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Quinn

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Blog Entries posted by Quinn

  1. Quinn
    A tool that provides direction by the use of magnetism is based on the basis of physics. This tool, the compass, has been used for many centuries and helped guide history through various explorations. Today, this tool is not used as much as it had been in the past but if you are ever lost it is a great instrument to help you find your way.

    Magnetism is one of the first bits of science students learn about in school and just about the first thing we discover is that like poles repel opposite poles attract. If you hold two bar magnets so their north poles are almost touching, they will push away from one another; if you turn one of the magnets around so one magnet's north pole is near the other magnet's south pole, the magnets will pull toward one another. That's all there is to a compass: the red pointer in a compass - the magnetized needle - is a magnet and it's being attracted by Earth's own magnetism called the geomagnetic field. Earth behaves like a giant bar magnet with one pole up in the Arctic and another pole down in Antarctica. Now if the needle in your compass is pointing north, that means it is being attracted to the Earth's north pole. Since unlike poles attract, the compass is being attracted to must be a magnetic south pole. Furthermore, the thing we call Earth's magnetic north pole is actually the south pole of the magnet inside Earth. Originally this concept was a little challenging to grasp but then I realized all I need to remember is that opposites attract. Earth's magnetic field is actually quite weak compared to forces like gravity and friction. For a compass to be able to show up the relatively small effects of Earth's magnetism, the effects of these other forces must be minimized. That is why compass needles are lightweight and mounted on frictionless bearings.
    Compasses provide direction to our destination which in the end can be more useful than most other instruments we use in our daily lives.
  2. Quinn
    Even though the month of March had gone by fast , it is a month of television watching and switching through various channels. This phenomenon is all because of one event: March Madness. Overall, those two weeks I had spent a good portion of my time at home in front of a screen. So when it was time to write a blog post electricity became an easy topic to write about. Especially because during class we had recently finished a unit on electricity.

    From what I have learned in class as well as doing some research I had found that the logistics of a television remote are actual quite simplistic. So simple that by pushing a button on a remote control sets in motion a series of events that causes the controlled device to carry out a command. The process can be summed up within three steps. On, You push the volume up button on your remote control, causing it to touch the contact beneath it and complete the volume up circuit on the circuit board. The integrated circuit detects this. From there, the integrated circuit sends the binary volume up command to the LED at the front of the remote. Finally, the LED sends out a series of light pulses that corresponds to the binary volume up command. Though the basics of this seems to be simple, interference within the connection of the circuit can be complicated at times.

    It is crazy to see how something we enjoy and unit with is full of physics!
  3. Quinn
    Spring is one of my favorite seasons because for me that means it is lacrosse season! During practice one day when I was trying to think of a topic for a blog post it became obvious to me that lacrosse is a perfect example of physics in action in my life. Newton's Three Laws really became the primacies at which I was able to figure out the physics within this sport. Newton's First Law: An object at rest will remain at rest until acted up by an external force. In the case of lacrosse, the net cradles the ball, which connects to the stick before a player finally acts upon it. A centripetal force exists on the ball as the player throws it; the ball's friction against the net keeps the ball in the pocket while the stick accelerates around. Once the ball gets released, it will continue in a straight line until acted upon by an outside force such as another player's stick, or simply the force of gravity as the ball falls to the ground. Also by using Newton's Second Law you may calculate the force of a player's throw using Newton's second law: Force equals mass times acceleration. The acceleration applied to the ball during the throw directly determines the force of the pass, because the mass remains constant. And lastly, Newton's Third Law points out that for every action there exists an equal and opposite reaction. When throwing a lacrosse ball, the stretch in the netted pocket and the motion of the ball counteracts the force put into swinging the stick. The ball gets forced forward as a reaction to the work applied to the stick.
  4. Quinn
    This weekend I was involved on the Dodge for Josh Dodgeball Tournament. This tournament raised money for the Josh Rojas Foundation. This event proved how physics can not only be fun but at times can also be painful. In the game of dodgeball the entire objective is to create and form collisions. In this sport there are two typees of collisions, inealastic and elastic. One can witness the collisions by watching a player get hit by a ball or when two balls collide into one another. IN an elastic collision, the total momentum and kinetic energy are both conserved. In an inelastic collision, the two objects move as one object and one mass. In this collision the momentum is conserved meanwhile to kenetic energy is being converted into internal elastic potential energy. The remainder of the kenetic energy is then converted into heat and sound energy. This tournament went by too fast but I guess that time truely does fly by when your having fun!
  5. Quinn
    Since it is winter I cannot wait to sled. This year since I am in physics I want to understand sledding better by using Newton’s laws of motion.
    Newton's First Law of Motion, the Law of Inertia, states that an object's velocity will not change unless it is acted on by an outside force. The greater mass or velocity an object has, the greater its inertia. For example, it takes a pretty strong push to get you and a friend on the same sled moving, but once you gather speed you'll keep going even at the bottom of the hill where the run flattens out. It takes much more force to stop you and your friend on the sled than to stop an empty sled.
    Newton’s First Law is in so many simple activities in our lives, sledding just so happens to be a fun way to express the solution of how it is possible.
  6. Quinn
    Since the price of salt has increased and as a result the streets will be more dangerous to drive and walk on a question came to mind: Why do people slip? After beginning to fully understand the logic behind friction I figured out a basic understanding of why it happens.
    When we walk, we need friction between our shoes and the ground to give us the ability to move forwards. Without friction we would not be able to remain standing for very long, let alone walking. If at some stage the amount of friction that the ground to the shoe contact provides less than we need, then it will result in slipping. Furthermore it is important to know the friction a particular surface when walking on it.
  7. Quinn
    When skating, the skates of a hockey player do two things: They glide over the ice and they push off the ice with the edge, in order to gain speed. The physical properties of ice is what allows hockey players to maneuver the way they do. For instance, the low friction of the skate blade with the ice and the physical properties of the ice is what allows a player to speed up, or stop. A hockey player propels himself forward by pushing off the ice with a force perpendicular to the skate blade. Since the friction of the blade with the ice is almost zero, this is the only way he can propel himself forward. The figure below illustrates the physics behind this principle.
    Though I do not play hockey I love to watch it my favorite NHL team is the Bruins. Also I love to go and support our High School Hockey Team.
  8. Quinn
    Frequency: At any point in the air near the source of sound, the molecules are moving backwards and forwards, and the air pressure varies up and down by very small amounts. The number of vibrations per second is called the frequency (f). It is measured in cycles per second or Hertz (Hz). The pitch of a note is almost entirely determined by the frequency: high frequency for high pitch and low for low. Human ears are most sensitive to sounds between 1 and 4 kHz - about two to four octaves above middle C. That is why piccolo players do not have to work as hard as tuba players in order to be heard.
    The lips control the air flow: Brass players can make musical sounds with just their lips. This is one of the first things a brass player learns: you close your mouth, pull your lips back in a strange smile, and blow. The result may be anywhere between a low pitched or a high pitched musical note, depending on the tension in your lips and other parameters.
    Since I am a current trumpet player in the Symphonic Band for our High School this part of Physics truly relates to my everyday life.
  9. Quinn
    The motion of a skier is determined by the physical principles of the conservation of energy and the frictional forces acting on the body. For example, in downhill skiing, as the skier is accelerated down the hill by the force of gravity, his gravitational potential energy is converted to kinetic energy, the energy of motion. In the ideal case, all of the potential energy would be converted into kinetic energy; in reality, some of the energy is lost to heat due to friction. One type of friction acting on the skier is the kinetic friction between the skis and snow. The force of friction acts in the direction opposite to the direction of motion, resulting in a lower velocity and hence less kinetic energy. The kinetic friction can be reduced by applying wax to the bottom of the skis which reduces the coefficient of friction. Skiing is a fun and easy example of how physics work in our lives.
  10. Quinn
    Today my brother shot me with rubber band. As I began to shot it right back at him, I started to wonder if stretching a rubber band has anything to do with physics. I figured our that stretching a rubber band is a great was to apply and explain forces.

    Force is a push or a pull motion. Many forces are acting on all the time, especially gravity. The force of gravity is acting on us all of the time. I is weird to think that if I am standing perfectly still on the floor, the floor is pushing up just as hard as gravity is pulling down.


    Pulling forces and rubber bands. A I slowly stretch a rubber band and pull with each hand away from each other, this means there are two pulling forces acting on the rubber band in opposite directions. Also when I stretch the rubber band by using one hand by grabbing the rubber band at only one place, it's possible to stretch the rubber band with one hand and I can figure out stretch the rubber band by applying the force at one point.

    Something as simple as stretching a rubber band explains the principles of force. Force is a use full principle to understand because it is acting on us all the time: when we run, open a door, or even stretch a rubber band.
  11. Quinn
    Hi! My name is Quinn and I am a player on the girls varsity volleyball team. Volleyball is a fun and active game that suprisingly enough involves a lot of physics. Watching or playing a volleyball game is an excellent way to see the principles of physics in action.

    Here are a few of the basic principles of physics, explained through volleyball. Whether you are serving, bumping, or spiking, gravity will affect every interaction you have with the ball. But gravity i not the only principle explained through physics: acceleration is an increase in velocity. If you just served the ball and it has gone over the net, as it is falling to the ground, gravity pulls the ball to the ground, and it accelerates. Or if you gently lob the ball over the net and your opponent sends a hard spike back at you, that's another example of acceleration. The ball's velocity increased when spiked back over the net, by your opponent, therefore it accelerated.

    Volleyball is a great explanation for principles of physics and to have fun with your friends. I love volleyball season and am sad to see the season come to an end. But I am fascinated how much physics has to do with the game of volleyball.
  12. Quinn
    During volleyball practice during a water break I was bouncing a ball, so I thought of all the physics within the simple movement of the ball hitting the floor then hitting my hand. The simple act of bouncing a ball is more physics than meets the eye. I
    The ball moves vertically (up and down) and horizontally (moving forward). With each bounce, and each step the vertical and horizontal distance/ height, seconds in the air and velocity was constantly changing. Also as the ball falls it accelerates due to the force of gravity. The ball continues to accelerate until it hits the ground which results in each bounce becoming lower and lower.
    From this simple act of bouncing a ball during practice I discover why the ball after each bounce becomes lower and lower. I love physics because it allows me to have fun while playing sports that I love.
  13. Quinn
    Hi! My name is Quinn and I am a Junior at Irondequoit High School. I am involved in many sports such as basketball, volleyball and lacrosse. I love to play sports because I am able to workout and stay in shape while having fun with my friends.

    Last year I took Chemistry with Mr. Meredith and he told me last year that if you are going into the medical field physics is an important course to take. So I followed his advise and I am now in physics with Mr. Fullerton. I can not wait to see what this year has to offer. Physics is every where and in everything: I am taking this course to understand more of the world around me through the eyes of a physicist.

    One question I have is, why do different planets have different gravitational field affects? I am excited to learn and do many experiments this year.
  14. Quinn
    Like many athletes running can be part of a game, consequence or a way to stay in shape during your season.Running does not offer only exercise; it also provides a demonstration of the many types of physics involved in moving the human body.Running also offers an excellent model to study the impact of external forces on bodies in motion.

    The physics of running is grounded in Newton's Three Laws of Motion. However we have only begun to learn his first two laws in class. In order to break into a run, the runner uses the First Law: an object at rest stays at rest unless acted upon by a force. Our muscles is the force acted upon during running. How fast a runner is able to move depends on the Second Law. This laws states that the changes in velocity depend on the force being exerted. During each step in this case, the runner's body, velocity is constantly changing.

    Physics is in everything, even the smallest activity like running. Though I am not a fan of running, Newton's Law have helped me to better understand how our body's are so influenced during running by forces.
  15. Quinn
    As the end of the school year comes to an end I am becoming ecstatic just thinking about camping. Every year, my family goes to the Thousand Islands and camps out. During that week we spend our time swimming, jet skiing and hanging around the campfire. That is a week I look forward to every year. A very useful tool that needs to be brought every year is a flashlight. We need this instrument because walking around at night can become directionless without know in which way your destination is. Through this blog I hope to inform and remind others of how the physics of a light flash works.

    Everyone knows know flashlights has batteries in them; what a battery does is it uses a chemical reaction to put all the (+) charges on one side of the battery and all the (-) charges on the opposite side of the battery. Because like charges repel each other the (-) charges do not like being all together at one end of the battery. When a wire is connected from one end of the battery to the other end the (-) charges, electrons, are able to flow through to get away from each other and get to the (+) charges on the other side. This idea is an example of a circuit. A flashlight is a kind of circuit with a light bulb on the wire. A light bulb is just a device that changes the energy of the moving (-) charges into light. Pushing down on the switch of the flashlight connects the wire with the light bulb to the battery and forms the circuit.

    In the setting of camping, I am very grateful that circuits are dependable and safe because camping could be much more difficult with out them: thank you physics!
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