more detailed instructions, check out this tutorial
    • HW
      • Continue work on Nuclear War Project - due next week
      • Continue reviewing optics (see exam next week)

 

BJP's shared items in Google Reader

Week of Monday, May 18th

  • Friday is the last day to turn in any missing work. It will NOT be accepted next week.
  • Day 1
    • Activity Schedule - Senior Day (Seniors gone!)
    • Final exam review
    • HW
      • Continue work on Nuclear War Project
      • Continue reviewing optics
      • Final Exam Review Sheet (KEY on 3rd page) (.doc, .pdf)
      • Friday is the last day to turn in any missing work. It will NOT be accepted next week.
  • Day 2
    • Activity Schedule
    • Demo: geiger counter & radioactive sources
    • Modern physics -- note for 1st period the following might get moved to next week
      • Radioactive decay
      • Fission, fusion
      • Alpha, beta, gamma decay
      • Radioactive half-life
      • Inverse-square law
    • HW
      • Continue work on Nuclear War Project - see project website for when it is due
      • Continue reviewing optics
      • Final Exam Review Sheet (KEY on 3rd page) (.doc, .pdf)
      • Friday is the last day to turn in any missing work. It will NOT be accepted next week.
  • Day 3
    • Activity Schedule - Senior Day (Seniors gone!)
    • Exam (Step 3) - Optics (1st & 6th periods: some 'retake' material on Thermodynamics & Fluids)
  • Thursday
    • Transition Liturgy
  • Friday
    • Awards Assembly
    • Last day to turn in missing work
    • Final Exam Review Sheet (KEY on 3rd page) (.doc, .pdf)
    • Nuclear War Project -- - due to TURN IT IN DOT COM by 10 PM Friday evening
    • Friday is the last day to turn in any missing work. It will NOT be accepted next week.

Week of Monday, May 25th - FINAL EXAMS

  • Monday
    • Memorial Day - No Class
  • Tuesday
    • Final Exams - Math & Religious Studies
  • Wednesday
    • Final Exams - Language & Social Science
  • Thursday
    • Final Exams - English & Science
    • 10:05 - 11:35 AM
      • 1st Period - Rm 313
      • 2nd Period - Rm 307
      • 3rd Period - Rm 224
      • 6th Period - Rm 301
      • 7th Period - Rm 225

 



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