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Year in review and off to College

Our year has come to an end. College is in the near future and rapidly approaching with each passing hour. At the beginning of the year, I walked into physics c excited but not really sure what to expect nor was I sure how difficult the material would be. As the year progressed, I realized that the tests were hard and I needed to study harder than I ever needed to before. After I failed two out of the first four tests, I was motivated to do well on the next one. The first rotational exam ca

bdavis

bdavis

"Tag"

We just recently finished a game in calculus. We called the game “tag” but it really was a game of assassin where we could get people out by shooting them with water guns. We had to be very stealthy because no one was supposed to know about it. To keep up with the stealthy behavior, shooting long range squirt guns would have been really effective to get people out without them realizing what hit them. In the beginning of the year we conducted a lab with q-tips and plastic straws. That lab d

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bdavis

Relativity and String Theory!

Yesterday in class we learned about Einstien’s theory of relativity and time travel. Our physics teacher explained to us how traveling in space or being on another planet can alter the amount of time you feel and your body experiences. If someone is in Space for 70 earth years, their body doesn’t age those 70 earth years if they are far enough away from the Earth’s atomsphere. We also learned about how the speed of light is the fastest speed that can be achieved in the universe: 2.998 x 108 m

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bdavis

Physics of Planting a flower

Now it may seem like I am running out of ideas but planting a flower incorporates an important physics concept. When removing a flower from its packaging, a proper amount of force must be applied. If too much force is applied when removing a flower from its packaging, then it will therefore accelerate too much and the roots at the bottom of the package will separate, killing the innocent flower. When actually planting the flower, after digging an appropriate sized hole, you don’t need to sho

bdavis

bdavis

4th quarter in Review

In light of the end of school, I want to review how my 4th quarter has been. My third quarter was slightly less than stellar taking into account my previous accomplishments and I feel like that was the “swift kick in the a**” that I needed to get right back on track. From then on in the 4th quarter, I turned things around, studied hard for my AP classes and did well on my exams. After that I focused on my other non- AP classes and increased my grades considerably. In physics, we started the

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bdavis

Kerbal Space Program!

After we took the AP physics C test, we began to experiment with a computer game known as the Kerbal Space Program. In this game, creatures called Kerbals inhabit a planet named Kerbin (surprisingly similar to Earth) and we had to fulfill many missions related to space travel. I really enjoy the Kerbal space program because at the same time it is a fun experience and it incorporates a lot of physics topics such as the incorporation of gravity and air resistance. It also introduces Orbital mov

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bdavis

momentum headaches!

In my soccer game yesterday, I experienced quite a collision. Not with anyone person. I collided with the ball. In soccer, each player is allowed only to use their feet, their body and their head, not their arms or hands. Hands and arms may not come in contact with the ball. Yesterday, I had a few head balls that demonstrate the concept of conservation of momentum. A teammate of mine kicked the ball from the sideline and I redirected it with my head towards the goal. The glancing blow off

bdavis

bdavis

Complexoty of Rocket flight

Rocket flight is much more difficult and requires much more calculation than it may seem to those not involved in NASA. The more fuel a rocket may have and the more powerful the engine a rocket may have doesn’t always mean it will travel the fastest or the farthest. The heavier the fuel tank, the more the rocket is affected by the pull of the planet’s gravity. Also, the more massive the rocket is, the more it is affected by the air resistance of the planet’s atmosphere. Many calculations go

bdavis

bdavis

Complexoty of Rocket flight

Rocket flight is much more difficult and requires much more calculation than it may seem to those not involved in NASA. The more fuel a rocket may have and the more powerful the engine a rocket may have doesn’t always mean it will travel the fastest or the farthest. The heavier the fuel tank, the more the rocket is affected by the pull of the planet’s gravity. Also, the more massive the rocket is, the more it is affected by the air resistance of the planet’s atmosphere. Many calculations go

bdavis

bdavis

Taking the AP Physics C test

On may 13th 2013 I sat down in my high school in the afternoon for my AP Physcis C exam. The first test I had to take was the mechanics exam: 45 minutes for the multiple choice and 45 minutes for the free response questions. The 35 question multiple choice part of the exam wasn't all that difficult but a bunch of problems took a long time to figure out. I didn't finish that part of the exam so I had to guess on the last 4 questions. The beginning of the free response section began with a air

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bdavis

In preparation for the AP

In preparation for the AP Physcis-C exam, I did a number of things that helped me to properly review the year's material. 1.) I looked over each test and studied the questions that gave me the most trouble. 2.) I re-read the parts of the text book that described specific properties regarding certain topics during the year such as the properties specific to conducting and non-conducting shells. Also, I looked up and reviewed kirchoff's loop rules and the properties that go along with the

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bdavis

Goals for the rest of the year

We are now entering our last quarter as seniors in high school. I want to rebound from an uncharacteristically bad academic performance in the third quarter and finish strong in the last quarter. This is now a prime time to start reviewing for the AP test that is looming in the very near future. I for one am quite a bit nervous but I have a plan to follow that will get me prepared for the day of the test: 1. do 1 blog post a week 2. Read text book a little bit each night 3. do webassigns a

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bdavis

The problem with u (mew)

In both physics and chemistry, u, stands for a lot of things. u is the coefficient of friction, with subscripts indicating kinetic or static friction. It is the permeability of free space. It represents a magnetic moment. It indicates a micro unit (10^-6). It represents linear density. In chemistry, it represents velocity. u is also used to represent values in music, pharmaceutical sciences, computer science, software design, meat science and linguistics. Understanding each and every rep

bdavis

bdavis

Equation Dump for Magnetism!

F=qVXB F=ILXB Motion of Point Charges: A particle of mass m and charge q moving with speed v in a plane perpendicular to a uniform magnetic field moves in a circular orbit. The period and frequency of this circular motion are independent of the radius of the orbit and of the speed of the particle. Newton's 2nd law: qvB=m((v^2)/r) Cyclotron period: T= 2(pi)m/(qB) Cyclotron Frequency: f= 1/T = (qB)/(2(pi)m) Velocity Selector: consists of corssed electric and magnetic fields so that the

bdavis

bdavis

maximizing pitching speed

As a baseball player well below average height, I need to maximize every aspect of my game to be the best player I can possibly be. One aspect I have tirelessly worked on is my arm strength and throwing mechanics in order to maximize the velocity of throwing a baseball. Velocity is equal to displacement divided by time. Therefore, if there was more displacement over the same period of time, the velocity would be greater. I throw over the top which means that i have more of a windmill throwin

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bdavis

The Cross Product

At the beginning of the school year, we learned the two forms of vector multiplication: the dot product and the cross product. The more intricate of the two, the cross product, comes into play in many equations to provide very useful information. For example, in magnetism, F=I(BXL). This means the magnetic force is a vector cross product of the vector of the magnetic field crossed with the length of the object multiplied by the current flowing through that object. The resulting force will ha

bdavis

bdavis

Equation Dump for electric potential and potential energy

du= -F(dl) dv=(du/q) dv=(-E)(dl) delta V= -integral (E)(dl) U=qV 1eV=1.6X10^-19 U=K(q1)(Q2)/r V=KQ/Square root((x^2) + a^2)) (V=0 at abs(X) = infinity For a spherical shell of charge: V= KQ/r, r>R (V=0 at r=infinity) V=KQ/R r For an infinite line charge V= 2k(lamda)ln(R_ref/R) for (V=0 at r=R_ref) Charge on a Nonspherical conductor: On a conductor of arbitraty shape, the surface charge density, (sigma), is greatest at points where the radius of curvature is smallest. Dielectric

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bdavis

Dive Vs. Cannonball!

What our dear friend charles merie eckert never mentioned in his series of swimming blog posts was the difference between a cannonball and an actual dive. When asked to visually show another person the difference between a cannonball and a dive, virtually anyone can demonstrate that. But when asked to explain what makes a cannon ball produce a bigger splash than a dive, few people can provide a sufficient response. The reason a cannonball produces a bigger splash than a dive is a greater amou

bdavis

bdavis

Opposites Attract ;)

In the dating world, people with opposite personality types seem to be attracted to each other. In the world of electrostatics and magnetism, opposite charges attract each other and opposite magnetic poles attract each other too. Particles with a positive charge, such as a positive test charge, are attracted to particles with a negative charge, such as a negative test charge. The particle with the greater magnitude of charge will attract the other with a greater force. For example, if a part

bdavis

bdavis

Equation Dump for Electostatics

Here are some of the necessary equations, values, and laws that one must memorize or quickly derive in order to achieve success on the AP-Physics C E & M exam: K=(1/(4(pi)(epsilon not))) F=(K(q1)(q2))/(r^2) E=F/q E=(Kq)/(r^2) E=(K/r^2)(integral from v to infinity of dq) Gauss's Law: Net flux= integral over the closed surface of EdA = Q/(epsilon not) V=w/q V=Kq/r e=1.6X10^-19 C a= (qE)/m Coulomb's Law: The force exerted by one point charge on another acts along the line between th

bdavis

bdavis

My Third Quarter

Well I started this third quarter off on a really bad foot when i got an atrocious test grade on the electric potential test. We followed that test with an independent unit in circuits and although my test grade in that unit wasn't anything special, it was a significant improvement. Then we got the magnetism independent unit. In AP-physics B, my understanding of the magnetism unit wasn't very strong but I felt like i had a better grasp of it by the end of last year. However, with an increase

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bdavis

The class so far

So far for me, Physics C has been a challenge. There is a lot of information to learn and a lot of abstract ideas that I have difficulty wrapping my head around. Despite the many difficulties, that i know most of my fellow classmates are experiencing simultaneously, i find this class extremely rewarding. I have learned so much not only about physics but how to properly study and learn complex information accurately and effectively. I also find the content very interesting. So many things ha

bdavis

bdavis

The class so far

So far for me, Physics C has been a challenge. There is a lot of information to learn and a lot of abstract ideas that I have difficulty wrapping my head around. Despite the many difficulties, that i know most of my fellow classmates are experiencing simultaneously, i find this class extremely rewarding. I have learned so much not only about physics but how to properly study and learn complex information accurately and effectively. I also find the content very interesting. So many things ha

bdavis

bdavis

Spitballin

So when my family goes out to restaurants, my mom and i take the straws they give us, rip off the top part of the paper and shoot them at each other. We also make spitballs and fire them at each other at will before we receive our food. This relates to a lab we conducted in our Physics C class. We blew projectiles from straws and then blew those same projectiles through straws that are connected to other straws. Those projectiles traveled faster and farther. Velocity is calculated by dividi

bdavis

bdavis

Equation Dump!

So lately, our physics C teacher has been making us to equation dumps at the beginning of each class. He would give us 4 minutes to write down as many equations as we could, thus seeing how much we had already memorized and how prepared we were for the upcoming exam. To put down as many equations in those 4 minutes not only requires raw knowledge but also strategy involving.... wait for it... PHYSICS!!!:apple: So, the goal in those 4 minutes was to write down 50 equations. That means you wou

bdavis

bdavis

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