Unit reflection

1) This unit I was a committed learner. Throughout the unit I related concepts back to the real world, allowing for a deep upstanding of the material.

2) The hardest thing to grasp was the concept of decreasing acceleration, while having increasing velocity. I overcame this by thinking of a car getting on a highway, and how though the shift in change decreases the speed still increases.

3)      I studied simply by completing my assignments on time, and then reviewing formulas the night before.

4)  I asked many questions during class, and I feel that that significantly helped me understand material in class.

5)I predict I did well, I knew my information, then executed quickly, and came out with confidence.

6)      I learned where I could improve, I need to improve. Next unit I hope to stay more focused on the material, and want to make sure I don't distract other students.

7)      I got better this unit at staying on point. I want to be better next unit at showing my work.

8)      A 4 or 5 due to how I never missed homework, showed up with a good attitude each day, and tried to help other students.

9)      You should also know that I'm having a great time in physics, and want to be able to help my classmates more as time progresses.

Unit One final post

Unit one all summed up

Major sections of the unit

1.      Inertia- Newton’s First law

     Newton’s first law states that an object in motion will stay in motion, and that an object at rest will stay at rest until acted on by an outside force. Inertia is the phenomenon of this law, so when a car slows down rapidly the force of that deceleration is in the car. If there is a cup of coffee in that car it will then spill not because a force knocked it over, but rather the lack of force on the coffee caused it to fall. Only the car is slowing down not the coffee so it will slam into the windshield. The windshield acts as an outside force to stop the coffee. This is called inertia. In simple terms it means that an object will keep doing what it’s already doing.

2.       Velocity-Acceleration

     Speed is not velocity; velocity is speed with a direction. There are two ways to change velocity, either change direction or accelerate forward or backward (changing speed). Acceleration is different than velocity due to acceleration is change in velocity.

Velocity is measured in meters per second

Acceleration is measured in meters per second per second or meters per second squared

3.      Net force- Equilibrium

     Net force is whenever the sum of all of the forces acting on an object is 0, this means that an object can be at rest with a net force of zero, or moving at a constant velocity do to the lack of forces pushing against it. A net force of 0 and equilibrium are interchangeable.

 

                                                50 N                                                         50 N

                                                50-50= 0 N – object is at equilibrium

4.      Equation of a line

     Y=M(X) +B is the equation of a line, and is identical to distance formula in constant velocity. It is also similar to the distance formula for constant acceleration, except for the slope being cut in half.

Y= Distance   - Dependent variable – occurs if dependent happens

X= time          -independent variable

M=slope         -is interchangeable with velocity

B= y intercept   -not as prominent in our class as we usually start at 0

Formulas

Constant Velocity	Constant Acceleration
How fast- v=d/t	How fast- v=a(t)
How far- d=v(t)	How far- d=1/2 a(t^2)

Video on graphing

Hoovercraft

 Riding On a hovercraft feels like riding on a less stable flying saucer sled, mixed with a roller coaster from the underworld. The hovercraft moves like a sled with no brakes or steering, it brings back childhood memories. It brings Christmas to September.

I do not feel as though I learned more about inertia, but rather that I solidified my understanding of inertia more. I learned a good deal about net force, and how forces can balance out, which is very intriguing. My understanding of equilibrium is still weak, yet I hope that will improve as time goes on.

Acceleration seems to be dependent on how much force is applied to an object, and also where that force is applied.

I expect to have a constant velocity when there are no forces acting on me on a horizontal axis.

Some people are harder to stop on a hovercraft due to their weight. This is apparent as a smart car is easier to stop then a tractor trailer. There is simply more mass to stop which is harder.

Inertial post of the year

 Here is a great Video from the folks over at Khan Academy. The video moves from what we learned in class and highlights mass, and how you can find mass by calculating force and distance. The video also highlights how gravitational mass is the same as inertial mass, which is very interesting. One thing I wish Khan would have discussed more would be to have more blanket information on inertia. As I feel without prior knowledge viewers would be lost.  

Round 2

What do you expect to learn?

How energy transfers from wind to light or electrical energy. I expect my thoughts on how to approach a task more efficiently will increase significantly. I also expect that my understanding of engineering will increase due to the hands on style of class.

Why do you think learning physics is important?

Physics is important, because by understanding physics students can be more efficient in problem solving. Physics allows an ornate view as it relates to everything, which in my mind makes it the most important.

What do you think problem solving is?

Problem solving is evaluating your tasks that need to be done. Prioritizing which tasks need to be addressed first, followed by a clear plan to address each in a timely matter. Which will Ensure an end to issues caused by each. The key to problem solving is to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses to build a plan to combat your task at hand.

What questions do you have about physics?

·         What is Physics?

·         How will I apply this in future years?

·         When was physics found?

·         What are the limits of physics?

·         How will this apply to fishing?

What goals do you have for physics this year?

My goals for the year are to become a stronger student, to learn from mistakes, keep my head up, and to bring a positive attitude to class every day.