This Week in Physics 2
We're currently studying Quantum Duality, a seemingly "magic" property of the natural world that neither our "wave" model nor our "particle" model adequately describes. We also learn that this dual nature isn't confined to light at all, but clearly applies to all very small things (and to a small extent, even large things like human beings).
Quantum Duality HW
Most of the homework problems for the current unit are on this sheet.
Polarizing Shades Lab
We did the Polarizing Shades Lab on Monday (2007-05-21).
IMPORTANT!
Final Q4 Lab Reports (for the Mach One Lab, Color Identification Lab, and Polarizing Shades Lab) are due on Monday (2007-06-04). Any lab reports that aren't turned in at 8:20AM in the Science Room that day will receive the grade from the first draft (zero if the first draft was not turned in). No exceptions will be made to this policy for absence or other emergency.
Quarter 4 Exam (Thursday 2007-06-07)
On Thursday we will be taking the quarter exam, covering all three units. Click the link above to download a copy of the exam topics.
(past announcements)
Class Pictures
Check out some hair raising pictures from our adventures with the Van de Graaff generator.
Online Resources
The following online resources may be helpful as you struggle
with the material presented in class. Different points of
view and learning modes are important when trying to master
such a challenging subject. Some of these online tutorials
include quizzes to test your understanding. Note that not
all of the material below will be covered in my class (especially
the math). On the other hand, we'll be covering concepts in
class that aren't addressed in any of the following:
- Metric System
- A handout I developed explaining all of the prefixes (e.g., "milli-", "cent-", "mega-") and the base units (e.g., "meter", "joule", "netwon") in the Systèm Internationale (metric system).
- Dimensional Analysis
- A handout I developed with exercises for practicing dimensional analysis (unit conversions).
-
- ThinkQuest Electricity
- An overview of charge, conductors, charging methods, and Coulomb's Law.
- ThinkQuest
Electric Fields
- Gravitational Field vs. Electric Field, field lines, and
potential energy.
- ThinkQuest
Current
- Flow of charge, Ohm's law, voltage & current laws
(Kirchhoff's Laws).
- ThinkQuest
Basic Circuits
- Series & parallel circuits, and power.
- U.
of Guelph - DC Circuits
- There are nine separate tutorials covering most of what
we study about circuits.
- Oswego
City School District's Physics Regents Exam Prep Center
- This has a bunch of cool stuff, including animated diagrams
describing many Physics 2 concepts (contributed by Sara).
- ThinkQuest
Waves
- An overview of wave behavior, including collision (superposition).
- ThinkQuest
Sound
- An overview of sound waves, including interference and
the Doppler effect.
- ThinkQuest
Light
- An overview of light waves, including colors, reflection
and refraction.
- U. of Guelph - Simple Harmonic Motion
- Wave description parameters and phase, among other things. This site is a bit heavy on the math, but it has some good animation and quizzes.
- Computer Animations of Physical Processes
- The wave animations are better than the electrical ones.
- Sombrero Galaxy in Various Wavelengths
- A "false color" image showing how
one galaxy would look if our eyes were sensitive to x-ray, visible and infrared light.
- Continuous, Emission & Absorption Spectra
- A great page that explains how these three spectral types are produced (respectively) by incandescent sources, hot gases, and cold gases in front of incandescent sources.
- Hydrogen Emission in Rosette Nebula
- The Rosette Nebula, which emits lots of red light because it's made up of hot hydrogen.
- Full Visible Spectrum of the Sun
- This spectrum is very detailed, showing hundreds of absorption lines caused by (relatively) cold gas between us and the photosphere (the part of the sun that produces visible light).
- Dr.
Kromm's Patented Math and Physics Tutorial
- This doesn't really have much about waves or electricity,
but it does contain some good science basic math, such as
scientific notation, significant figures, etc.
What is Physics?
Physics is the study of energy, and therefore the foundation
for all other scientific disciplines (chemistry, biology,
geology, etc.)
Why is Physics Important?
Because physics underlies everything in your life, understanding
physics can help you be more effective at almost anything,
from unfogging your car windshield to managing your home heating
and electricity bills. Physics can also help you make informed
decisions about even larger issues, such as the way California
should respond to the shortage of electrical power generating
capacity.
What Will We Study in Physics 2?
During the third quarter, we will study electricity and magnetism.
These mysterious phenomena were largely unknown until the
late 18th century, finally explained in the 19th century,
and then literally reconstructed our civilization in the 20th
century.
During the fourth quarter, we will study the "wave". Much
more than halftime fun at a football game, the wave is a very
successful and widely applicable mathematical model. We'll
apply the wave model to sound, light and other physical phenomena,
only to see it fail to adequately describe quantum effects,
and this will be our introduction to the surreal world of
modern physics.
Course Goals
My educational philosophy is very simple: set high expectations
and help students rise to them. I have three major goals,
in order of importance:
- Reasoning Skills - Students will evaluate scientific
evidence, develop abstract models to describe the underlying
processes, and employ them to draw reasonable conclusions.
- Physical Intuition - Students will have an intuitive,
conceptual understanding of the fundamental physical laws,
enabling them to both predict and explain the behavior of
objects in their world.
- Problem-Solving Ability - Students will be able
to characterize real world problems using mathematical representations
and then apply mathematical techniques to solve them. (This
means my students will excel at doing word problems.)
Course Organization and Schedule
The subject matter is divided into three units for the third
quarter (Electrostatics, Circuits, and Magnetism),
and three units for the fourth quarter (Sound Waves,
Light Waves, and Quantum Duality). Roughly 3
weeks will be spent on each, and a Unit Test will be given
on the final day of the unit. The last 2-3 days of each quarter
will be devoted to review and a Quarter Exam. The following
summarizes the weekly course schedule:
- New Material Days - While one group of students posts the solutions on the board, all homework will be spot-checked. Afterward, class time will be divided between lecture/discussion, whole class demonstrations, group practice work, and/or group laboratory work.
- Unit Review Days (class day before each Unit Test) - While one group of students posts the solutions on the board, all homework will be spot-checked. Next, a different group of students will present a review of the unit material.
- Unit Test Days (2/9, 3/2, 4/6, 5/4, and 6/1) - I'll answer any last minute questions during the first few minutes of class. Afterward, students will take a Unit Test, using their one-page Summary Sheets for reference.
- Weekends - Students will focus on Laboratory Reports and Semester Projects (see below).
- Unit Test Review Days - Laboratory Reports will be collected on the first day after each Unit Test. Next, I'll review solutions to the problems from the Unit Test. Afterward, we'll continue with the next unit.
- Quarter Review Days (last 1-2 days before each Quarter Exam) - A different group of students will present a review of each unit.
- Quarter Exam (3/23 & Finals Week) - Class will begin with a brief opportunity for students to ask any review questions they desire. Afterward, the class will take a Quarter Exam covering all three units.
- Monday, March 26th - Final
Q3 Lab Reports will be due at the beginning of class, and
any late work will result in a zero for that portion
of the student's grade. Extensions will be given only
in case of illness or family emergency, and then only
with my advance consent (i.e., you must contact me before
Monday.)
- Monday, May 14th - Any Final Semester Project Reports which were not completed on time will be due at the beginning of class, and any late work will result in a zero for that portion of the student's grade. Extensions will be given only in case of illness or family emergency, and then only with my advance consent (i.e., you must contact me before Monday.)
- Monday, June 4th - Final Q4 Lab Reports will be due at 8:20am in the Science Room, and any late work will result in a zero for that portion of the student's grade. Extensions will be given only in case of illness or family emergency, and then only with my advance consent (i.e., you must contact me before Monday.)
Laboratory Reports
There will be one laboratory assignment per unit of course material. Reports describing student laboratory work will be collected on the first day of the following unit, given a tentative grade, and returned. The student should then address any comments I have made before the final reports are turned in at the end of each quarter. Each report should take the following form (1-3 pages):
- Abstract (3-4 sentences) - Briefly summarize why you think your instructor wanted you to perform this experiment, any predictions you made, what you did, and what your results mean. Hopefully, the lab instructions we hand out will be comprehensive, so please do not regurgitate them. Instead, pretend you're explaining what the lab was all about to a friend; hit the high points.
- Data and Observations - Make certain that one student has been assigned to record data and observations while the experiment is being conducted. Each group member should then copy all of this (by hand) before class is over. The data and observations in the Laboratory Report will normally have to be copied once again, so that they can be presented in a clear and organized fashion.
- Data Analysis - Describe how you analyzed your data, including calculations, graphs, tables, etc. Some of this analysis will take place during the lab, but you'll usually have to complete it for homework.
- Conclusions (1-3 sentences) - Summarize what your results have to say about the concepts being studied, especially with respect to any predictions you made. Try to distill your ideas down into a scientific model or law that might be useful for solving problems. What does it all mean?
- Reflection (1-3 sentences) - No scientific experiment is perfect. Comment on how well your group performed the laboratory work, including potential sources of experimental error. Describe specific areas in which you intend to improve for the next laboratory assignment.
Semester Project
All students will complete a semester-long project in an area of Physics that interests them, either working individually or in groups. There will be several milestones to help identify and develop project ideas in order to meet the assessment criteria. More information will be provided separately. Click the link below to get a copy of the sheet describing my expectations.
Semester Project sheet
Class Policies
- Each student will maintain a single Physics Binder containing all handouts, lecture/discussion notes, laboratory notes, homework, tests and other course materials. These materials will be filed in chronological order within the binder.
- Students must bring their Physics Binder, calculator (see below), pencil, and blank paper to class every single day. Failing to do so may result in your group being assigned homework review on the following class day.
- Students should expect to spend up to 30 minutes on homework for each class period, though most assignments should be easy to complete given 15 minutes of focused attention.
- Homework should be completed on the night it is assigned. If you don't know how to answer a question, do your best to clearly demonstrate your efforts (no written evidence of effort = no credit for that homework check). Homework may be presented one class day late for full credit.
- Late homework (2 class days after it was assigned) will be accepted, but 10% of the credit may be deducted for each class day it's late (except for excused absences).
- A student who is absent must take the responsibility for mastering the material covered in class that day and bringing in the homework as assigned. Check the Homework Online! page and/or phone a classmate to find out what went on while you were absent, and plan to spend an extra 2 hours of your own time studying the material covered on each day you miss.
- I am available for help during most study periods and lunch, but only if you make an appointment first. If you have a question, you may also email it to me at CSchneider@BitneyPrep.net or call me at 470-0134.
- A cheap scientific calculator will be very useful for the class (though not required).
- Although memorizing formulas can be very helpful, it is not a requirement for this class. Students may bring one double-sided 8.5" x 11" Summary Sheet to each Unit Test and two double-sided 8.5" x 11" Summary Sheets to the Quarter Exams. These Summary Sheets will be handed in with the tests so that I can give feedback on their content and organization.
How Grades are Computed
 |
Assignment Categories |
|
|
|
Letter Grades |
| Class Discussion |
5% |
A: 90% and above
B: 80% and above
C: 70% and above
D: 65% and above
F: below 65% |
| Homework Spot Checks |
25% |
| Project Checks |
10% |
| Unit Tests |
10% |
| Quarter Exams |
20% |
| Laboratory Reports |
15% |
| Semester Project |
10% |
| Study Hall |
5% |
|
