With our shift to remote learning, I'll be (valiantly attempting) to orchestrate my courses using Google Classroom. Students, you should have already received an invitation via your Profile e-mail account. The adventure begins!

Thursday, March 12, 2020

1.) Active Denial System. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmuyLIrSjxI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ASKQynfSSI (60 Minutes version)

2.) "Anatomy" of a wave. We'll draw a transverse wave at a moment in time and label key parts.

3.) Workshop: velocity = frequency* wavelength and frequency = 1/period problems. (Some of you might like that second one better as frequency*period = 1)

4.) Finish the Active Denial System video.

HW: Finish the velocity, frequency, wavelength, and period problems on the back of the "little boxes" handout. So, problems #7-12.

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

1.) Describing waves....continued.

a.) Frequency and period.

b.) Workshop: Frequency and period practice problems.

c.) "Anatomy" of a periodic (repeating) wave.

d.) Velocity, frequency, and wavelength of a wave.......they're related!

2.) Workshop: velocity, frequency, wavelength problems, with a few frequency and period problems thrown in.

HW: Finish the Wave Calculation problems we started in class. This is the handout with all the boxes on it to help you organize the problem.

Monday, March 9, 2020

1.) Sound waves? Sonic booms? Doppler Effect? Cone clouds around supersonic fighter jets?

2.) Intro. to frequency and period.

HW: Nothing new.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

1.) Slinky Lab #2: Transverse and Longitudinal Waves.

*We have a sense from the previous lab of what a mechanical wave is. Today we'll learn the difference between a transverse wave and a longitudinal wave.

2.) The basics of waves. Some notes.

3.) Bill Nye The Science Guy - Waves

https://www.schooltube.com/video/2b2001da6d8146dbb388/Bill%20Nye%20-%20Waves

Sound: Crash Course Physics #18

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV4lR9EWGlY

HW: Nothing new.

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

***Half of you are gone today***

1.) Slinky Lab #2: Transverse and Longitudinal Waves.

1.) Workshop: To catch up/prepare for any test retakes as needed

OR

Doodle curiously and intelligently with this PhET simulation: https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/wave-on-a-string/latest/wave-on-a-string_en.html (Wave on a String)

HW: Nothing new. Make sure "Slinkly Lab #1" (What's a Mechanical Wave) is finished.

Monday, March 2, 2020

1.) Good job on your Energy tests !

2.) So, we know objects (like roller coasters, frogs, electrons, and trucks) can have energy and carry energy from one spot to another.

IS THIS THE ONLY WAY?!

3.) Lab: What's a mechanical wave? (Slinky Lab #1)

HW: Finish up the questions on the Lab to hand in next time (Lab; What's a Mechanical Wave?)

Winter Carnival and Winter Break !

Thursday, February 20, 2020

1.) Hand in your Energy Practice Tests.

2.) Test: Energy and Conservation of Energy

HW: Nothing new. Have fun tomorrow at Winter Carnival. Enjoy your winter break.

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

1.) Heads Up: Test on Thursday. Topics: kinetic energy, potential energy, gravitational potential energy, mechanical energy, solving conservation of energy problems (like the roller coaster problems) WITH or WITHOUT energy "loss" due to friction, basic operation of electrical power plants.

2.) Diagram for the rollercoaster problem on the practice test.

3.) Workshop: Practice Test

HW: Practice Test is due at the beginning of next class for a Habits of Learning grade, as usual.

Thursday, February 13, 2020

0.5.) HW Check-in.

1.) Heads up. EnergyTest coming up soon. Practice test.

2.) Pine Tree Power (Bethlehem, NH) https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pine-Tree-Power-Plant/128884603978773

3.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKxrkht7CpY (decent very basic description of p/n junction, then of the whole array and solar electricity production more broadly)

4.) Drax coal-fired power station in England. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45jB4_qy8bo .

5.) Workshop: Energy problems.

HW: Energy Practice Test !

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

1.) *How is a hydroelectric facility, a nuclear power plant, a coal-burning power plant, a natural gas power plant, a wind turbine, a solar array similar?

*And how are they different?

Video possibilities...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSWm_nprfqE (animated, windmills, good description of blades, kinetic energy and efficiency)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKxrkht7CpY (decent very basic description of p/n junction, then of the whole array and solar electricity production more broadly)

2.) Workshop: Including friction in our roller coaster analysis.

HW: Finish the #1, #2, #3a, #3b on the Conservation of Energy handout (a mini practice test). Sure, use the example problems we've been working on together in class to help you, if needed.

Monday, February 10, 2020

1.) HW Check-in. What was the velocity of our roller coaster at the top of the second hill? Remember, we didn't have friction in our system this time.

2.) OK, but assuming NO FRICTION doesn't seem realistic. Can we, at least in a fairly simple way, include friction in our system?

3.) Roller coaster problem, but now including friction.

HW: So now assume 40,000 Joules of energy are "lost" (converted) due to friction as the roller coaster moves from position #1 to position #2. How does this change your energy equation? Then solve for the new velocity at position 2, which you all reasonably assumed would be lower than in the no-friction case.

Thursday, February 6, 2020

1.) A couple roller coaster vids:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjoyjbEu2oM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTpWpTBNgbQ

2.) How can you know how fast a roller coaster will go? Well, you can pay attention to how energy changes from one form to another. What is "mechanical energy"?

3.) A roller coaster WITHOUT friction vs. a roller coaster WITH friction.

4.) Some math warm-ups, then let's model some roller coaster behavior.

HW: Finish up the roller coaster problem we set up together in class.

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

1.) Kinetic energy example problems.

2.) Workshop: kinetic energy problems on your own.

3.) Simulation: Energy Skate Park.

HW: Finish the Energy Skate Park Lab, if you haven't already.

Monday, February 3, 2020

1.) Potential energy and kinetic energy check-in.

2.) Example problems.

HW: Finish the 4 kinetic energy problems on the kinetic energy side of the notes from class.

Thursday, January 30, 2020

1.) Turns out........ENERGY.........is a super-diverse and super-useful quantity to pay attention to. So, guess what our next unit is about. You actually already know quite a bit about it because of our simple machines unit.

2.) You are about to spend some time playing with an on-line simulation called "Energy Skate Park". The links is below. Yes, you'll need to power up your computers.

https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/energy-skate-park-basics/latest/energy-skate-park-basics_en.html

3.) Definitely play around.....a lot. BUT, make sure that you...

* CHECK THE BAR GRAPH BOX

* CHECK THE SPEED BOX

And play around with the part of the simulation that lets you mess with friction.

4.) Keep these questions in mind as you check out the skate park simulation:

a.) What do you think kinetic energy is?

b.) What do you think potential energy is?

c.) What do you think thermal energy is?

d.) When you put the skater on the track with friction, what happens to the kinetic, potential, thermal, and total energies?

5.) The basics of (gravitational) potential energy and kinetic energy.

HW: Finish the 4 problems on the Kinetic Energy side of the notes from today. (We did one or two of them together already.)

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

1.) Hand in your Simple Machines Practice Test

2.) Test. Topics: Simple machines, Pulleys, Levers, Wheel-and-Axles, Ramps, input and output work, efficiency, MA, IMA.

3.) Go play with the Energy Skate Park Simulation. https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/energy-skate-park-basics/latest/energy-skate-park-basics_en.html

HW: Nothing new. A chance to get caught up, if needed.

Monday, January 27, 2020

1.) Test tomorrow. Topics: Simple machines, Pulleys, Levers, Wheel-and-Axles, Ramps, input and output work, efficiency, MA, IMA.

2.) Come-along Tug-of-War.

3.) Workshop: Practice Test.

HW: Finish and retry problems from the Practice Test. You'll hand in the practice test at the beginning of next class, as usual, for a Habits of Learning grade. Test next class. Topics: Simple machines, Pulleys, Levers, Wheel-and-Axles, Ramps, input and output work, efficiency, MA, IMA.

Thursday, January 23, 2020

1.) A few more minutes to finish up the Tool Lab (part 1), if needed.

2.) Tool Lab: Part 2 (Compound Machines) Can we find the IMA of the come-along?

3.) Let's see if the come-along really could have an IMA that large. Tug-of-war.

4.) A few example problems.

5.) Workshop: Practice Test (Simple Machines)

HW: Finish the Simple Machines Practice Test. Test will be on Tuesday, January 28.

Topics: Pulleys, Levers, Wheel-and-Axles, Ramps, input and output work, efficiency, MA, IMA.

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

1.) Heads Up: Tug-of-War with the snatch block. And finding the IMA of the come-along. After we finish the first part of the Tool Lab

2.) Tool Lab.

3.) Tug-of-War using the snatch block. (What's the IMA of this system?!)

HW: Finish at least the first page of the Simple Machines Practice Test.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

1.) Workshop: Check out the lever problems from the HW.

2.) Ramps (inclined planes)

3.) Tool Lab hints and help.

HW: Finish or retry the "Levers and Wheel-and-Axles" HW from last time.

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

0.5) https://www.rubegoldberg.com/rube-tube/

1.) Levers! Including a more convenient way to find the IMA of levers so you don't have to measure din and dout.

2.) And a wheel-and-axle is really just a rotating, continuous lever.

3.) And ramps (or inclined planes).......or.......knife blades, axes, door stops, wedges, piglets trying to feed from the mommy pig.....

HW: Finish the problems on the "Levers and Wheel-and-Axles" handout (#1 and #2 are on the front, #3 and #4 are on the back.)

Monday, January 13, 2020

I'm out with the plague.

1.) Option #1: IF you need to finish up Pulley Lab #3, or otherwise catch up on any of our recent work, you may do so.

Option #2: Watch this geeky awesome video about the elements, but with the twist of actually seeing how we get them.

https://www.pbs.org/video/nova-hunting-the-elements/

HW: Catch up on anything from the course that you need to.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

1.) Jury duty?

2.) Results from your last Pulley Lab (Pulley Lab #3)? Let's get the results up on the board and see if it all makes sense. A reminder of a few big questions about these machines.

*Do they enable you to create larger forces than you could just by yourself?

*Are they useful because they enable you to get a lot more output work done than the work you put in

*Are they useful because they are very efficient?

3.) Levers ! Really the same ideas as pulleys even though they look so different !

HW: Levers and Wheel and Axles HW (handout from class)

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

I'm off to do my civic duty by going to jury duty. Tell you about what it was like when I get back if you're interested.

1.) Thanks, Mr. B, for subbing! Be nice to the students. They are all perfect in every way.

2.) Everyone notice there are six (6) pulley systems set up already in the lab. Two are labeled "Station #1". Two are labeled "Station #2". And two are labeled "Station #3". You just need to take data and analyze one of each station.

3.) Pulley Lab #3. Move efficiently. You have experience with these measurements.

4.) After collecting the data and performing the calculations, answer the follow-up questions on the lab.

5.) If time allows......Workshop: Finish or check in with each other about the HW that was due today (the handout from last class).

HW: 1.) Finish the lab calculations and follow-up questions if you have not done so already.

2.) Finish the HW that was assigned last class if you have not done so already.

Monday, January 6, 2020

1.) Welcome back!

2.) Heads up about this week.

3.) MA, IMA, and Efficiency (some review and some new ideas here)

HW: Finish the "HW: Pulleys, Win, Wout, Fin, Fout, Mechanical Advantage" handout.

Holiday Vacation

Thursday, December 19, 2019

1.) Bricklayer's Disaster

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFiE2WFBmg8

2.) Finish up the Pulley Lab. For the last system, also figure out the efficiency. You'll already know the Fin and Fout, so just measure din and dout, and it's fine to make din = 0.2m.

3.) Comparing our data from the Pulley Lab. How did you design a system so that MA would increase? And when MA increased, is there any pattern for what happens to the efficiency?

HW: Ho. Then ho. And ho again.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

1.) A heads up or two about the Pulley Lab. What is mechanical advantage (MA) ?

2.) Pulley Lab. Be careful with the few measurements you need to do. And by the time you get to Part 3, you should have an idea about how to build a system that is BETTER than the first two.

HW: Finish up drawings and calculations from the lab. You'll hand it in next time.

Monday, December 16, 2019

1.) OK, let's build some specific pulley systems, take some force and distance measurements, and calculate the "input work" and the "output work". Plus, hopefully, you'll begin to see how building the pulley system differently makes it behave differently.

2.) Lab: Pulley Lab

HW: Read through the Pulley Lab so you are more familiar with what you'll be up to when we continue with it next time.

Thursday, December 12, 2019

1.) Intro to simple machines. Work, power, efficiency, design applied to helpful devices.

2.) Pulley Lab #1: An informal pulley lab. Can you design a pulley system that lets you lift the 10N weight by pulling (on the rope) with less force than it takes to lift the weight directly?

HW: Nothing new, but you can go "cheat" and see how pulley systems work.

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

1.) Hand in your practice tests.

2.) Test ! Topics: Work (Energy), Power, Conversions. This includes showing your set-ups and being clear with the units. Remember, you might use E=P*t to find energy, power, or time, as needed.

HW: Nothing new.

Monday, December 9, 2019

1.) Heads Up! Test next class. Topics: Work (Energy), Power, Conversions. This includes showing your set-ups and being clear with the units. Remember, you might use E=P*t to find energy, power, or time, as needed.

2.) Workshop: Practice Test and similar problems

HW: Test next class. Work(Energy), Power, Conversions. Practice Test is due at the beginning of class.

Thursday, December 5, 2019

1.) You've replaced the miles/hour speedometer in your car with a speedometer that reads meters/second instead. Why? I don't know, you did it, not me.

You get pulled over by the friendly local po po for speeding. You were driving in a 50 mile/hour zone. Your speedometer read 25 meters/second. Were you actually speeding?

Some helpful info. 1 km = 0.62 miles 1000 m = 1 km

2.) Workshop: Practice Test

HW: Finish up the Work, Power, Conversions Practice Test. Test coming up on Tuesday, December 10.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

1.) Light bulb shopping?

2.) Workshop: Electricity use and cost (electric heater purchase cost compared to operating cost)

3.) Converting from unit to another using conversion factors.

HW: First 2 pages of the Practice Test - Work, Power, Conversions

Monday, December 2, 2019

1.) Watts, kilowatt*hours, and $$$$$$$$$$$$.

2.) What's a kilowatt*hour ?!

3.) Example problems.

HW: Electricity Use and Cost handout. Use the notes and examples we did together in class to help you. How does the purchase price of an electric heater compare to the cost of running it?

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

1.) Power and energy applied to electricity use. What's a kilowatt*hour, anyway?

2.) Example problems.

HW: How much, approximately, do your folks pay for electricity each month?!

Monday, November 25, 2019

1.) Finish up the Power Lab, then hand it in.

2.) Results? Any connection between engines, transmissions, and athletic technique for better performance?!?!? Yup, there is.

3.) If we have time to start this.....

Power and energy applied to electricity use. What's a kilowatt*hour, anyway?

HW: Nothing new.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

1.) Intro. to the Power Lab

2.) Power Lab

HW: Due last time was the "Problems about Work" handout. Due this time was the "HW: Work and Power" handout. Your job this time is to finish/refine/retry the problems from these two HW assignments. The lab today gave you more practice using work and power.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

1.) Finish up......The Work Lab

2.) Workshop: Work Problems (yar yar yar.....WORKshop.....)

3.) Robert vs. Toast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4O5voOCqAQ

4.) Workshop: Work and Power

HW: Work and Power problems (handout)

Monday, November 18, 2019

1.) Reminder about what work is.

2.) Positive and negative work.

3.) Lab: Work.

HW: Handout. Problems about WORK. Just using W=F*d a few ways.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

1.) What is work? Everyday use of the word "work" vs the science idea of what "work" is.

2.) Lab: Work We'll begin this today, and continue it next time.

HW: Nothing new.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Snow day! No school.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

1.) Hand in your practice tests.

2.) Test: Weight, Mass, Forces, Newton's Laws

HW: Nothing new!

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

1.) Lab: Acceleration (Rolly Cart Lab) Can we gather the data needed to figure out the TOTAL force acting on a student who is being pushed on a rolly cart and being accelerated down the hallway? This will also review a BUNCH of the ideas in this unit.

2.) Workshop: Practice Test (as much as time allows) Use flex block to check in, too!

HW: 1.) Practice Test (Weight, mass, force, Newton's Laws) is due at the beginning of class on Thursday.

2.) Test on Thursday. Topics: Weight, mass, force diagrams, vectors, acceleration, Newton's laws of motion.

Monday, November 4, 2019

1.) A closer look at Newton's 2nd Law. Using it to solve problems.

HW: 1.) Finish up the problems we started and worked on together on the Newton's 2nd Law (Law of Acceleration) handout.

2.) Continue to make progress on the Practice Test. Test is on Thursday. Topics: Weight, mass, force diagrams, vectors, acceleration, Newton's laws of motion.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

1.) Can you land on the moon (heck, or Mars)?

2.) Intro. to Newton's Laws of Motion. (We've been sneakily working on these already.)

3.) Getting a feel for Newton's Laws using these lunar lander simulators.

http://moonlander.seb.ly/

https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/lunar-lander/lunar-lander_en.html

HW: Finish up the Newton's Laws of Motion HW #1. When the skunk is sliding, think about the force of friction!

Monday, October 28, 2019

1.) Weight and mass workshop. This will often include the new skill of including units in your problem-solving and in your solution.

2.) If we have time today..... Intro. to Newton's Laws

HW: Retry problems from the Weight and Mass HW.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

1.) Force Lab #2 check-in. Some folks haven't turned it in, or are missing either the paper part or the spreadsheet.

2.) Force Lab #3 wrap-up. Anyone need to do Station #1 still?

3.) Weight and mass notes and examples.

HW: Finish the weight and mass handout. The one with the big box.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

1.) Continue Force Lab #3 (Weight and mass)

2.) Help with #6 and #7 of the lab....

3.) Weight vs Mass notes. And how they are related.

HW: 1.) If you haven't finished the lab for any reason, do so.

Monday, October 21, 2019

1.) Some SpaceX rocket landing failures. Which.....led to success.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04FU6b_inOM

2.) Force Lab #3: Weight and Mass (How are they related?!)

HW: Let's see what makes sense depending on where you are in the lab. If you started Station #1, make sure you've finished the questions for that station AND do #1 on Station #2. If you started on Station #2, answer the questions for Station #2 through #5.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

1.) Blue Origin: Historic Rocket Landing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pillaOxGCo

2.) Force Lab #2 check-in. Then make sure your spreadsheet is shared with me (dacros@profile.k12.nh.us) and the paper part of the lab is turned in.

3.) Force Lab #3: Weight and Mass (Not the same thing, but they ARE related!)

HW: Catch up on any science work that is appropriate for you.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

1.) Lab: Force Lab #2 Main points? Measurement practice, collecting data, using a spreadsheet,making scatter plots, using trend lines, making predictions.

HW: Finish Force Lab #2. Yes, that means the back, too! Share your spreadsheet (with your well-labeled and titled scatter plot, and trend line showing the equation) with me.

Columbus Day Weekend

Thursday, October 10, 2019

1.) One way to find/discover patterns: Using spreadsheets to make scatter-plots. Fitting a trend line (or "best fit line") to your data.

2.) Lab: Force Lab #2 (The rubberband and trend line lab.)

HW: Continue working on the lab at least to the point that you make the scatter plots. Use the data you collected today and follow the directions on the back of the lab.

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

1.) Workshop: Newton's Laws of Motion HW#1

2.) Hitting a target with the Potato Launcher?! Figuring out the position of your target.

3.) Lab: Force Lab #1 (Reading a force meter. Really, reading ANY measurement instrument. Also, getting experience with Newtons.)

HW: Finish the "Reading Force Meters" handout. Reminder: There are 2 parts to each question.

Monday, October 7, 2019

1.) Forces and Force Diagrams. Finish up the background notes we started last time.

2.) Workshop: Force Diagrams

HW: Finish up Newton's Laws of Motion HW#1.

Wednesday, October 3, 2019

1.) As a group, you actually did quite well on the Models of the Atom Test. Yee and most certainly ha for you. Let's take a quick look at them, and give you a chance to ask a few questions.

2.) Where are we going next? Forces and motion.

3.) Here comes the boom. (Forces and motion....) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-1MQ0Cnbhs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nQDU7HOStc&t=86 (Tesla vs Ferrari)

4.) Intro. to Forces: basics of forces, vectors, equilibrium vs non-equilibrium, force diagrams

HW: Nothing new yet.

Monday, September 30, 2019

1.) Quick practice problem. How many protons, neutrons, and electrons does a +2 ion of calcium-41 contain?

2.) Workshop: Practice Test questions?

HW: 1.) Finish Part 1 and Part 2 of the practice test. Well, you should be "finished" with it already. What I really mean is, retry the problems or explanations that are tricky for you, while also recognizing the questions you feel confident about already. Practice tests will be handed in for Habits of Learning grade.

Test topics: Models of the atom; experiments/discoveries that led to the new models; elements, ions, and isotopes. Your "So, what IS and atom?" notes and the "Building an Atom" simulation should help you a bunch.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

1.) So, we now know that atoms have a nucleus (made up of protons and neutrons), and the electrons are in some sore of stable energy levels outside of the nucleus.

2.) a.) So, what makes a neon atom different than a nitrogen atom?

b.) What is an ion?

c.) What is an isotope?

3.) The "Build an Atom" simulation will help you figure out the questions in #2.

https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/build-an-atom/latest/build-an-atom_en.html

4.) Workshop: Practice Test-Models of the Atom: Part 2

HW:

1.) If, for whatever reason, you haven't finished the "Build an Atom" simulation, do so. You should have had plenty of time in class to do this.

2.) Finish up Part 1 and Part 2 of the Models of the Atom Practice Test. Test is planned for Tuesday, October 1. Both parts of the practice test are due (for a Habits of Learning grade) right before I hand out the test.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

1.) Scream-o-meter and jumping off stuff.

2.) Line spectra follow-up from yesterday. What are photons?! For visible light, red photons have the lowest energy and violet photons have the highest energy.

3.) Bohr's idea that there are STABLE ELECTRON ENERGY LEVELS in atoms. (And line spectra are evidence for this!)

4.) Our final model of the atom ! (Until you learn about the quantum model in Chemistry class.)*The Bohr Model (AKA the Planetary Model)

HW: Make significant progress on the Models of the Atom Practice Test: Part 1. There will be a Part 2, but not until you get to learn more about isotopes and ions and elements in class.

Monday, September 23, 2019

1.) Yay, we've shown that an atom has a nucleus. Aren't we great?

2.) OK, so is there anything weird about the Nuclear Model (Rutherford Model) of the atom?

2.5) Jumping and screaming: Part 1

3.) Well, Neils Bohr had a very clever idea. He made a connection between this weirdness and another weird thing that people already knew about: line spectra. So, what are line spectra?!

4.) Line Spectra observations.

5.) Bohr suggests that the electrons occupy "stable electron energy levels", and that the line spectra are showing what happens when an electron gives off energy as it "falls" from a higher level to a lower level.

HW: Check these out like we were in class. http://chemistry.bd.psu.edu/jircitano/periodic4.html

Thursday, September 19, 2019

1.) Reminder about the discovery of the electron and the Plum Pudding Model of the Atom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdTxGJjA4Jw

2.) Rutherford's Gold Foil Experiment (we did a big simulation of this yesterday)

Brian Cox's sort of lame demo of it...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzALbzTdnc8

Bruce Kennedy's modern set-up....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBqHkraf8iE

3.) Check-in: Your explanation of the Gold Foil Experiment in your "So, what IS an atom?" notes.

4.) So, we can and need to include the nucleus in our model of the atom! (The Nuclear Model....aka....The Rutherford Model)

5.) Anything weird/troubling about this new model?!

HW: Can you tell yourself the story of now the model of the atom has changed over time and why? Starting from the "indestructible ball", how and why have we (in this class) moved along to the nuclear model? What's your "elevator pitch" version of this?!

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

1.) A little more background before we do our...Rutherford's Gold Foil Experiment (our big simulation)\

2.) Some examples of radioactivity....alpha particles, beta particles, and gamma rays. Knowing about alpha particles is needed in order to understand the Gold Foil Experiment.

3.) Potato guns (yes, fun, and a lot of science in how they work. AND they are our "alpha particle source" for our Gold Foil Experiment).

4.) Rutherford's Gold Foil Experiment !*What do we PREDICT should happen?*What ACTUALLY happens?*So, what does this MEAN about the atom?

HW: 1.) In your "What IS an atom?" handout, use a labeled drawing and some explanation to describe Rutherford's Gold Foil Experiment, what they thought would happen, and what actually happened.

Monday, September 16, 2019

1.) So, as far as we've discovered in this class, what is our current model of the atom?! Today, we'll set ourselves up for the next discovery.

2.) Let's make a big sheet of gold . Turns out, gold can be made into VERY THIN sheets, often called gold foil.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdh_b3fM6ts

3.) Radiation demo. Specifically, gamma rays, beta particles, and alpha particles. What is an alpha particle? Does it have an electrical charge? How massive is it compared to an electron?

HW: Nothing new.

Thursday, September 12, 2019

1.) Discovery of electrons ! Let's draw what that looked like, and add some important points.

2.) And what IS the actual mass of an electron?

(What's a kilogram? And here's an example of why scientific notation sure can be handy.)

3.) So, now we can come up with a better model of the atom. (Plum Pudding Model . . . or. . . the Chocolate Chip Cookie Model)

4.) If time allows........let's make a big sheet of "gold foil" and use our new model of the atom to do so.

HW: Make sure your "So, what IS an atom?" story is complete up through the Plum Pudding Model. Yes, page 2 about Dalton's atomic theory, too.

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

1.) Dalton's Atomic Theory. The first modern, evidence-based explanation of what stuff is made of.

2.) So, what IS an atom ?!? We begin the adventure. Hmmm...what's our first model for the atom?

3.) Demo: The discovery of the first sub-atomic particle !

4.) So, do we need to adjust our model of the atom?

HW: Answer the questions (Dalton's Atomic Theory) on the 2nd page of the "So, what IS an atom?" handout. Remember, you have the Dalton's Atomic Theory notes from class to help you.

Monday, September 9, 2019

1.) Workshop: (HW check-in) Follow-up questions for the Nuts and Bolts Lab (Law of Definite Proportions)

After the HW check-in workshop, we ended up doing a tour of the chemical storage room, which was fun and useful. We'll get back to our agenda tomorrow.

2.) So, the Law of Conservation of Mass and the Law of Definite Proportions were CLUES that led science folks to feel more confident that matter was made of these little things called ATOMS.

3.) Dalton's Atomic Theory. The first modern, evidence-based explanation of what stuff is made of.

HW: Nothing new (but make sure you can do any of the HW problems you've seen so far.) due to our diversion to the storage room.

Finish the "HW: Dalton's Atomic Theory" handout. Use what we worked on together in class to help you. The last question (#5) is just for me to see if any of you happen to know a little bit about the "insides" of atoms yet. No worries if you're not sure.

Thursday, September 5, 2019

1.) Stuff Check.

2.) HW Check-in and workshop.

3.) Continue......Lab: The Nuts and Bolts Lab (Law of Definite Proportions)

4.) Workshop: Follow-up questions on the Nuts and Bolts lab.

HW: 1.) Finish the follow-up questions on the Nuts and Bolts lab. We made progress with these together in class. Problem (e) is a challenging. Give it a try, but no worries if you get stuck solving for the answer.

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

1.) Stuff Check. Get your eyes on what we were working on last time! It's an easy, but helpful way for you to do better in class.

2.) Chromebook check-in. Bookmarking the course website. Showing me you have easy, reliable access to the website will be part of Stuff Check now.

3.) Continue.........Lab: Conservation of Mass (AKA an observation that helped lead to the idea that substances are made of atoms.)

4.) Lab: The Nuts and Bolts Lab (Law of Definite Proportions)

HW: Do ONLY #1 and #4 from the "Definite Proportions Problems. Conservation of Mass Problems" handout.

Labor Day Weekend

Thursday, August 29, 2019

***9th Grade Orientation ! *** (No classes for you.)

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

1.) Stuff Check

*And while Stuff Check is happening, "bookmark" or "favorite" your Physical Science section's page in your browser, assuming your chromebooks have been made available to you.

2.) How do we know what we know about ATOMS?

3.) Lab: Conservation of Mass during Chemical Reactions

HW: 1.) Stuff Check on Tuesday, September 3. If you didn't get a "5" on Stuff Check today, here's your chance to get your stuff together.

2.) Have fun at 9th Grade Orientation on Thursday. I'll see you there at some point.

Monday, August 26, 2018

1.) Introduction to the course web site.

2.) "So, when am I ever going to use this?" Or...."Why do I need to know this?" My modest attempt at a real answer. Oh, and maybe think of the courses you take as layers you get to add to your view of the world.

3.) On-the-board: Why are you taking this course?

4.) What is Stuff Check?

5.) And what is STUFF?

More specifically. What are dogs and squirrels and peanuts and chainsaws MADE OF?