STEM Electives for Seniors

Today several teachers come in to talk to you about the STEM courses available for you to take next year. If you would like any of their PowerPoints, email me or text me on Remind and I can send them. Otherwise, here is a summary of the courses and who you can talk to about them.

Work Day

Today is your one work day before your test next week. The practice exam, key, and solutions videos are below. It wouldn't hurt to do any suggested homework that you never got around to, as well.

Rotational Motion Test Practice

Answers

Solutions videos:

#2

#3

#4

#6
#7

#8

#9

Deriving Kepler's 3rd Law

Today we combined universal gravitation and uniform circular motion to derive Kepler's 3rd Law.

There is no homework, but you probably picked up your practice test today.

Rotational Motion Test Practice

Answers

Solutions videos:

#2

#3

#4

#6
#7

#8

#9

Universal Gravitation Part 2

Today we used your graphs from yesterday to come up with the relationships between the masses, distance between the mass centers, and the magnitude of the gravitational force between the masses.



And there weren't many good problems in the textbook, so I wrote some and put them on a little strip of paper: Universal Gravitation Homework. This is suggested homework, which will be assessed Friday.

After all of this, we attempted a demonstration about the idea that gravity isn't really a force, exactly, but the consequences of bending space-time with large masses. This will not be assessed but it is the currently accepted model.

We also talked about gravitational waves, which are super exciting and the first detection of which was only a few years ago. Here is a pretty awesome video from Science Bulletin: Gravity-Making Waves. This was made before the first detection, though.

Universal Gravitation Part 1

This lesson will take two days. We started with a Plickers from last week's suggested homework, then used some fake data to derive the Law of Universal Gravitation (Newtonian gravitation). Here is the activity: Universal Gravitation Pseudo-Lab. Today we got as far as making the graphs; please finish for homework so we can jump into the results tomorrow.

Here are the graphs you need to make and some linearizations to try when you don't get a line:

Lab: Finding g With Centripetal Force

Today we worked on the lab you picked up on Friday: Finding g With Centripetal Force. The FRQ from Friday is basically the background for this lab, so you first spent a few minutes correcting your own using a class set of the grading guide.

This lab should be done completely in your lab notebook - I will check it there. I won't make an effort to check it until next week, but if you finish it early I can check it early.

There is no additional homework.

Here are some tips that were on the whiteboard:

Practice Problems

I was out sick, so today you just did some practice problems. They are suggested homework if you didn't finish in class:

p. 228 #18, 20, 32, 65

You also picked up FRQ2009Bb1. This is also suggested homework, but it is the basis for the lab you are doing on Monday/Tuesday, Finding g with Centripetal Force, so you probably should complete it.

Note: period is the time something takes to complete one cycle. For something moving in a circle, period is the time it takes to complete one rotation/revolution.

Centrifugal Force

Today we talked about centrifugal force, which isn't a real force but rather a result of a rotating reference frame. This topic won't be tested, but it's pretty fun to think about and demonstrate.

Some videos we watched:

2001: A Space Odyssey Clip
NASA Centrifuge Gravity Simulator Test

We may have also talked about some conceptual consequences of the equation for centripetal acceleration and centripetal force, such as why people cut corners in their cars or why rollercoaster loops are not actually round (they're a sort of upside down raindrop shape).

Any leftover time was spent working on tonight's suggested homework: p. 228 #26 & 30

Centripetal Acceleration and Force

Today we introduced centripetal acceleration and centripetal force.

Notes: Centripetal Acceleration and Force

Homework is Chapter 7 (p. 228) #17 & 22

Below is the work for an example problem in the notes.

Rotational Kinematics Practice

I want to make sure you all are solid with using angular variables and rotational kinematics problems before we move forward, so today we simply practiced some tougher story problems. Whatever you didn't finish in class is suggested homework:

p.227 #8, 9, 11, 69

Although I still don't want you to turn this in since I just will not have to grade it, it is important that you practice. I am giving you work time in class so you are expected to complete these problems.

#8 is actually the hardest, so you may not want to start there. #69 is almost a symbolic version of #8.

Relating Angular to Linear Quantities

Today we learned the relationships between angular and linear position, velocity, and acceleration.

Notes: Relating Angular to Linear

Homework: Rotational Motion TIPERs #1

Rotational Motion

Today we learned about the angular quantities involved in rotational motion.

Notes: Angular Quantities

Suggested homework is p. 227 # 1a, 4, 13

Energy Test

Today you had some work time before taking the test. Next class we will start the rotational motion unit.

Energy Test Practice

Today was your work day to prepare for the energy test next class. You'll also have 20-30 min of work time before your test next class.

Energy Practice Test
Energy Practice Test Key

Here are some solutions videos from a couple of years ago (may not perfectly match energy practice test).

Multiple Choice #1
Multiple Choice #2
Problem #1
Problem #2
Problem #3

Below are the abridged answers.