Wow, it's a SHORT week, with only 2 days!
We will be discussing (with lots of demos) Newton's Third Law (a lot) a bit on momentum, and orbital motion. That finishes off the chapter!
Homework:
Flashcards from last week will be due when we come back from Thanksgiving break. Since we did not cover N#3 until this week, I am putting them off until then.
In your NOTEBOOK:
In Complete Sentences:
Chapter 10 Assessment
#1-16, 18-20
You know what that means...
CHAPTER 10 TEST coming up next week!!!!!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Mass v Weight
In this lab we found the relationship between the mass and the weight of an object by finding a lot of masses, weights, and then using Newton's second law to find the accelerations.
After using Newton's Second law to calculate FORCE divided by MASS to find the ACCELERATION, we should get a number very close to 9.8 m/s2. Answers between 8.5 m/s2 to about 11 m/s2 are not uncommon.
Since the acceleration IS 9.8 m/s2, there must be some reason that we can not get 9.8 m/s2 for each of the 8 accelerations. Our triple beam balances are accurate to +/- 0.1g, which is about 0.00098 N. Our spring scales are accurate to +/- 0.01 N. That means our scales are MUCH less precise then our balances, and even without any human error and if we did everything perfect, it is likely that we won't get 9.8 every time, the scales are just not good enough!
Taken to another planet, this lab would function almost the same.
The masses would all come out exactly the same, because the mass of the objects won't change depending on where they were. The weights however, WOULD change depending on where they were. Planets larger then Earth would have more gravity, and the objects' weights would be higher. Planets smaller then Earth would have less gravity and the objects' weights would be smaller.
#5- Don't worry about it!
After using Newton's Second law to calculate FORCE divided by MASS to find the ACCELERATION, we should get a number very close to 9.8 m/s2. Answers between 8.5 m/s2 to about 11 m/s2 are not uncommon.
Since the acceleration IS 9.8 m/s2, there must be some reason that we can not get 9.8 m/s2 for each of the 8 accelerations. Our triple beam balances are accurate to +/- 0.1g, which is about 0.00098 N. Our spring scales are accurate to +/- 0.01 N. That means our scales are MUCH less precise then our balances, and even without any human error and if we did everything perfect, it is likely that we won't get 9.8 every time, the scales are just not good enough!
Taken to another planet, this lab would function almost the same.
The masses would all come out exactly the same, because the mass of the objects won't change depending on where they were. The weights however, WOULD change depending on where they were. Planets larger then Earth would have more gravity, and the objects' weights would be higher. Planets smaller then Earth would have less gravity and the objects' weights would be smaller.
#5- Don't worry about it!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Week of Nov 16
Ack! We need to get moving!
I should say, that rate at which we cover material should accelerate.
This week we will look at 10.3 & 10.4, Newton's 3 Laws.
Vocab due next week:
Inertia
Newton's 1st Law
Newton's 2nd Law
Newton's 3rd Law
The Friction Lab should be turned in already.
The Mass Lab (see previous post) will be due Thurs/Fri.
We will also be doing a lab on measuring the acceleration from gravity - you SHOULD get 9.8 m/s2! It's another easy/short lab.
I should say, that rate at which we cover material should accelerate.
This week we will look at 10.3 & 10.4, Newton's 3 Laws.
Vocab due next week:
Inertia
Newton's 1st Law
Newton's 2nd Law
Newton's 3rd Law
The Friction Lab should be turned in already.
The Mass Lab (see previous post) will be due Thurs/Fri.
We will also be doing a lab on measuring the acceleration from gravity - you SHOULD get 9.8 m/s2! It's another easy/short lab.
Mass Lab
This lab is all about learning the skills involved with a triple beam balance:
Massing directly
Massing by difference
Massing exact amounts.
The balance is balanced when the POINTER MARKER is pointing at ZERO POINT CENTER.
The smallest mass that is possible to find with these balances is one tenth of a gram, 0.1g. The first mark on the 1g rider is 0.1g, anything smaller then that, we can not find accurately. Be warned, the question is NOT asking you to look at your data and find the object you measured that had the smallest mass.
The largest mass you can find with these balances is 610g, when the 100g rider is on 500g, the 10g rider is at 100g, and the 1g rider is at 10g.
Before using the balance, make sure that it is calibrated correctly, that it is balanced. To do this, the riders must be set to zero, the pan is clean and dry and the balance reads 0g.
When you are done finding the mass of an object, you must set the riders all back to zero.
Mass by Difference is used when you are trying to find the mass of an object that will not stay on the pan by itself, or it will just be too messy, such as a bird that will fly away if it is not in a small cage, a glass of water that needs to stay in the glass, or a scoop of sand in a small cup.
Massing Exact Amounts is a skill you use when you are trying to get a particular amount of something to be used in a recipe in cooking, or when following a chemical formula for an experiment. If you needed to find exactly 50g of water to mix with exactly 12g of salt, you would use Massing Exact amounts to get the correct masses.
Massing directly
Massing by difference
Massing exact amounts.
The balance is balanced when the POINTER MARKER is pointing at ZERO POINT CENTER.
The smallest mass that is possible to find with these balances is one tenth of a gram, 0.1g. The first mark on the 1g rider is 0.1g, anything smaller then that, we can not find accurately. Be warned, the question is NOT asking you to look at your data and find the object you measured that had the smallest mass.
The largest mass you can find with these balances is 610g, when the 100g rider is on 500g, the 10g rider is at 100g, and the 1g rider is at 10g.
Before using the balance, make sure that it is calibrated correctly, that it is balanced. To do this, the riders must be set to zero, the pan is clean and dry and the balance reads 0g.
When you are done finding the mass of an object, you must set the riders all back to zero.
Mass by Difference is used when you are trying to find the mass of an object that will not stay on the pan by itself, or it will just be too messy, such as a bird that will fly away if it is not in a small cage, a glass of water that needs to stay in the glass, or a scoop of sand in a small cup.
Massing Exact Amounts is a skill you use when you are trying to get a particular amount of something to be used in a recipe in cooking, or when following a chemical formula for an experiment. If you needed to find exactly 50g of water to mix with exactly 12g of salt, you would use Massing Exact amounts to get the correct masses.
Monday, November 09, 2009
Week of 11/9/09
This week
BA-BA
Wednesday is a holiday, and a lot of kids will be in Challenge Day on Tues & Thurs.
Last Fri, this Mon, we did the Friction Lab (see below) I am expecting it to be done by the 13th/ 16th.
The vocab cards from last week, we did not get through them all, so due 10th, 11th are the ones which we DID already go over.
Force
Newton (N)
net force
balanced force
unbalanced force
Friction
4 types of Friction
Next Monday we will have the rest of the Vocab from Section 2 due.
Gravity
terminal velocity
9.8 m/s2
Mass
Weight
more?
10.3 notes were already due, so should be done, but I will check them on the 10th/12th
10.4 notes will be due on the 17th/18th, depending on where we are then, maybe section 5 as well - not sure yet.
BA-BA
Wednesday is a holiday, and a lot of kids will be in Challenge Day on Tues & Thurs.
Last Fri, this Mon, we did the Friction Lab (see below) I am expecting it to be done by the 13th/ 16th.
The vocab cards from last week, we did not get through them all, so due 10th, 11th are the ones which we DID already go over.
Force
Newton (N)
net force
balanced force
unbalanced force
Friction
4 types of Friction
Next Monday we will have the rest of the Vocab from Section 2 due.
Gravity
terminal velocity
9.8 m/s2
Mass
Weight
more?
10.3 notes were already due, so should be done, but I will check them on the 10th/12th
10.4 notes will be due on the 17th/18th, depending on where we are then, maybe section 5 as well - not sure yet.
Friction lab
Greetings!
In the friction lab we used wood blocks and spring scales to measure the friction between the block and the table. We then tested to see if changing the surface area changed the friction, as well as adding weights to the block and putting it on different surfaces, such as sand paper, to see what changed the friction.
When we turned the block from the large side, of about 115 cm2, to the small side, of about 56 cm2, the friction DID NOT CHANGE. Mr. Lang also got results from a large sample size, the whole class. When we look at that data, some of the groups got the same friction, some group's had their friction go UP and some even had their friction went DOWN! There is no consistent answer, and that is because any change we see with moving from the large to the small surface area has to do with the large margin of error on the spring scales. THERE WAS NO REAL CHANGE IN FRICTION.
However, when we added weights in Part 3, it is easy to see that the weight pushing down (weight) IS a factor of friction. The more weight pushing down on the block, the larger the friction will be.
Also, when we move the block onto different surfaces, we get different frictions, showing that the type of surfaces involved ARE factors of friction.
On my first graph, we graphed all the data that we got for wood to table. All the points made a liner data trend. For a pair of surfaces, the ratio of Friction to Weight (the coefficient of friction) is constant. NO matter what the weight we add to the block, that ratio will be the same, making a linear graph.
However, when we put the block on different surfaces, we get different lines with different slopes. The ratio of Weight to Friction is DIFFERENT for different surfaces, so the line for sandpaper and for plastic are DIFFERENT.
Since the ratio of F/W is constant, if I look at my first graph, showing the relationship of F/W for wood to table, I can predict the friction for any total weight from 0.1 to 5.2 N (and more if I made a bigger graph). All I need to do is find the weight of 2N on the X-axis and then follow the graph straight up to where 2N intersects with the line we drew. I can then trace that to the left, onto the Y axis, and that number will tell me the friction I should expect if the block + any weights had a total of 2N.
DON"T FORGET THE CORRECT UNITS.
The surface areas are in cm2.
All the rest of the lab is in N,
EXCEPT for the ratio of F/W which has NO unit!!!
Why does it have NO unit? Well in "speed" we had meters/seconds. There is no common unit there, and both m and s are left behind in the answer.
When we did acceleration and had "m/s" divided by "s" there was a common unit.. the "s" and in that formula those "s" were in a improper fraction, and they ended up being squared (m/s2).
In finding the coefficient of friction I have force (in N) and weight (in N) and just like in math class, an N in the numerator and denominator CANCEL EACH OTHER OUT, and we are left with no unit.
On our graphs, each surface made a different line, so in the First graph, I have one Line of Best Fit, but on the second graph, I get 4 lines.
In the friction lab we used wood blocks and spring scales to measure the friction between the block and the table. We then tested to see if changing the surface area changed the friction, as well as adding weights to the block and putting it on different surfaces, such as sand paper, to see what changed the friction.
When we turned the block from the large side, of about 115 cm2, to the small side, of about 56 cm2, the friction DID NOT CHANGE. Mr. Lang also got results from a large sample size, the whole class. When we look at that data, some of the groups got the same friction, some group's had their friction go UP and some even had their friction went DOWN! There is no consistent answer, and that is because any change we see with moving from the large to the small surface area has to do with the large margin of error on the spring scales. THERE WAS NO REAL CHANGE IN FRICTION.
However, when we added weights in Part 3, it is easy to see that the weight pushing down (weight) IS a factor of friction. The more weight pushing down on the block, the larger the friction will be.
Also, when we move the block onto different surfaces, we get different frictions, showing that the type of surfaces involved ARE factors of friction.
On my first graph, we graphed all the data that we got for wood to table. All the points made a liner data trend. For a pair of surfaces, the ratio of Friction to Weight (the coefficient of friction) is constant. NO matter what the weight we add to the block, that ratio will be the same, making a linear graph.
However, when we put the block on different surfaces, we get different lines with different slopes. The ratio of Weight to Friction is DIFFERENT for different surfaces, so the line for sandpaper and for plastic are DIFFERENT.
Since the ratio of F/W is constant, if I look at my first graph, showing the relationship of F/W for wood to table, I can predict the friction for any total weight from 0.1 to 5.2 N (and more if I made a bigger graph). All I need to do is find the weight of 2N on the X-axis and then follow the graph straight up to where 2N intersects with the line we drew. I can then trace that to the left, onto the Y axis, and that number will tell me the friction I should expect if the block + any weights had a total of 2N.
DON"T FORGET THE CORRECT UNITS.
The surface areas are in cm2.
All the rest of the lab is in N,
EXCEPT for the ratio of F/W which has NO unit!!!
Why does it have NO unit? Well in "speed" we had meters/seconds. There is no common unit there, and both m and s are left behind in the answer.
When we did acceleration and had "m/s" divided by "s" there was a common unit.. the "s" and in that formula those "s" were in a improper fraction, and they ended up being squared (m/s2).
In finding the coefficient of friction I have force (in N) and weight (in N) and just like in math class, an N in the numerator and denominator CANCEL EACH OTHER OUT, and we are left with no unit.
On our graphs, each surface made a different line, so in the First graph, I have one Line of Best Fit, but on the second graph, I get 4 lines.
Science at PHS
FYI:
The science department at the high school has a new offering... 9th grade Biology.
Instead of continuing with Physical Science pt 2, it is now possible to move right into Bio. To get into the class students will need to pass a test and get a recommendation from their 8th grade science teacher (me). Their 8th grade science work should show a mastery of the 8th grade standards, with do have SOME overlap with the 9th grade Physical Science class. Without that, they will not have the background to succeed in the 9thgrade Bio class. There is a lot of chemistry involved!
The goal is if advanced students interested in science pass a test in the standards they need to know from 9th grade, and start bio in 9th, they will be able to take more advanced science elective classes, like oceanography and ecology.
While I do not know exactly what the plan is, I did want to make it known to students and parents that this opportunity does exist at PHS. As far as I know, the process will be similar to getting into the advanced English classes.
If you are interested, send me an email and I will let you know further information as it comes out. As of right now, I don't know who the contact at the HS is going to be- maybe the counselors, maybe the science dept... not sure! I DO know that it is NOT the office staff or counseling dept here at the Junior High.
Good luck!
The science department at the high school has a new offering... 9th grade Biology.
Instead of continuing with Physical Science pt 2, it is now possible to move right into Bio. To get into the class students will need to pass a test and get a recommendation from their 8th grade science teacher (me). Their 8th grade science work should show a mastery of the 8th grade standards, with do have SOME overlap with the 9th grade Physical Science class. Without that, they will not have the background to succeed in the 9thgrade Bio class. There is a lot of chemistry involved!
The goal is if advanced students interested in science pass a test in the standards they need to know from 9th grade, and start bio in 9th, they will be able to take more advanced science elective classes, like oceanography and ecology.
While I do not know exactly what the plan is, I did want to make it known to students and parents that this opportunity does exist at PHS. As far as I know, the process will be similar to getting into the advanced English classes.
If you are interested, send me an email and I will let you know further information as it comes out. As of right now, I don't know who the contact at the HS is going to be- maybe the counselors, maybe the science dept... not sure! I DO know that it is NOT the office staff or counseling dept here at the Junior High.
Good luck!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Week of Oct 26
This week BABAB
Last Friday/ this Monday we did the Inclined to Roll lab (see previous post about the comclusion). Student should have conclusions ready on Tuesday/Wednesday. I will give them checklists to make sure they did a good job. PARENTS- ASK TO READ THEM.
Tuesday/Wednesday I will return the last lab, Coaster's Speed. This time I am handing them back and telling them FACE TO FACE what they need to do to get higher grades on the labs. Time permitting, I will also show them their grades, assignment by assignment. All of which you can see online as well. While I am doing that, they will be VERY BUSY.
1 - Staple the Chapter 9 Pack & look up the SCIENCE STANDARDS for the chapter.
2 - Staple the INCLINED TO ROLL lab.
3 - In their notebooks, they have a big assignment
Pg 365-366 # 1-5,6-9,11-14,16-17,19,22-24
This will be in their NOTEBOOKS written in complete sentences!
If it is not done, yes, it should be finished at home,
these are practice questions for the test!
Thursday/Friday I will check that assignment, as well as the 10.1 notes. Then we have the Chapter 9 TEST.
Did you learn something from the last test? If so, you are checking here for hints on the test.
Given a graph like the ones in the Cpt 9 packet, can you tell me the speed of the object being graphed (rise over run between two points on the line)?
On a position graph (Distance v time) what does a straight line mean, a horizontal lime mean, a steeper slope mean, and a curved line mean.
You need to know the definition of motion, reference point, velocity, vectors, speed, and acceleration.
You need to be able to use the speed and acceleration formulas to solve for the missing quantity.
Given a description of motion, you need to be able to graph the motion.
You will NOT need to be able to preform unit analysis or graph an accelerating object unless I include extra credit questions on those.
Study Hard!
Last Friday/ this Monday we did the Inclined to Roll lab (see previous post about the comclusion). Student should have conclusions ready on Tuesday/Wednesday. I will give them checklists to make sure they did a good job. PARENTS- ASK TO READ THEM.
Tuesday/Wednesday I will return the last lab, Coaster's Speed. This time I am handing them back and telling them FACE TO FACE what they need to do to get higher grades on the labs. Time permitting, I will also show them their grades, assignment by assignment. All of which you can see online as well. While I am doing that, they will be VERY BUSY.
1 - Staple the Chapter 9 Pack & look up the SCIENCE STANDARDS for the chapter.
2 - Staple the INCLINED TO ROLL lab.
3 - In their notebooks, they have a big assignment
Pg 365-366 # 1-5,6-9,11-14,16-17,19,22-24
This will be in their NOTEBOOKS written in complete sentences!
If it is not done, yes, it should be finished at home,
these are practice questions for the test!
Thursday/Friday I will check that assignment, as well as the 10.1 notes. Then we have the Chapter 9 TEST.
Did you learn something from the last test? If so, you are checking here for hints on the test.
Given a graph like the ones in the Cpt 9 packet, can you tell me the speed of the object being graphed (rise over run between two points on the line)?
On a position graph (Distance v time) what does a straight line mean, a horizontal lime mean, a steeper slope mean, and a curved line mean.
You need to know the definition of motion, reference point, velocity, vectors, speed, and acceleration.
You need to be able to use the speed and acceleration formulas to solve for the missing quantity.
Given a description of motion, you need to be able to graph the motion.
You will NOT need to be able to preform unit analysis or graph an accelerating object unless I include extra credit questions on those.
Study Hard!
Inclined To Roll
In this lab we found the time it takes for a marble to roll down a 1m long ramp. We used the time to figure out the speed and the acceleration of the marble.
The manipulated variable is the height of the ramp, which also changes the angle of the ramp. The responding variable is the time it takes for the marble to travel the distance of 1 m down the ramp. There were many things that were controlled: the marble, the ramp, the k’nex scaffolding holding the ramp, the timer, the releaser and how the ramp was set up on the k’nex.
If the ramp was long enough and at an angle of 9.09 degrees, it would take_____ seconds for the marble to accelerate from 0 m/s to 10 m/s.
To find the time, I put the values into the formula a= Vf-Vi/t. Since Vf is 10 m/s and Vi is 0, 10 divided by my acceleration gives me my answer. (answers differ depending on the acceleration your team got at the angle of 9.09 degrees.
On an acceleration graph of Speed vs Time, a marble would create a linear graph (straight line) The reason it is linear is that when I divide the speed by the time of any point on the graph, I get the same answer, showing me that the RATIO of SPEED TO TIME IS CONSTANT. A straight line on a graph always means that SOMETHING is staying constant.
If I graphed the marble on a Speed graph, when I plot distance against time, it would make a CURVED line getting steeper and steeper. Since the marble is speeding up, the slope of the line would continue to get bigger and bigger. The reason the slope is getting bigger and bigger is the RATIO of DISTANCE vs TIME is getting bigger! If I get a curved line on a graph, I always know that SOMETHING is CHANGING!
There are a LOT OF DIFFERENT UNITS TO KEEP TRACK OF IN THIS LAB!!!!
The manipulated variable is the height of the ramp, which also changes the angle of the ramp. The responding variable is the time it takes for the marble to travel the distance of 1 m down the ramp. There were many things that were controlled: the marble, the ramp, the k’nex scaffolding holding the ramp, the timer, the releaser and how the ramp was set up on the k’nex.
If the ramp was long enough and at an angle of 9.09 degrees, it would take_____ seconds for the marble to accelerate from 0 m/s to 10 m/s.
To find the time, I put the values into the formula a= Vf-Vi/t. Since Vf is 10 m/s and Vi is 0, 10 divided by my acceleration gives me my answer. (answers differ depending on the acceleration your team got at the angle of 9.09 degrees.
On an acceleration graph of Speed vs Time, a marble would create a linear graph (straight line) The reason it is linear is that when I divide the speed by the time of any point on the graph, I get the same answer, showing me that the RATIO of SPEED TO TIME IS CONSTANT. A straight line on a graph always means that SOMETHING is staying constant.
If I graphed the marble on a Speed graph, when I plot distance against time, it would make a CURVED line getting steeper and steeper. Since the marble is speeding up, the slope of the line would continue to get bigger and bigger. The reason the slope is getting bigger and bigger is the RATIO of DISTANCE vs TIME is getting bigger! If I get a curved line on a graph, I always know that SOMETHING is CHANGING!
There are a LOT OF DIFFERENT UNITS TO KEEP TRACK OF IN THIS LAB!!!!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Week of Oct 20
Greetings!
We are going to be focused on acceleration this week, including some graphing, and a lab.
Homework:
Finish any handouts that do not get finished in class
The backside of the "Unit Analysis" handout is EXTRA CREDIT.
You will need to finish the "Inclined to Roll" lab over the weekend
Flashcards: only 2 this week- acceleration and ratio.
More on the lab when it happens
We are going to be focused on acceleration this week, including some graphing, and a lab.
Homework:
Finish any handouts that do not get finished in class
The backside of the "Unit Analysis" handout is EXTRA CREDIT.
You will need to finish the "Inclined to Roll" lab over the weekend
Flashcards: only 2 this week- acceleration and ratio.
More on the lab when it happens
Monday, October 12, 2009
Coaster Speed Lab
Reminders:
Your conclusion should be read aloud to someone, preferably a parent at home.
Parents: If you have to ask ANY QUESTIONS, then they need to work on their conclusion more. It should be a finished work, such as an adult would turn into their boss, hoping to get that raise. Details, details, details! Average times and average speeds are given to TWO decimal places.
*Use binder paper, and not "ripped out of a spiral notebook" paper.
*At the top of the binder paper should be a title: "Coaster Lab Conclusion."
*Skip the first line.
*Start writing on the second line.
*Follow the right and left margin, and KEEP A ONE INCH bottom margin.
*Skip lines between questions.
*When you get to the bottom of the page, get another sheet of paper.
The below information is very similar to what I go over in class. There is nothing below that they have not heard before. I do this so students can also read the information they need, and as an example of a good conclusion. There are some questions that I can not answer here the way students need to answer them (in giving the results to calculations based on data they collect).
DO NOT PRINT THIS OFF AND TRY TURNING IT IN or include chunks of this text. That is plagiarism, and not acceptable. If you do not know what plagiarism is, go to the school web page, find the page dedicated to the library. Mrs. Andresen has a good page on plagiarism there.
1- Question #1 is almost always the same... explain what happened in the lab. We used a battery powered K'nex roller coaster and used a stopwatch to time how long it took the coaster to do laps around the 8 m track. Three different times, we timed 1, 3, 5, and 10 laps, recorded the times, found the average time for each # of laps. We used the s=d/t formula to find the speed of the coaster.
2- We found the average speed in this lab. There are several ways that we can determine that this is an average speed and not a constant speed. One way is that we used the formula for average speed, total distance divided by total time. The second way we can tell is just by looking at the coaster. When it hits the orange accelerators, it speeds up, and by the time it is nearing the end of the track, it is going rather slowly. And since I can see that the speed does in fact change over the 8 meter track, and speed we find would be an average speed.
3- This answer will vary depending on the times you got and the speeds you calculated. However there are three important things that you must remember while answering this question. 1-The answer must be in a SENTENCE. Do not just list them. 2- Do not forget the correct units on the speeds in this answer, it is in m/s. 3-The speeds that we get are very close to the value of 2 m/s. If you get much lower then 1.90m/s or much higher then 2.25 m/s there is probably a problem somewhere.
4- The 5 points (don't forget the point (0,0)!) should make a fairly straight line, which makes this a linear trend.
WARNING- the answer to this is not "because it makes a straight line." The question is asking "WHY THEY MAKE A STRAIGHT LINE?"
The reason these points make a straight line is that the RATIO of DISTANCE to TIME is CONSTANT. Yes, every lap is another 8 m of distance, but it takes another 4 seconds of time. And yes, I am telling every class that that phrase "RATIO of DISTANCE to TIME is CONSTANT," must be in their answer.
5- When drawing the graph, I instructed the students to draw the line of best fit to the END OF THE GRAPH. IF your speed is higher then or equal to 2.00 m/s this question has an easy answer. Wherever your line hits the top of the graph (which is labeled 100m), follow the vertical line down to the time on the X axis. If your speed is lower then 2.00 m/s, your line does not hit the 100 m mark! (I should make the graph longer!) IF this is the case, do your best to estimate the time. Regardless, since the speeds are all about 2 m/s, the time needed to travel should be somewhere around 50 s.
6- Similar to question #5, we are finding a time, but instead of using a graph, we will use the formula s=d/t (or from math, the d=rt formula, which is the exact same thing). Since the question asks to find the time to travel 1km, the first thing you need to do is convert that to meters. Plug in your distance and plug in the speed you found for "1 lap" and solve for "t." Again, everyone's answer will be different depending on the speed you calculated, but since they will all be about 2 m/s, the travel time of 1 km should be near 500s.
An alternate reasoning for #6 could include finding the number of laps around the track it would take to travel 1 km, and then multiplying the time of one lap by the number of laps. While this would result in the correct answer, the question specifically requires the use of the s=d/t formula to solve the problem. I would have no problem if students ALSO used this method to confirm their results that they found with the s=d/t formula.
Parents and students- If the above was written out by hand, how long do you think it would be? One sheet of binder paper? Two? more?
Your conclusion should be read aloud to someone, preferably a parent at home.
Parents: If you have to ask ANY QUESTIONS, then they need to work on their conclusion more. It should be a finished work, such as an adult would turn into their boss, hoping to get that raise. Details, details, details! Average times and average speeds are given to TWO decimal places.
*Use binder paper, and not "ripped out of a spiral notebook" paper.
*At the top of the binder paper should be a title: "Coaster Lab Conclusion."
*Skip the first line.
*Start writing on the second line.
*Follow the right and left margin, and KEEP A ONE INCH bottom margin.
*Skip lines between questions.
*When you get to the bottom of the page, get another sheet of paper.
The below information is very similar to what I go over in class. There is nothing below that they have not heard before. I do this so students can also read the information they need, and as an example of a good conclusion. There are some questions that I can not answer here the way students need to answer them (in giving the results to calculations based on data they collect).
DO NOT PRINT THIS OFF AND TRY TURNING IT IN or include chunks of this text. That is plagiarism, and not acceptable. If you do not know what plagiarism is, go to the school web page, find the page dedicated to the library. Mrs. Andresen has a good page on plagiarism there.
1- Question #1 is almost always the same... explain what happened in the lab. We used a battery powered K'nex roller coaster and used a stopwatch to time how long it took the coaster to do laps around the 8 m track. Three different times, we timed 1, 3, 5, and 10 laps, recorded the times, found the average time for each # of laps. We used the s=d/t formula to find the speed of the coaster.
2- We found the average speed in this lab. There are several ways that we can determine that this is an average speed and not a constant speed. One way is that we used the formula for average speed, total distance divided by total time. The second way we can tell is just by looking at the coaster. When it hits the orange accelerators, it speeds up, and by the time it is nearing the end of the track, it is going rather slowly. And since I can see that the speed does in fact change over the 8 meter track, and speed we find would be an average speed.
3- This answer will vary depending on the times you got and the speeds you calculated. However there are three important things that you must remember while answering this question. 1-The answer must be in a SENTENCE. Do not just list them. 2- Do not forget the correct units on the speeds in this answer, it is in m/s. 3-The speeds that we get are very close to the value of 2 m/s. If you get much lower then 1.90m/s or much higher then 2.25 m/s there is probably a problem somewhere.
4- The 5 points (don't forget the point (0,0)!) should make a fairly straight line, which makes this a linear trend.
WARNING- the answer to this is not "because it makes a straight line." The question is asking "WHY THEY MAKE A STRAIGHT LINE?"
The reason these points make a straight line is that the RATIO of DISTANCE to TIME is CONSTANT. Yes, every lap is another 8 m of distance, but it takes another 4 seconds of time. And yes, I am telling every class that that phrase "RATIO of DISTANCE to TIME is CONSTANT," must be in their answer.
5- When drawing the graph, I instructed the students to draw the line of best fit to the END OF THE GRAPH. IF your speed is higher then or equal to 2.00 m/s this question has an easy answer. Wherever your line hits the top of the graph (which is labeled 100m), follow the vertical line down to the time on the X axis. If your speed is lower then 2.00 m/s, your line does not hit the 100 m mark! (I should make the graph longer!) IF this is the case, do your best to estimate the time. Regardless, since the speeds are all about 2 m/s, the time needed to travel should be somewhere around 50 s.
6- Similar to question #5, we are finding a time, but instead of using a graph, we will use the formula s=d/t (or from math, the d=rt formula, which is the exact same thing). Since the question asks to find the time to travel 1km, the first thing you need to do is convert that to meters. Plug in your distance and plug in the speed you found for "1 lap" and solve for "t." Again, everyone's answer will be different depending on the speed you calculated, but since they will all be about 2 m/s, the travel time of 1 km should be near 500s.
An alternate reasoning for #6 could include finding the number of laps around the track it would take to travel 1 km, and then multiplying the time of one lap by the number of laps. While this would result in the correct answer, the question specifically requires the use of the s=d/t formula to solve the problem. I would have no problem if students ALSO used this method to confirm their results that they found with the s=d/t formula.
Parents and students- If the above was written out by hand, how long do you think it would be? One sheet of binder paper? Two? more?
Week of Oct 12th
This week:
ABABA
Mon-Tues We are doing the Coaster Speed lab.
Goal= find how fast the K'nex coaster is going.
Stay tuned to details on the lab.
Wed-Thurs We will be starting ACCELERATION.
Homework:
9.3 notes were assigned last week, due today, tomorrow.
Last weeks flashcards due today, tomorrow as well.
9.4 notes due 14th/15th
Finish Coaster Lab. Rough draft due Wed/Thurs, final draft Fri/next Mon.
Finish any/all handouts in your binder from Chapter 9. So far there are 3
*Displacement
*Speed
*Graphing Speed
Vocab words this week, due Tues/Wed of NEXT week (Monday is a furlough day)
*ratio
*acceleration
This chapter will go MUCH faster then Chapter 1!
ABABA
Mon-Tues We are doing the Coaster Speed lab.
Goal= find how fast the K'nex coaster is going.
Stay tuned to details on the lab.
Wed-Thurs We will be starting ACCELERATION.
Homework:
9.3 notes were assigned last week, due today, tomorrow.
Last weeks flashcards due today, tomorrow as well.
9.4 notes due 14th/15th
Finish Coaster Lab. Rough draft due Wed/Thurs, final draft Fri/next Mon.
Finish any/all handouts in your binder from Chapter 9. So far there are 3
*Displacement
*Speed
*Graphing Speed
Vocab words this week, due Tues/Wed of NEXT week (Monday is a furlough day)
*ratio
*acceleration
This chapter will go MUCH faster then Chapter 1!
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Week of Oct 5
Yikes!
Sorry everyone, I was buried under such a huge pile of papers this past week! The F(w) labs, the Chapter 1 Packs and the Tests... We DOUBLED the number of points available in the class in one week!
I did offer retakes on tests, and have not had a lot of kids in my room asking for retakes. (Kids in study skills can retake in their study skills class, and probably already have.)
I will try to get updated, "post Chapter 1 test" grades updated by the end of the weekend.
This week:
BABAB
Homework:
9.2 Notes Due Tues/Wed
9.3 Notes Due... Sometime next week - depends on how the lab goes.
Finish: Handouts page 1-2, 3-4 and 5-6. We spent LOTS of time on these in class. I won't be collecting them until the end of Chapter 9 - which will be sooner then you expect. It took us 5 weeks to do chapter 1!?! Chapter 9 should be done in only another week or so!
This chapter covers SPEED and ACCELERATION.
Both ideas involve ratios of change, and FORMULAS to remember, and graphs to be able to draw and read. We will do a lab for both speed (the roller coaster lab) and acceleration (Inclined to Roll). The last section of the chapter includes ENERGY and conversion of energy. I will TOUCH on this, but I will not require learning the formulas for KE, GPE and the like - that really is 9th grade stuff!
Sorry everyone, I was buried under such a huge pile of papers this past week! The F(w) labs, the Chapter 1 Packs and the Tests... We DOUBLED the number of points available in the class in one week!
I did offer retakes on tests, and have not had a lot of kids in my room asking for retakes. (Kids in study skills can retake in their study skills class, and probably already have.)
I will try to get updated, "post Chapter 1 test" grades updated by the end of the weekend.
This week:
BABAB
Homework:
9.2 Notes Due Tues/Wed
9.3 Notes Due... Sometime next week - depends on how the lab goes.
Finish: Handouts page 1-2, 3-4 and 5-6. We spent LOTS of time on these in class. I won't be collecting them until the end of Chapter 9 - which will be sooner then you expect. It took us 5 weeks to do chapter 1!?! Chapter 9 should be done in only another week or so!
This chapter covers SPEED and ACCELERATION.
Both ideas involve ratios of change, and FORMULAS to remember, and graphs to be able to draw and read. We will do a lab for both speed (the roller coaster lab) and acceleration (Inclined to Roll). The last section of the chapter includes ENERGY and conversion of energy. I will TOUCH on this, but I will not require learning the formulas for KE, GPE and the like - that really is 9th grade stuff!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
9/28/09
This week
ABABA
Homework:
Due Wed/Thurs - Pg 49-50 #1-5, 12-17. Do it in your notebook and in complete sentences for full credit!
Due Wed/Thurs- Walking Function Lab.
Due Fri/Mon- Notes for chapter NINE.1 That's chapter NINE.
On Fri/Mon- CHAPTER ONE TEST.
TEST
25 multiple choice questions.
Scientific Method. Given a situation can you tell apart the parts of the SM?
Metric System. What's it based on? What are the three main units? Can you convert between km, m, cm, mm? Can you put the 6 prefixes in order?
Graphing Science- Do you know the parts of a graph? Can you tell the difference between linear trends, nonlinear trends, and no trends? Do you know why we use the line of best fit?
5 measurement questions- given a ruler, can you measure stuff?
SECRET BLOG EXTRA CREDIT TEST QUESTION
"Pick one of the following: A, B, C, or D"
the correct answer: It's a trick, pick ALL FOUR.
I am just curious as to who reads the blog! It's a secret, don't tell anyone!!!
It's like the lottery, the more winners, the less it is worth for each of you!
ABABA
Homework:
Due Wed/Thurs - Pg 49-50 #1-5, 12-17. Do it in your notebook and in complete sentences for full credit!
Due Wed/Thurs- Walking Function Lab.
Due Fri/Mon- Notes for chapter NINE.1 That's chapter NINE.
On Fri/Mon- CHAPTER ONE TEST.
TEST
25 multiple choice questions.
Scientific Method. Given a situation can you tell apart the parts of the SM?
Metric System. What's it based on? What are the three main units? Can you convert between km, m, cm, mm? Can you put the 6 prefixes in order?
Graphing Science- Do you know the parts of a graph? Can you tell the difference between linear trends, nonlinear trends, and no trends? Do you know why we use the line of best fit?
5 measurement questions- given a ruler, can you measure stuff?
SECRET BLOG EXTRA CREDIT TEST QUESTION
"Pick one of the following: A, B, C, or D"
the correct answer: It's a trick, pick ALL FOUR.
I am just curious as to who reads the blog! It's a secret, don't tell anyone!!!
It's like the lottery, the more winners, the less it is worth for each of you!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
F(w)
That's mathspeek for "Walking Function" lab.
(Q1) In this activity (not really a lab experiemnt) students got a set of directions on different ways to move, walking, walking heel-to-toe, walking with a side-to-side step and jogging in place. They could also be doing those steps backwards. While doing the directed walking for 20 seconds, the distance they walked was recorded, and later graphed.
(Q2) Since each group had a different set of directions, in order for Mr. Lang to grade their conclusion, he needs to know which Function card you had (A, B , C, D, etc) and which of the two functions your group recorded that you will answer the next two questions on. "We chad card "X" and I will describe function "15."
(Q3&4) To determine where the walker would be at any particular time (from 0s to 20s) find the time on the X axis, follow the vertical line until it intersects with your line. At that point, follow the horizontal line to the y-axis on the left, and determine the y value. If the line is going up to the right, the Y value is getting bigger, and the walker is increasing the distance from the start line. The walker must be walking forward. This line has a positive slope. If the line in doing down to the right, the Y value is getting smaller and the walker is getting closer to the start line, meaning the walker must be walking backwards. This line has a negative slope. If the line is horizontal, the Y value is not changing, and the walker is jogging in place. This line has a slope of zero.
(Q5) Find a person who has a F(w) that you did not do, and you must tell me who's paper you used, and which F(w) of theirs that you used.
(Q6) In the same manner as Q3&4, tell me what you can about where theri walker was at the time 13s.
(Q7) Looking at their graph, explain what the graph looks like, including direction and speed changes. Ex: F(3) starts out horizontal, not moving. At 5s they start moving, at 10 seconds they start going faster. At 15 seconds they move even faster. They do not change directions at all. While F(8) they start moving backwards, then forwards at 5s, backwards again at 10s and then at 15 s, forward again. The speeds are all about the same.
(Q8) After looking at their graph, do your best to determine WHAT kind of walk they were doing, Can you figure out what THEIR directions looked like?
Don't forget the walks we did (from slowest to fastest) were:
jog in place
side to side
heel-to-toe
walking
the steeper the line, the faster they were moving, and the direction of the line will tell you if they were traveling forwards or backwards.
This lab was all about MAKING AND READING graphs. It will also be a STRONG foundation for Position Graphs which will be a big part of the next chapter.
Related to the graphing issues we will go this year, that also has to do with the 1.5 notes- a FUNCTION is a graph that has the restriction, for every X there is ONLY ONE Y value. For example, this graph was a function... For any time on the graph, you can only be ONE place at a time. (ex: At a time of 13 seconds you cant be 100cm AND 700 cm away at the same time!) A LOT of the graphs we will draw will be functions.
(Q1) In this activity (not really a lab experiemnt) students got a set of directions on different ways to move, walking, walking heel-to-toe, walking with a side-to-side step and jogging in place. They could also be doing those steps backwards. While doing the directed walking for 20 seconds, the distance they walked was recorded, and later graphed.
(Q2) Since each group had a different set of directions, in order for Mr. Lang to grade their conclusion, he needs to know which Function card you had (A, B , C, D, etc) and which of the two functions your group recorded that you will answer the next two questions on. "We chad card "X" and I will describe function "15."
(Q3&4) To determine where the walker would be at any particular time (from 0s to 20s) find the time on the X axis, follow the vertical line until it intersects with your line. At that point, follow the horizontal line to the y-axis on the left, and determine the y value. If the line is going up to the right, the Y value is getting bigger, and the walker is increasing the distance from the start line. The walker must be walking forward. This line has a positive slope. If the line in doing down to the right, the Y value is getting smaller and the walker is getting closer to the start line, meaning the walker must be walking backwards. This line has a negative slope. If the line is horizontal, the Y value is not changing, and the walker is jogging in place. This line has a slope of zero.
(Q5) Find a person who has a F(w) that you did not do, and you must tell me who's paper you used, and which F(w) of theirs that you used.
(Q6) In the same manner as Q3&4, tell me what you can about where theri walker was at the time 13s.
(Q7) Looking at their graph, explain what the graph looks like, including direction and speed changes. Ex: F(3) starts out horizontal, not moving. At 5s they start moving, at 10 seconds they start going faster. At 15 seconds they move even faster. They do not change directions at all. While F(8) they start moving backwards, then forwards at 5s, backwards again at 10s and then at 15 s, forward again. The speeds are all about the same.
(Q8) After looking at their graph, do your best to determine WHAT kind of walk they were doing, Can you figure out what THEIR directions looked like?
Don't forget the walks we did (from slowest to fastest) were:
jog in place
side to side
heel-to-toe
walking
the steeper the line, the faster they were moving, and the direction of the line will tell you if they were traveling forwards or backwards.
This lab was all about MAKING AND READING graphs. It will also be a STRONG foundation for Position Graphs which will be a big part of the next chapter.
Related to the graphing issues we will go this year, that also has to do with the 1.5 notes- a FUNCTION is a graph that has the restriction, for every X there is ONLY ONE Y value. For example, this graph was a function... For any time on the graph, you can only be ONE place at a time. (ex: At a time of 13 seconds you cant be 100cm AND 700 cm away at the same time!) A LOT of the graphs we will draw will be functions.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Sept 21, 2009
Greetings!
We had a great turnout on Thursday for Back to School Night!
This week:
BABAB
HOMEWORK:
The Metric vocab cards are due this Mon/Tues.
The math/graphing vocab words that I had in last week's blog post will be for this week, due at the beginning of Next week.
We will start our next lab, "Walking Functions," which is all about graphing, and connecting motion to a graph (there is a lot of that in the next chapter!!) I do not have a due date yet... late this week, early next?
FINISH the 2 metric handouts in your binders.
Study for Chapter 1 TEST
LAB PAPERS
Kids will be getting their first lab papers back this week, "Pendulums."
We spent a LOT of time going over "how to get a good grade on a lab paper" as well as going over the conclusion answers for over 40 minutes, reading out loud several examples for each question, and making sure that they know the difference between an OK answer, a good answer and a GREAT answer.
I was also VERY specific about certain formatting requirements as well.
CHAPTER 1 TEST
We are almost finished with the first chapter covering metric system and scientific method.. there will be a test coming up... maybe next week?
REPORT CARDS
The first progress report will be submitted this week, and will probably be mailed out sometime next week. This grading period is VERY EASY, and will only get harder!! Anyone that gets their lab paper handed back because it was not up to par, they better get it back to me ASAP if they want it on their progress report... and if it is not on there, the grade will suffer!
Have a good week!
We had a great turnout on Thursday for Back to School Night!
This week:
BABAB
HOMEWORK:
The Metric vocab cards are due this Mon/Tues.
The math/graphing vocab words that I had in last week's blog post will be for this week, due at the beginning of Next week.
We will start our next lab, "Walking Functions," which is all about graphing, and connecting motion to a graph (there is a lot of that in the next chapter!!) I do not have a due date yet... late this week, early next?
FINISH the 2 metric handouts in your binders.
Study for Chapter 1 TEST
LAB PAPERS
Kids will be getting their first lab papers back this week, "Pendulums."
We spent a LOT of time going over "how to get a good grade on a lab paper" as well as going over the conclusion answers for over 40 minutes, reading out loud several examples for each question, and making sure that they know the difference between an OK answer, a good answer and a GREAT answer.
I was also VERY specific about certain formatting requirements as well.
CHAPTER 1 TEST
We are almost finished with the first chapter covering metric system and scientific method.. there will be a test coming up... maybe next week?
REPORT CARDS
The first progress report will be submitted this week, and will probably be mailed out sometime next week. This grading period is VERY EASY, and will only get harder!! Anyone that gets their lab paper handed back because it was not up to par, they better get it back to me ASAP if they want it on their progress report... and if it is not on there, the grade will suffer!
Have a good week!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Pendulum Lab
I STRONGLY recommend kids reading their lab conclusion OUT LOUD to someone. If you happen to read this, PLEASE ask to see their labs (this one and every other one as well). I will usually try to get descriptions of the lab here in the blog, so parents know what is going on.
The Pendulum lab was all about using the scientific method to solve the question, "what determine the time it takes a pendulum to swing back and forth?"
We started by timing 5 swings, 3 times. Then changed the mass at the end of the pendulum as well as the length of the string, and then repeating the test. A poll after that showed the class, that we could not tell what made the period change. Was it the mass? The length? Who knows!?!
We then tried it again, being much more careful about our measurements, and only changing one variable at a time.
Our control group was a 1m pendulum with a 13g mass bob at the end. When we added mass, the time did not change. All of these tests had a time of about 10s. I pointed out over and over, that even if the time did go up both times, (10.01s, 10.05s, 10.11s) that some of the tests in other groups went DOWN, and some went UP and then DOWN and some went DOWN and then UP... BUT all of these differences are SMALL, withing the margin of error on our use of the stopwatches.
When we changed the length of the pendulum, we got BIG changes in time, showing us that it is the length of the pendulum, not the mass of the pendulum that will change the period of the swing. (1.5m --> 12s, 0.5m--> 7s)
In the conclusion, students should give me AS MUCH DETAIL AS POSSIBLE. You can give me all correct answers and get a "C" on the paper. C IS AVERAGE. If you want a better grade, your answers have to include more detail!!
Papers must be formatted correctly, with the title on the top line, skipping the next line, and then starting to write on the line after that. The numbers should be to the left of the margin, and lines between questions should be skipped. Spelling and grammar count. Using the vocabulary words, and using them correctly, counts too!
The Pendulum lab was all about using the scientific method to solve the question, "what determine the time it takes a pendulum to swing back and forth?"
We started by timing 5 swings, 3 times. Then changed the mass at the end of the pendulum as well as the length of the string, and then repeating the test. A poll after that showed the class, that we could not tell what made the period change. Was it the mass? The length? Who knows!?!
We then tried it again, being much more careful about our measurements, and only changing one variable at a time.
Our control group was a 1m pendulum with a 13g mass bob at the end. When we added mass, the time did not change. All of these tests had a time of about 10s. I pointed out over and over, that even if the time did go up both times, (10.01s, 10.05s, 10.11s) that some of the tests in other groups went DOWN, and some went UP and then DOWN and some went DOWN and then UP... BUT all of these differences are SMALL, withing the margin of error on our use of the stopwatches.
When we changed the length of the pendulum, we got BIG changes in time, showing us that it is the length of the pendulum, not the mass of the pendulum that will change the period of the swing. (1.5m --> 12s, 0.5m--> 7s)
In the conclusion, students should give me AS MUCH DETAIL AS POSSIBLE. You can give me all correct answers and get a "C" on the paper. C IS AVERAGE. If you want a better grade, your answers have to include more detail!!
Papers must be formatted correctly, with the title on the top line, skipping the next line, and then starting to write on the line after that. The numbers should be to the left of the margin, and lines between questions should be skipped. Spelling and grammar count. Using the vocabulary words, and using them correctly, counts too!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Week of 9/14/09
Yay! Friday I passed my greenbelt test in taikwondo! On to Purple!
This week:
ABABA
Homework:
Many kids did not bring their Safety Test back, signed. I MUST have it before they get to do a hands-on lab, which I am hoping for one this week... or early next.
Finish the "Pendulums" lab. Mon/Tues we will review their conclusions, and they will get 1 more A/B day to finish it, polish it up and make a happy, happy paper. Ask to see the handout they got last week on how the lab papers should look. There is a rubric... they should USE IT!
1.4 Notes was assigned last week, and will be checked Monday & Tuesday
1.5 Notes will be due A:18th, B:21st
The Scientific Method quiz we did not get to last week will be this Monday & Tuesday.
Last week's vocab cards... we did not get to them. I am hoping that Monday/Tuesday we will cover some/most of them.
Vocab Flashcards from 1.4 & 1.5
Accuracy
reproducibility
precision
Line Graph
line of best fit
linear trend
nonlinear trend
I am not sure when these will be due!
Important ideas:
I HOPE that students know the following terms, which are math vocabulary (graphing), that we use in science. If you do not know them... YOU MIGHT WANT TO LEARN THEM!!!!
Horizontal axis (X)
vertical axis (Y)
origin
coordinate
data point
slope
coordinate
We will not read/notes on 1.6. It is a shorter version of the lab safety notes we already covered. So, once we are done with the next lab on graphing data (Walking Functions" and finish learning the metric system, we will be ready for a Chapter 1 Test!
This week:
ABABA
Homework:
Many kids did not bring their Safety Test back, signed. I MUST have it before they get to do a hands-on lab, which I am hoping for one this week... or early next.
Finish the "Pendulums" lab. Mon/Tues we will review their conclusions, and they will get 1 more A/B day to finish it, polish it up and make a happy, happy paper. Ask to see the handout they got last week on how the lab papers should look. There is a rubric... they should USE IT!
1.4 Notes was assigned last week, and will be checked Monday & Tuesday
1.5 Notes will be due A:18th, B:21st
The Scientific Method quiz we did not get to last week will be this Monday & Tuesday.
Last week's vocab cards... we did not get to them. I am hoping that Monday/Tuesday we will cover some/most of them.
Vocab Flashcards from 1.4 & 1.5
Accuracy
reproducibility
precision
Line Graph
line of best fit
linear trend
nonlinear trend
I am not sure when these will be due!
Important ideas:
I HOPE that students know the following terms, which are math vocabulary (graphing), that we use in science. If you do not know them... YOU MIGHT WANT TO LEARN THEM!!!!
Horizontal axis (X)
vertical axis (Y)
origin
coordinate
data point
slope
coordinate
We will not read/notes on 1.6. It is a shorter version of the lab safety notes we already covered. So, once we are done with the next lab on graphing data (Walking Functions" and finish learning the metric system, we will be ready for a Chapter 1 Test!
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Week of 9/7/09
Short Week!
I hope everyone had fun yesterday!
THIS WEEK:
-ABAB
Homework:
Read/Notes the next section, 1.4, Due: A= 14th B=15th
Get Safety Test Signed, Due: A= 10th B=11th
Vocab Flashcards Due: A= 14th B=15th
Metric System (define & Factors of?)
meter (define + example)
liter (define + example)
gram (define + example)
kilo (abbreviation & # represented)
hecto (abbreviation & # represented)
decka (abbreviation & # represented)
deci (abbreviation & # represented)
centi (abbreviation & # represented)
milli (abbreviation & # represented)
The due dates on the vocab cards may get pushed back- they WILL NOT be due before we go over them in class, so students can put the words on one side of the cards and then as we cover them in class, they can do the back side.
Tues/Wed we will be finishing Scientific Method, finishing the handout looking at experiments and identifying the parts of the Method. There WILL be a quiz this week on the scientific method, very much like the ones we have been doing in class.
We will also do a simple lab based on pendulums. Our goal with this lab, is NOT to learn about pendulums, but to see how the scientific method applies to our labs. We will see how and why variables must be controlled, how to collect data, use stopwatches, find averages and most importantly: WE WILL SEE HOW MR. LANG WANTS YOU TO DO LAB WRITE UPS. Students will get a handout for referencing when doing labs.
MR LANG STRONGLY RECOMMENDS that students READ THEIR CONCLUSION OUT LOUD TO THEIR PARENTS before turning it in!
I hope everyone had fun yesterday!
THIS WEEK:
-ABAB
Homework:
Read/Notes the next section, 1.4, Due: A= 14th B=15th
Get Safety Test Signed, Due: A= 10th B=11th
Vocab Flashcards Due: A= 14th B=15th
Metric System (define & Factors of?)
meter (define + example)
liter (define + example)
gram (define + example)
kilo (abbreviation & # represented)
hecto (abbreviation & # represented)
decka (abbreviation & # represented)
deci (abbreviation & # represented)
centi (abbreviation & # represented)
milli (abbreviation & # represented)
The due dates on the vocab cards may get pushed back- they WILL NOT be due before we go over them in class, so students can put the words on one side of the cards and then as we cover them in class, they can do the back side.
Tues/Wed we will be finishing Scientific Method, finishing the handout looking at experiments and identifying the parts of the Method. There WILL be a quiz this week on the scientific method, very much like the ones we have been doing in class.
We will also do a simple lab based on pendulums. Our goal with this lab, is NOT to learn about pendulums, but to see how the scientific method applies to our labs. We will see how and why variables must be controlled, how to collect data, use stopwatches, find averages and most importantly: WE WILL SEE HOW MR. LANG WANTS YOU TO DO LAB WRITE UPS. Students will get a handout for referencing when doing labs.
MR LANG STRONGLY RECOMMENDS that students READ THEIR CONCLUSION OUT LOUD TO THEIR PARENTS before turning it in!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Wekk of 8/31/09
Greetings!
I DID get grades posted this weekend AND I emailed EVERYONE that sent in an email address. I did have a few bounce back as undeliverable, so if you did not get an email from me, send me one so I can check addresses.
This week:
BABAB
Homework:
Lab Safety Test & lab Safety Poster due Tues/Wed.
Notes Chapter 1, section 3 (1.3) Read the section, and take notes. About 90% or so of the stuff that should be written down is in BOLD and/or HIGHLIGHTED in yellow.
Fashcards for Vocab Words:
Scientific Method
Hypothesis
Controlled Variable
Responding Variable
Manipulated Variable
Control Group
Test Group
We are covering SCIENTIFIC METHOD in class, with MEASUREMENT as homework (for now). Save a page in your notebook to finish Scientific Method before you start 1.3
We will go over HOW to make flashcards before I expect kids to make them, so save them for later in the week.
Thanks!
I DID get grades posted this weekend AND I emailed EVERYONE that sent in an email address. I did have a few bounce back as undeliverable, so if you did not get an email from me, send me one so I can check addresses.
This week:
BABAB
Homework:
Lab Safety Test & lab Safety Poster due Tues/Wed.
Notes Chapter 1, section 3 (1.3) Read the section, and take notes. About 90% or so of the stuff that should be written down is in BOLD and/or HIGHLIGHTED in yellow.
Fashcards for Vocab Words:
Scientific Method
Hypothesis
Controlled Variable
Responding Variable
Manipulated Variable
Control Group
Test Group
We are covering SCIENTIFIC METHOD in class, with MEASUREMENT as homework (for now). Save a page in your notebook to finish Scientific Method before you start 1.3
We will go over HOW to make flashcards before I expect kids to make them, so save them for later in the week.
Thanks!
Friday, August 28, 2009
Lab Safety
For Tuesday/Wednesday (Sept 1 & 2) there is a
"Lab Safety Poster" due.
On regular 8.5 x 11 inch white paper, students will pick ONE rule from their lab safety notes and create a poster.
Include the RULE
If you pick one from the ICONS, include the name of the icon, and the icon itself.
Illustrate either the rule being followed, or NOT followed (and the dire consequences of breaking that rule)
Since it is a POSTER, things like visibility is important.
They may illustrate it by drawing, collage pictures from magazines, downloading pics from the computer, photoshoping them, whatever works!
Name date period on the BACK please.
We will also have a TEST on the lab safety rules, and after they take the test, it will come bak to be signed by the parents, so there is NO QUESTION about what I expect from kids in the labs, and the consequences for breaking the rules.
"Lab Safety Poster" due.
On regular 8.5 x 11 inch white paper, students will pick ONE rule from their lab safety notes and create a poster.
Include the RULE
If you pick one from the ICONS, include the name of the icon, and the icon itself.
Illustrate either the rule being followed, or NOT followed (and the dire consequences of breaking that rule)
Since it is a POSTER, things like visibility is important.
They may illustrate it by drawing, collage pictures from magazines, downloading pics from the computer, photoshoping them, whatever works!
Name date period on the BACK please.
We will also have a TEST on the lab safety rules, and after they take the test, it will come bak to be signed by the parents, so there is NO QUESTION about what I expect from kids in the labs, and the consequences for breaking the rules.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Week of Aug 24
This Week:
ABABA
Homework:
Return the "Contact Sheet" signed- due 24th 25th
Bring a large paper bag - Due 26-27th
Quiz on class rules - 26th 27th
Safety Test - Sept 1 & 2
Class rules and safety rules can be found under the "documents" section of the web page.
ABABA
Homework:
Return the "Contact Sheet" signed- due 24th 25th
Bring a large paper bag - Due 26-27th
Quiz on class rules - 26th 27th
Safety Test - Sept 1 & 2
Class rules and safety rules can be found under the "documents" section of the web page.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Welcome to the 2009-2010 School Year
Welcome new students!
This week:
- - C A B
A "C" day had you going to all of your classes. Since Wednesday is a "double first period" AND a short Wednesday, it should be a whirlwind day!
Homework:
Get class materials:
Several pencils & erasers
Black Pens & white out.
Binder paper (8.5 x 11 if you can find it)
3 x 5 Index cards
3 ring binder
Calculator(recommended)
metric ruler (cm)(recommended)
color pencils (recommended)
Parent Contact Information- get it filled out, signed and return ONLY the bottom portion!
This week:
- - C A B
A "C" day had you going to all of your classes. Since Wednesday is a "double first period" AND a short Wednesday, it should be a whirlwind day!
Homework:
Get class materials:
Several pencils & erasers
Black Pens & white out.
Binder paper (8.5 x 11 if you can find it)
3 x 5 Index cards
3 ring binder
Calculator(recommended)
metric ruler (cm)(recommended)
color pencils (recommended)
Parent Contact Information- get it filled out, signed and return ONLY the bottom portion!
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Science Fair
I got to meet Dave Berry, co-author of Science Fair.
Copperfield's actually let them set off a Menthos-Diet Coke fountain IN THE STORE.
It was pretty fun!
Copperfield's actually let them set off a Menthos-Diet Coke fountain IN THE STORE.
It was pretty fun!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Mythbusters
Every year I show a TV program called "Moon Conspiracy."
It is about the "controversy" over the moon landings. I am a firm beliver in the Apollo missions, and go over the arguments, one by one, that the video portrays, and debunk them.
However, I heard that Mythbusters did a show on just that topic. If anyone has a copy, I would LOVE to see it (can we say extra credit?)
There is a website, badastronomy.com that does a GREAT job at debunking the arguments against the Moon landings, and the book the site offers, "Bad Astronomy." Great book.
It is about the "controversy" over the moon landings. I am a firm beliver in the Apollo missions, and go over the arguments, one by one, that the video portrays, and debunk them.
However, I heard that Mythbusters did a show on just that topic. If anyone has a copy, I would LOVE to see it (can we say extra credit?)
There is a website, badastronomy.com that does a GREAT job at debunking the arguments against the Moon landings, and the book the site offers, "Bad Astronomy." Great book.
Friday, May 02, 2008
IRON MAN
WOO HOO
Ok, ok, not science, but science FICTION.
Iron Man is out in the theaters. As a LONG time Iron Man fan, THUMBS UP.
Ok, ok, not science, but science FICTION.
Iron Man is out in the theaters. As a LONG time Iron Man fan, THUMBS UP.
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