Midterm Exam

1.  Spread out, and keep your eyes on your own paper.  ELMO is watching.

2.  Collect the following data for part II of the exam and record on scrap paper.

1. Distance traveled before collision.
2. Time before collision.
3. Time after collision.

2.  Complete part I.  Black out the correct answer choices. 

3.  Turn in part I to Mr. Stapleton and begin part II.  Choose the test with or without formulas.

4.  When you are done, turn in your test to Mr. Stapleton and sit silently until the end of the testing period (either 10:45 or 1:30).

Class #20

Friday,

1/13/11

What's the most effective way to steer a sled to the right?  Can you explain how it works?

Today: 

1. Questions about Midterm?  Review answers and practice sheets.  For info regarding Midterm Practice 1, see Classes 17 and 18, below.  Here are the answers to Midterm Practices 2 and 3.
2. Collect data for sledding problem -- How fast is the fastest sledder? What is the net force on the sled?  What is the force of friction?  What is the approximate force applied by gravity on the downhill portion of the run?
3. Solve sledding problem.
4. Work on projectile launchers.

Homework: 

Absent Students:   

1. Complete the warm-up, above.
2. Work on your projectile launcher for at least 30 minutes.  Document your work and present to Mr. Stapleton.
3. Check answers to Midterm Practices 2 and 3.

Class #19

Wednesday,

1/12/11

This is called a "floating arm trebuchet."  Can you guess how it works? Link to "Moustache Revolution" floating arm trebuchet video.

Today: 

1. For Midterm Exam Details, Click This Link
2. Complete Midterm Practice Sheet #3.
3. Complete Midterm Practice Sheet #2.
4. Work on projectile launchers.

Next Class:  Wear snow clothes for SLEDDING.

Homework: 

• Finish Practice sheets, if you didn't finish today.
• Extra credit opportunity:  Find interesting video links demonstrating one of Newton's three laws.  In an e-mail message, tell Mr. Stapleton which law is demonstrated in each video, and how it is demonstrated.  You can submit up to three video links (one relating to each Law) for 1% extra credit, each.  Include links to the videos in your e-mail.  The videos must be interesting and appropriate for viewing by the class.  Be sure to include your full name in the e-mail subject line!! Mr. Stapleton's e-mail address is jstaplet@bsdvt.org. These are due by 4:30 PM on Thursday, 1/13/11.

Absent Students:   

1. Use the internet to answer the warm-up question, above.
2. Complete Midterm Practice Sheets #2 and #3.

Class #18

Monday,

1/10/11

Internet down.  No warm-up. 

Today: 

1. Review Homework.  Here are the handwritten solutions to the midterm practice set #1, problem #2.  See class below for original problems, spreadsheet solutions, etc.
2. Work on projectile launchers.

Homework: 

• None

Absent Students:   

• Spend 1 hour working on your projectile launcher.  Show some sort of proof of completion to Mr. S.

Class #17

Thursday,

1/6/11

1. How does this trebuchet work? 
2. Why is the projectile held in a sling?

Today: 

1. Blocks 1-2 -- Check projectile launchers.
2. Work on Midterm Practice Problem.  Here's a link to a video explanation of #12-15. 
3. Practice Problem Spreadsheet:  Here's a link to a practice page; if you change the "missing numbers," you will get new answers.  Use the practice page to check yourself.
4. Begin building projectile Launchers

Homework: 

• Complete "problem #2" on the back of the Midterm Practice Problem.  Click here to see the answers -- you still have to show your work. 

Absent Students:   

• Complete the practice problem (1st side of Midterm Practice Problem).  Watch these video links for help: #1-11, #12-15. 
• Complete homework, above.
• Spend 30 minutes working on your projectile launcher.  Show some sort of proof of completion to Mr. S.

Class #16

Tuesday,

1/4/11

How can you estimate:

1. Distance, in meters?
2. Distance, in centimeters?
3. Time, in seconds?
4. Velocity, in m/s?

Today: 

1. Return papers.
2. Check grades.
3. Complete feedback form.
4. Work on Midterm Practice Problem.
5. Projectile Launchers  Link to Launcher Project

Homework: 

• W1-W2:  design a projectile launcher.  Your design sheet must include your group members' names, a picture of your launcher, and labels showing your launcher's parts (preferably, your labels should show the materials from which your launcher is fashioned).

Absent Students:   

1. Answer the Warm-up question.
2. Watch the first  instructional video, above.  Then complete the midterm practice problem, above (#1-11).  Turn in to Mr. Stapleton's in box.  Make sure you write "class #16, absent work" at the top.
3. Draw a design of a projectile launcher that will shoot a marble up to 5 meters.  The marble must be released at no less than a 30 degree angle.  Launchers can be catapults or other types of rubber band-powered projectile shooters.

Class #15

Wednesday,

12/22

1. Yesterday was the Winter Solstice.  What does that mean?
2. Are we closer to the sun during the summer or the winter?
3. Which of our seasons is longer, summer or winter?

Today: 

1. Santa Analysis
2. Test
3. Game?

Homework: 

• None

Absent Students:   

1. Nothing to do.

Class #14

Monday,

12/20

Today: 

1. Return tests, discuss
2. Force of Friction on a Sled??

Homework: 

• Study for test retake on Wednesday.

Absent Students:   

1. Answer the warm-up question, above.
2. Spend at least 1 hour studying for test retake (unless you scored 35/50 or better on last week's test).  Check your grade at www.snapgrades.com.
3. Meet Mr. Stapleton during call-back to confirm that you have completed the tasks above.

Class #13

Thursday,

12/16

Today:  Mr. Stapleton is not here today.

1. Test
2. Mythbusters: "Ping Pong Ball Rescue" -- and "How many helium balloons does it take to make a child float away?"

Homework: 

None

Absent Students:    Take the test.  See classes below for study materials.

Class #12

Tuesday,

12/14

Today:

1. Practice Test Review.
2. Study / Practice Time

Homework: 

Test Friday -- Study.  Specifically, do some of the "extra practice" at the end of the test, for problems 16-21, 36, and 39.

Absent Students:    See details below.  ***"Part II" of Video is actually Part I!  And "Part I" is Part II! *** 

1. Complete #1-39 of the practice test. 
2. Watch the test review videos, above. 
3. Complete the homework, above.

Class #11

Friday,

12/10

Suppose your mass is 50kg (110 pounds).  A baseball's mass is about 0.143kg.  You're standing on a frictionless frozen lake, and you're 20 meters from the shore.  You would like to get to the shore by throwing the baseball the other way.  If you hope to get to the shore in under a minute, how fast will you need to throw the baseball?  GUESS -- or use your knowledge of momentum and your math savvy to calculate the answer.

Today:

1. Check/review homework
2. Experiment with air tracks.  Collect data for mass determination later on.
3. Test review.

Homework: 

Absent Students:

Calculate the velocity of the wooden ball in this video (below).  In order to do this, you will need to time the cart.  You will be given the cart's mass and the ball's mass.  Show your work and explain your reasoning to Mr. Stapleton.

Class #10

Wednesday,

12/8

1. A 10kg cart traveling at 6m/s bumps into another 10kg cart that is sitting still.  When the first cart hits the second cart, they stick together.  How fast will the two of them move?
2. An 100kg man and a 50kg man are floating motionless in space.  Then one of them pushes the other one, and they both begin to move.  The 100kg man moves at 4m/s.  How fast does the 50kg man move?

Today:

1. Finish/Turn In Graph Analysis
2. Select Passer-Outers
3. Review grade reports
4. Momentum, how to calculate it, and the law of conservation of momentum.

Homework:  Answer these questions... -- Block 1 only has to do #1-2.  Blocks 3 &4 do 1-3; 4 for bonus

1. A 5kg rock is blasted into two parts.  A 2kg chunk flies one way, going 6m/s.  A 3kg chunk flies the other way.  How fast is the 3kg chunk?
2. A 150kg lineman is traveling to the right at 5m/s.  An 80kg running back is traveling to the left at 7m/s.  The two collide and stick together.  Which way do they both move, and how fast do they travel?
3. A 600kg car is rolling toward you at a speed of 2m/s.  Your plan is to throw yourself at the car, collide with it, and stop its movement entirely.  If your mass is 55kg, how fast will you need to run?
4. A 100kg sled traveling at 15m/s is catching up to a 30kg sled that is only going 5m/s.  They are both traveling in the same direction.  When the heavier sled catches the lighter sled, they stick together and continue traveling together.   What is their speed after the collision?

Absent Students:

1. Complete the warm-up, above.
2. Watch the momentum practice problem video, below.  Complete problems 1-8 on the Conservation of Momentum Practice worksheet.  Solutions to #1-5 are on the video.  Solutions to #6-8 are on the 3rd page of the worksheet.
3. Complete the homework.
4. Show your work to Mr. Stapleton during call back.

Class #9

Monday,

12/6

1. What was the car's maximum velocity?

Today:

1. Warm-up
2. How to use practice page, below.  Here's a video showing how to analyze a graph.
3. Quiz
4. Grade reports
5. Analyze Graphs

Homework: 

Absent Students:

Watch the video above.  Answer the 6 questions shown in the video, but use the warm-up graph above, to answer them.

Class #8

Thursday,

12/2

The car below is accelerating to the right.  What is the force provided by its motor?

The video below shows how to solve this, and it explains how this relates to the previous video and to next class' quiz.

Today:

1. Warm-up
2. Check & review homework
3. New practice problems -- a continuation of last class' work.
4. Practice creating car graphs.  Click here for directions.
5. Grade reports
6. Go to library.  Create car graph spreadsheets and turn in.

Practice Problems:

Click this link to open a spreadsheet that will allow you to get more practice with these types of problems.  You create your own problems, and the spreadsheet will show you the solutions.

1. A mousetrap car travels 6 meters before its string unwinds.  It travels those 6 meters in 8 seconds.  After the string releases, the car rolls for 12 more seconds.  If the car has a mass of 0.4kg, what is the force of the car's "motor?"
2. A mousetrap car travels 3 meters before its string unwinds.  It travels those 3 meters in 2 seconds.  After the string releases, the car rolls for 4 more seconds.  If the car has a mass of 0.15kg, what is the force of the car's "motor?"

Homework: 

1. Finish car graph spreadsheet before next class. car velocity spreadsheet.
2. Study for quiz.  Quiz next class like practice problems above.

Absent Students:

1. Answer the warm-up question, above, on paper.
2. Complete the practice problems.
3. Complete the car graph spreadsheet and put it in the Stapleton drop folder on the M:drive.

Class #7

Tuesday,

11/30

A 0.2kg mousetrap car is released from a starting line.  While the string is unwinding, the car travels a distance of 4 meters in 3 seconds.  After the string "snaps loose," the car continues to roll for another 8 seconds before coming to a complete stop.

1. What was the net force acting on the car during its acceleration phase?
2. What was the net force acting on the car during its deceleration phase?

Here's the video showing how to solve these problems...

Today:

1. Turn-in Car Activity 1 -- Each group member must complete his/her own analysis, but turn-in group's activities together (stapled)
2. Prepare for ROAD TEST. Each car gets three attempts in the hallway outside the main office.  Top four places receive extra credit.  Top place gets a prize (next Monday).  Groups hoping to improve your grade must have car performance measured outside the classroom during call back.  You may keep improving your car as long as you want.

FINAL STANDINGS:

Homework:  Similar to the warm-up.  See video above.

A 0.3kg mousetrap car is released from a starting line.  While the string is unwinding, the car travels a distance of 8 meters in 6 seconds.  After the string "snaps loose," the car continues to roll for another 10 seconds before coming to a complete stop. 

1. What was the net force acting on the car during its acceleration phase?
2. What was the net force acting on the car during its deceleration phase?

Absent Students:

1. Complete the warm-up, above.
2. Complete the homework.
3. If no one from your group was at the road test, conduct road test during call-back, with Mr. Stapleton.  Otherwise, you are excused from the road test.

Class #6

Friday,

11/19

The contraption in the picture is a car with a slingshot on top.  The slingshot is "launched" by burning the string.  Using the same number of rubber bands, pulled back the same amount, two items will be launched from the car -- a very heavy item and a very light item. 

What will happen?  Explain this in terms of Newton's 1st (objects in motion...), 2nd (F=ma), and 3rd (for every action...) laws.

Today:

1. Warm-up question
2. How to complete the car activity.
3. Finish cars.
4. Complete Car Activity 1 -- each individual must perform her/his own calculations. 

Homework: 

1. Finish the Car Activity 1.  It's due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, 11/30. 
2. Finish your car.  Cars must be ready for the "road test" within 20 minutes of the beginning of class on Tuesday, 11/2.

Absent Students:

1. Answer the warm-up question, above, on paper.
2. Complete Car Activity 1 -- on your own -- and turn it in.  Follow the link above for video instructions.
3. Make sure your car is ready for the road test.