The Week of 2/28-3/4

Due to the Snow Day last Thursday, your Machines and Energy Test will now be on Block Day of this week!  We are having a guest speaker on Monday and Tuesday has shortened classes, so Block Day was the next available day for the test.  The final draft of your Pendulum Lab will still be due on Tuesday!  For information about writing the conclusion, go to the Lab Report Format in the documents section of this blog.

Monday 2/28:  We are lucky to have a Guest Speaker for "Engineers in the Schools" month.  Our speaker, Jim Brookhyser, will tell you about what engineers do and about his job specifically.  Then, he will lead you in a design task.  Final Draft of Pendulum Lab and color-marked version due tomorrow!
Tuesday 3/1:  Forecast Fair Schedule.  Classes are shorter by 5 minutes.  Turn in Final Draft of Pendulum Lab and Color-Marked 2nd draft.  Notes on the Absolute Temperature scale and work on temperature conversion problems.  Work and Energy Review and Temperature Worksheet due on Block Day.
Wednesday/Thursday 3/2-3/3:  Turn in Work and Energy Review.  Take Work and Energy Test.  Turn in Temperature Worksheet.  Notes on Specific Heat.  Start specific heat problems.  Worksheet due Monday 3/7.  Critical Reader due next Block Day.
Friday 3/4:  Heat of Fusion and Heat of Vaporization.  Heating Curve of a Substance.  Specific Heat problems due Monday.

The Week of 2/21-2/25

I hope that you enjoyed your 3-day week-end!  I just finished updating grades (sorry, a bit late), so you should check to see if you are missing anything.  This is the time to make things up because it is much easier to do one or two assignments now than to try to make up a bunch of them later.  Check with me by e-mail or in class with any questions you have.  Remember that the 2nd draft of your Pendulum Lab is due Tuesday!  There will be a test on Machines and Energy on Friday.

Monday 2/21:  President's Day.  No School!
Tuesday 2/22:  Color-marking Pendulum Lab.   Discuss labs with your partner.  Questions on Rolling Balls Lab?  Completed lab hand-out due Block Day.  Hand out Machine and Energy Review.
Wed/Thurs 2/23-2/24:  Turn in Rolling Balls Lab.  Review Machines and Energy for Test on Friday.  Start Thermal Energy by discussing the difference between "heat" and "temperature."  If time, start temperature conversions.
Friday 2/25:  Turn in Machine and Energy Review.  Test on Machines and Energy (Chapters 14+15, excluding 14.1 and 15.3).  More on temperature conversions.

Final Draft of Pendulum Lab due Tuesday 3/1.  Turn in your Color-marked 2nd draft at the same time.

Pendulum Inquiry Lab

Your task: In this lab you will investigate a factor that may affect the period (total time it takes to go back and forth once) of a pendulum. Prior to doing your investigation, you need to write the problem statement, background, hypothesis, variables, procedure, and have a prepared data table. Important: You will be doing this lab by yourself. Students who have completed pre-writes on Block Day get to go first!!

Final write-up should be carefully prepared and include:

1) Problem statement
2) Background
3) Hypothesis
4) Variables
5) Materials
6) Labeled Diagram
7) Procedure
8) Data Table
9) Calculations
10) Graph
11) Conclusion/Evaluation

First draft (everything through data table) due before you take data.

Second draft due for color-marking: Tuesday 2/22

Final draft due Tuesday 3/1

The Week of 2/14-2/18

Monday 2/14:  Notes on Conservation of Energy.  Introduce Pendulum Inquiry Lab.  Work time on KE+PE worksheet and/or pendulum pre-write.
Tuesday 2/15:  Turn in KE and PE Worksheet.  Pendulum lab pre-write.  If ready, you may take Pendulum Lab data.
Wednesday/Thursday 2/16-2/17:  Take Pendulum Lab data, process data, and graph it.   2nd draft of write-up due Tuesday 2/22 for color-marking. 
Friday 2/18:   Rolling Balls Lab.  Conservation of energy.  Lab hand-out due next Block Day.

Machine Project

In your groups, make a complex machine that includes at least 3 different simple machines.

Written Part (one per group)

1.  Name and use for your machine (3 pts)

§2.  Well-labeled diagram with metric measurements (8 pts)

§3.  Calculate mechanical advantage for 3 different machines, show work (6 pts)

§4.  Execution.  Did it work? (5 pts)

§5.  Creativity and Challenge (8 pts)

The Week of 2/7-2/11

This week there is a Late Opening on Wednesday.  The only FLEX will be Tuesday at lunch.

Monday 2/7:  Questions on Machine Worksheet?  Show machine videos and introduce Machine Project.  Start planning project.  Machine worksheet due tomorrow.
Tuesday 2/8:  Turn in Machine Worksheet.  Work on Machine Project.
Wednesday/Thursday 2/9:  Complete Machine Projects and demonstrate in class.  Turn in machine write-up (1 per group).   Start Kinetic Energy and Potential Energy?
Friday:  Notes on Kinetic and Potential Energy.  Hand out KE and PE worksheet and work on it.  Due Tuesday.

The Week of 2/1-2/4

Welcome to the 2nd Semester!!

Tuesday 2/1:  Hand back final exams and recollect.  Notes on simple machines and mechanical advantage.  Read 14.2 and 14.3.
Wednesday/Thursday 2/2-2/3:  Lever Lab.  Complete the lab and turn in.  If time, do Pulley Lab in notebook.
Friday 2/4:  Calculating mechanical advantage and efficiency.