Jump to content
  • entries
    40
  • comments
    37
  • views
    16,039

About this blog

Entries in this blog

Gothic Cathedrals

Obvious connections between Physics and Calculus, or Physics and Chemistry exist. However, what about Physics and Humanities? Recently, in Humanities class, we continued our Middle Ages unit with a lesson on medieval architecture. We focused on the Gothic Cathedrals built in the Middle Ages, and the advances in architecture which were necessary to build such tall structures. The first major advance was the transition from the rounded arch to the pointed arch. The pointed arch distributed the

goalkeeper0

goalkeeper0

A Pleasant Discovery

While studying for our midterm on Mechanics, I came to this brilliant realization. Realization: Physics with calculus is a lot easier when you know calculus Ok, this may seem like an obvious statement; but, when it clicks, it feels good. As I looked over some Mechanics Free Response problems involving derivations with drag force, I realized that they are not so bad after all. Now that all of us Physics-C students should understand integrals, differential equations, and integrating with na

goalkeeper0

goalkeeper0

Donuts

Happy (belated) National Donut Day! This American day of celebration for sugary breakfast rings occurred yesterday on June 7. Yesterday, people from across the nation stopped by Dunkin Donuts to receive a free donut. These consumers devoured the sticky treats without thinking about the history or science behind the donut. But, the history and science, particularly physics, is interesting. So, I will now discuss the connection between donuts and physics. The Dutch brought the idea of deep-frie

goalkeeper0

goalkeeper0

My Last Blog Entry

In early September, in the very beginning of my time in AP Physics C, I was hesitant about the workload and difficulty of the course. When Mr. Fullerton introduced integrals to us for the first time, I knew from then on that the class would be no piece of cake. The funny thing looking back is that I enjoyed the calculus parts of physics by the end of the year very much. With a solid calculus background, the "hard math" aspect of the AP did not seem so hard. For me, the hardest part of the class

goalkeeper0

goalkeeper0

Projection Angles, Punts, and Power

Yesterday, the Girls' Varsity Soccer team started out with our first win! We scored a late goal with less than 2 minutes left in the game to make our way into the finals (of the tournament) on Saturday. After the celebrations and high fives, the referee came up to me and asked, "Have you taken Physics?" A bit taken by surprise, I responded "Yes." She went on to compliment the power and velocity of my punts, but she questioned the height. She believed, given the power behind the punts, tha

goalkeeper0

goalkeeper0

The Physics of Fierljeppen

This weekend, my brother was flipping through the TV channels, and a very interesting sport came on. The Dutch sport of Fierljeppen, similar to pole vaulting, involves a person sprinting, jumping onto a long pole at an angle, climbing to the top of the pole while it tilts over, and hopefully landing on sand on the other side of a pond. This sport is also known as canal jumping, as the athlete clears a body of water. In terms of the energy of Fierljeppen, here it goes. A person of mass, m1, and v

goalkeeper0

goalkeeper0

Corrosion Engineering

Every high school student treasures his or her first college letter in the mail. However, when the letters begin to consume your recycle bin, they become overwhelming. Each letter seems to advertise the same things: a nice campus, low student:teacher ratio, updated infrastructure, and groundbreaking research. So, when something different comes in the mail, it is exciting. Recently, I received a letter from the University of Akron advertising their Corrosion Engineering major, which is not offere

goalkeeper0

goalkeeper0

Goalkeeping Physics

Physics separates the good from the great goalkeepers. 1. The Understanding of Momentum- A goalkeeper must keep his weight shifted forward, standing on the balls of his feet. When a shot comes, the goalkeeper will try to save the ball while moving forward. Therefore, due to conservation of momentum, any rebounds will deflect away from the goal. A flat-footed goalkeeper (weight on heels) will deflect shots backward, into the goal. 2. The Analysis of Vectors- While preparing for a shot, a go

goalkeeper0

goalkeeper0

To all of you hot beverage drinkers...

As APs are nearing closer, caffeine seems like the secret to success. Staying up late takes a toll on the body, and drains you of energy. Therefore, in the morning, it is very common to see kids and adults carrying around a cup of coffee or tea for the caffeine boost. Nobody wants to fall asleep in class. For those who do consume these beverages here is a disclaimer: Beware of water heated in a clean container in the microwave. Unlike when water heats up on the stove, water heated in a microw

goalkeeper0

goalkeeper0

"How Fast Would the Earth Have to Spin to Fling People Off?"

While exploring this lovely APlusPhysics site, I came across an article titled, "How Fast Would the Earth Have to Spin to Fling People Off?" I never thought about this question, but now wonder why I didn't. Oh wait, it's because the idea seems incredibly silly and impossible. Well, someone actually came up with an equation to answer this question. Here is the physics thought process: [ATTACH=CONFIG]644[/ATTACH] Ffake=an added force used to fix the accelerating reference frame Really

goalkeeper0

goalkeeper0

Coat-hanger Bubbles Experiment

As advised by Mr. Fullerton, I did the Coat-hanger bubbles experiment to further understand flux! Pre-experiment preparation: First, in my closet I found a nice metal coat-hanger suitable for the trial. After attempting to reshape the coat-hanger, I learned that my hangers are very strong, or that I lack strength; so, I went to my brother's toolbox and grabbed pliers to help bend the wire into a slinky-like shape. My coil ended up having four turns. I then ventured into my kitchen to fill th

goalkeeper0

goalkeeper0

Food of Flight

In Physics class we are currently working on a space exploration computer game named Kerbal Space Program. The purpose of the game is to build rockets or airplanes, think about money management, learn about space exploration, and achieve preset checkpoints. Lately, as our groups attempt longer and longer missions, the Kerbals are stuck in space for a considerably long time before returning home. The question has arisen, what do Kerbals eat while in space in order to survive? I am no Kerbal expe

goalkeeper0

goalkeeper0

Relative Age

As graduating seniors, we are getting old. No more high school, it's off to college! But, just how old are we? On the earth we are about 18 years old, give or take a few months. Because the other planets are different distances from the sun, they have different periods of revolution. Therefore, in relation to many planets we are very young (Neptune) or very old (Mercury). A planet's period is given by: = distance from planet's aphelion to sun = distance from planet's perihelion to sun

goalkeeper0

goalkeeper0

Equation Blast: Oscillations

While some are contemplating the end of the world, I am studying for physics. Here are the essential oscillations equations to know for our test tomorrow. Oscillations (Includes SHM, Springs, Pendulums): F=-kx xmax=A vmax=Aw amax=Aw2 T=1/f and f=1/T w=angular frequency=2(pi)f=2(pi)/T v=wr Potential Energy= (1/2)kA2cos2(wt) Kinetic Energy= (1/2)kA2sin2(wt) Total Energy= (1/2)kA2 x(t)= Acos(wt + phase shift) v(t)= Awsin(wt + phase shift) a(t)= -Aw2cos(wt + phase shift) Tspring=

goalkeeper0

goalkeeper0

Winter Driving

Don't let four-wheel drive fool you, because any car can spin out on icy, snowy turns. In wintry weather, drivers must slow down or shovel their way out of a snow bank. Why must drivers slow down? The coefficient of friction between rubber tires and snow is much less than the coefficient of friction between rubber tires and dry pavement. The coefficient of friction between pavement and tires is about 1.00; whereas, the coefficient of friction between snow and tires is about 0.30. So, how muc

goalkeeper0

goalkeeper0

Helpful Circuit Stuff

Circuits with resistors: In series: Req=R1+R2+R3+R4+... I=I1=I2=I3=I4=... V=IR1+IR2+IR3+IR4+... In parallel: 1/Req=1/R1+1/R2+1/R3+1/R4+... I=I1+I2+I3+I4... V=V1=V2=V3=V4=... Note: Replacing resistors in parallel with one resistor of equivalent total resistance is very useful when analyzing circuits Circuits with capacitors: In series: 1/Ceq=1/C1+1/C2+1/C3+1/C4+... Q=Q1=Q2=Q3=Q4=... (Conservation

goalkeeper0

goalkeeper0

Magnetic Monopoles

Displayed in his videos for our current independent unit, Professor Walter Lewin has a strong interest in magnetic monopoles. Lewin repeatedly stated that proof of the hypothetical magnetic monopole would win the brilliant scientist a Nobel Prize. Because of his excitement toward this topic, I have researched a bit about the mysterious magnetic monopoles. Currently, it is believed that a magnet must have a positive, and a negative pole; the existence of magnetic dipoles has been elementary a

goalkeeper0

goalkeeper0

Liquid Magnets?

Most people think of magnets as a solids. But, think again. A "liquid" form of magnet exists. Ferrofluids contain magnetic particles in a liquid carrier, and act like a "liquid magnet." Ferrofluids do not clump together to form solids because of a surfactant, which coats the magnetic particles. The surfactant overcomes the magnetic forces between the particles and keeps the solution a liquid. A ferrofluid is primarily made of a liquid carrier, and contains relatively small amounts of magneti

goalkeeper0

goalkeeper0

Multiverse?

In the realm of “big” things there is the world, the solar system, the universe, and then the…? Some scientists, primarily physicists, now believe in the existence of a multiverse. The idea of a multiverse has not been proven, but there is substantial evidence toward the theory. Some of the main points include: 1.) The observable universe goes on for as long as light has had the opportunity to get in the 13.7 billion years since the proposed Big Bang. Beyond the visible universe there can be

goalkeeper0

goalkeeper0

Senior Runs

As senior year comes to a close, brain space previously reserved for memorizing lists of vocab or challenging physics concepts has been filled with plots for senior pranks, senior runs, and so on. As of now, our senior runs have been quite brief, but I remember the senior runs of the past being both long and successful. As a freshman, I remember being caught in the hallway as I heard the shouts and footsteps of hundreds of seniors coming my way. Senior runs, or more like senior stampedes, can be

goalkeeper0

goalkeeper0

My first blog entry :)

So, this first blog entry is an introduction to me, goalkeeper0. As seen in my username, I obviously am a goalkeeper (for soccer)...I will soon post a blog entry about a recent soccer/physics encounter of mine. So, about me. I am interested in a combination of all three sciences, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. Thus, in college, I hope to study biomedical engineering-- which brings together both engineering and medicine. Biomedical engineering appeals to me, because of its many different career

goalkeeper0

goalkeeper0

The Physics of Missing the Soccer Net from close range

A couple games ago, my soccer team had ample opportunities to score against Gates Chili. We managed to sky the ball over the net from the six yard line, in the first five minutes of the game. After thinking about how hard it is to miss the goal from this distance, I thought I would compute the angle, theta, needed to clear the crossbar (8ft off the ground) from the 6-yard line. Given: *average velocity of shot ~45ft/s (this value varies between male/female, and level of play) *delta x=18ft *

goalkeeper0

goalkeeper0

Physics News Alert

This is my first blog post with nothing to do about soccer! Tonight, when my dad was reading the Democrat and Chronicle, and I was doing my Calculus homework, he read me a blurb about an American and French Physicist who just won a Nobel Prize in Physics. The paper didn't explain much of anything in terms of what these physicists did to merit the prestigious award. I think the brief description was because the physicists, Serge Haroche and David Wineland, studied quantum physics and applications

goalkeeper0

goalkeeper0

Catapult

This is a picture of our beautiful catapult. The potential energy of the garage springs was converted into the kinetic energy of the arm. We positioned the beam across the catapult at about a 45 degree angle with the base. This angle maximized the range of the softball. For our first two launches, we had padding on the center beam, to absorb a bit of the kinetic energy of the arm, so the wood wouldn't break. But, for the third trial, we took off the padding, and the wood ended up cracking. The m

goalkeeper0

goalkeeper0

Clay Ball vs. Rubber Ball

In class today, while doing the preliminary questions to the lab, we debated whether a clay or rubber ball, of equal mass, would push a door closed more. At first, I thought that the clay would close the door more; but, since the masses are equal, I rethought my intial response. The question is basically asking which medium will create the greatest impulse. Because the clay sticks to the door, the collision is inelastic, and energy is lost as the clay sticks to the door. Because the rubber ball

goalkeeper0

goalkeeper0

×
×
  • Create New...