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mathgeek15

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Blog Entries posted by mathgeek15

  1. mathgeek15
    Unfortunately, this is the last of the Batman Blog Post series. However, I saved my favorite for last: Batgirl.

    When Barbara Gordon first became Batgirl, it was without the consent of Batman; in fact, he didn't even know about it until he saw her in costume. So, Batgirl had to purchase and create her own costume and weapons, including a jumpline to swing around Gotham like Batman. However, she got the wrong jumpline, and would have died, but Batman cut the rope and Robin saved her. Why would she have died? I think Batman can explain that better than me...

  2. mathgeek15
    I must have a thing for thinking about blog posts in the middle of the night. So last night I woke up at 3:00 am because of my sore throat, which makes it extremely painful to swallow, cough, yawn, etc. So, as I lied in bed unable to fall asleep, I thought about the mythbusters episode I watched about making someone wet the bed by sticking their hand in water. But what stuck out to me was that they used the frequency of the brain waves to determine how deeply asleep Adam and Jamie were.

    As you can see, the brain waves are much faster and active when awake, but when asleep the frequency slows down, making it easier to pull a classic camp prank on someone. Spoiler Alert: it doesn't work. Pretty cool how waves is applied to the real world huh? Unless you're me, then your brain waves look like this:

  3. mathgeek15
    Ok, I think everyone knows that sequels are rarely as good as the original, but I think The Physics of Roof Trusses II is way better than the first, but that's mostly because I thought that this roof truss was way cooler. So the very last thing I did in my independent study was build a scissor roof truss. The reason why I like this one so much is because of the awesome shape, even if the angles were butts. Anyways, it usually spans up to 20 meters or 65.51 feet and is most commonly found in cathedral ceiling and other architectural projects. Seems like I'm not the only one who thinks it looks cool. What's nice about this truss is that it eliminates the need of a bearing beam (a support beam that goes horizontal), but it has poor insulation and is very expensive. Maybe that's why churches are always so cold....

    Hey look! there are people in the background!
    PS sorry for the poor quality
  4. mathgeek15
    "Whats up physicist?" (Penny, Big Bang Theory)
    So a few weeks ago was my birthday (delayed much?) and I have some really awesome friends who got balloons for me. So nice, right? Well as I am looking at the balloons, I noticed one of them had a limit on it. What this super awesome friend of mine did was write happy

    th
    Birthday!! Totally cool huh? Turns out the limit equals my age, which is really cool and NERDY!!!!
    Thanks Alpha Geek!
  5. mathgeek15
    Let's cut to the chase: Life is full of decisions, especially as a senior in high school. Over the years I have noticed that many people have a difficult time making decisions, so I have decided that I am going to release my decision-making secret, the reason why I can so easily make decisions: I use math.
    Making decisions is like momentum (p= mv) , two opposing forces collide, changing the directions of the objects. To make things simple, let's refer to only two balls (aka choices). Each ball has a different mass, which is the equivilancy of importance for you. For example, a math test would probably have a higher mass than going to the movies to see Side Effects (which comes out February 1st ^-^ ). In most cases, the objects/ choices are travelling at different velocities, also known as the personal preference velocity. Using the scenario above, going to see the movie would have a high velocity than studying for that upcoming test. With hat information, there is only one thing left to do: LETS GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!
    To find which decision is best, assign one choice as a negative and the other as a postive (it doesn't matter who gets one sign). then, using conservation of momentum, figure out which direxction the objects will go after the collision (you need to use a sticky collision). To show how it would work, I am going to plug in numbers for myself:
    mTest= 5 (for economics)
    vTest= 7 (since I already have a 88 in the class which is low for me)
    mMovie= 2
    vMovie= -10
    mTestvTest + mMoviesvMovies =(mTest + mMovies )v'
    5(7) + 2(-10)= (5 +2) v'
    35- 20= 7v'
    15= 7v'
    v'= 2.14
    Thus, the best choice in this situation would be to stay home and study for the test; so I will have to wait to see Side Effects after I get an A on the test.
    Well, now you know my secret to successful decisions!

    (Warning: with three or more decisions this equation does work but instead of putting it into a collsion, simply compare the momentum of each choice (signs will not matter, so they can all be positive). Which ever momentum is highest is the best choice. And yes, I actually do something like this in my head everytime I have a difficult decision to make. What you think I leave it up to feelings? Physics is the answer to everything!)
  6. mathgeek15
    Hey people, i know that it's not a fan favorite but i haven't done a blog post on my independent study. Recently I finished a roof truss called a double cantilever (or a type C truss), a model for the technology room. This specific type of roof truss is used mostly in commercial and industrial buildings. It spans on average 16 meters, or 52.5 feet. That's really all I know, but I'm really proud of my work which I think is very cool. Hope you guys agree!!
    (Again, sorry about the extreme size of the picture, I still cant figure that out....)

  7. mathgeek15
    As most people know, I can't stand cats, and constantly joke about kicking them. So, I thought it would be appropriate if I did a blog post on it!!
    I am by far not athletic, so top speed I could probably kick a soccer ball at 15 m/s or 33.354 mi/hr (This is the average low for kids 11-17 ). I also don't kick at much of an angle, but for this we'll say 20 degrees.

    So here's the math:
    y- component:
    height: ?
    acceleration: 9.8
    velocity initial: 15sin20= 5.13
    velocity final: 0
    time:?

    vf= vo + at
    0= 5.13 + -9.8t
    5.13= 9.8t
    t= .5235 --> Total Time: 1.047 seconds

    Y= vot + .5at2
    Y= 5.13(.5235) + .5(9.8)(.5235)2
    Y= 2.686+ 1.343
    Y= 4.028 meters --> 13.22 feet

    x-component:
    velocity: 15cos20= 14.10
    time: 1.047
    distance: ?

    x= vt
    x= 14.1(1.047)
    x= 14.758 meters --> 48.42 feet

    DANG! That's far. Now I wanna try this. Anyone got a cat I can borrow?
  8. mathgeek15
    So if people are actually reading these you probably already know that I am currently sick and wide awake thanks to the wearing off of "nighttime" robitussium... which frankly I am not sure how to spell. So I thought I would do ANOTHER BLOG POST!!! :worked_till_5am: Hey, Ive got so much physics in my life (voluntarily) I'm up to my ears in it, so Ive got a lot to say. Which is why I like these posts. Instead of confusing my mom with what she calls the science of the ABC's (no joke, I told her I had to watch some videos for homework and she asked oh you mean the ABC guy?), I get to pretend people are actually reading these!!!!!:glee:
    Anyway, I am off topic. So I dont know about other people but I love getting review books at the beginning of the year to help me with the course material. My personal favorite review book is Barrons. Every review book that I can choose is barrons. Well, when I went to B&N two weeks ago, the guy told me barrons doesnt make ap physics c (which I found out today/yesterday is a total LIE!!!!) so I got the princeton review. Well as I was reading the text book (I was just becoming sick), I was having trouble understanding the stuff on UCM. So I pull out my review book, and what do you know, ITS NOT IN THERE!!!!
    So I go to Fullertons for some help. As I am sitting there I see a Barrons Physics C book and im like OMG barrons does make them!!! Long story short, Fullerton let me borrow the book to see which review book is better and if the barrons would be helpful. I will personally tell him the results, but I thought you guys should know too. So here we are:

    Barrons:
    Includes the calculus and explains it usually mathematically
    Has some good "cheat sheets" as I call them, which are basically just good pages to take note of quickly
    At the end of each chapter includes a equation summary with some notes
    The organization for magnetics is a bit funny, sorting out the chapters by types of problems to solve and different laws. could be missing some material on it but I think they fixed that problem in the 3rd edition, which is avaliable.

    Princeton:
    Has the Physics C material explained in Physics B terms/ equations, so if you are really struggling witht he calc and dont think you can do it, this book should be able to help you solve it without calc, though it probably wont be the fastest way
    word explanations mostly
    MISSING MATERIAL!!!!
    Kinda wordy in my opinion
    chapter summary at end
    Equation list at end of each chapter (I'm not sure, but it looked more detailled than the barrons)

    Needless to say, I returned my princeton and plan on getting a barrons soon, but I still need to read the first few chapters of barrons to see if it is a benefit for everyone. And Fullerton needs to check out the 3rd edition to make sure its up to his expectation.
    OMG i just found a einstein face!!!!!!:einstein)
    well, i think I've blogged everyone's ears off and should try to sleep/ scavenge for more tissues. Night/ Morning!
  9. mathgeek15

    The Physics of Tetris

    By mathgeek15,

    Once a month MIT sends me an Admissions newsletter about new things going on at MIT. One of my favorite articles is about how the students turned the outside of a building into a giant tetris videogame. While the students used more engineering than physics, their was still the components of electric circuits needed to create such an awesome hack (which is a prank MIT style). So here's a video of their creation, and all I have to say is that I WANT TO PLAY!!!!:eagerness:


  10. mathgeek15
    Originally this was going to be about Batman's utlilty belt, but then I had so much fun things to talk about with the batarang I changed my mind.

    Well, to begin with, the batarangs are NOT a sold piece of hardened steel alloy. It actually folds in half. Another thing to keep in mind, the batarangs are not designed to return to Batman, hence why the design is not very similar to a boomerang. Also, Batman has multiple kinds of batarangs. So when Batman throws one at a rope, he has one for cutting. To knock an enemy down, he has a hard-impact one. So many of you people are probably thinking by now, how does such a little piece of metal knock a grown man down?

    So lets say a thug is trying to run away from batman after robbing a jewelry store, leaving the jewels behind because he's soo scared of Batman. The average mass of a 30 year-old male is about 180 lbs, or 82 kg, and the average speed of a male of this weight running is about 8 mph, or 12.87 kmph. Since I do not know the actual weight of a batarang, I am going to say it's about .5 lbs (hard impact batarangs are about twice the size of the stereotypical batarang), which would be about .227 kg. Finally, the velocity of the batarang would be about 90 mph, considering that is the typical speed of a baseball pitcher and Batman has a pretty good arm himself, making it about 144.8 kmph. Time for some Momentum!!!! This scenario is would be an inelastic collision since the man falls on his face. Thus, the resulting velocity needs to be high enough to make the man lose his balance.
    MTVT+ MBVB= (MT+MB) V
    (82)(12.87)+(.227)(144.8)= (82+ .227) V
    + 32.87= 82.227V
    V=13.23 kmph

    Ok, even when I looked at that I thought something was wrong. But even this change in velocity will throw a person off balance because of the immediate change. Then Batman gets to walk over and handcuff him or tie him up and hang him like a pinata. Anyone got a stick?
  11. mathgeek15
    Ok, does anyone know how all of Batman's stuff fits into that belt?

    So to start off with, Batman's belt has quick-release covers that can be locked and unlocked with a swipe of a thumb for easy access. Just a fun fact. And, there is a collapsable grappling hook in the belt buckle. Which brings up an interesting fact. Batman uses a de-cel monofilament jumpline cord for his hand-held grapnel gun. The reason for his choice in rope is because it can hold up to 400 lbs, making it possible for Batman to not only swing from one building to another, but to carry people with him, to prevent large objects from falling and hurting someone, and hanging up multiple villians like pinatas. Now for the next question, how does Batman manage to actually get from one place to another? Batman's gun will automatically retract after attaching to something, pulling up Batman in a supposed mere seconds. But can it really do so? Batman probably weighs about 220 lbs, which is about 100 kg, with the muscle and stuff he's packing. The jumpline can withstand about 181.47 kg.
    T-mg= ma
    1814.7- (1000)= 100a
    814.7= 100a
    a= 8.15 m/s2
    Now that's pretty impressive. So if Batman wanted to get to the top of a ten story building (because let's face it, when do we ever see Batman go only 2 stories up with the grapnel gun?):
    X= .5at2
    Ten Stories is about 100 ft, or 30 meters so...
    30= .5(8.15) t2
    t2= 7.36
    t= 2.72 seconds
    Wow. No wonder why it looks like Batman is flying.

    Besides the awesome grapnel gun, Batman has tons of other cool things, including:
    Bat- Grenades
    First-Aid Kit (for when Damain gets a booboo)
    Explosive pellets
    Bat-cuffs, which are surrounded by sapphire-impregnated nylon, so strong that no human can break it, minus people with superpowers
    and mini cameras. Gonna need those.

    Batman of course has many other tools and weapons, he just doesn't carry them around in his belt. However, Batman never uses guns. He has a "no kill" rule. But that doesnt exclude fear... fear is Batman's greatest (and probably favorite, minus the car) weapon.
  12. mathgeek15
    Ok, I have been working really hard to finish the AP Physics Review Packet, but I haven't really compared answers with anyone else. So I thought it would be helpful for everyone if I posted my answers. I personally think they are right, but if you have a different answer, SAY SO!!! I would gladly compare notes to find the correct answer, helping everyone out. If I missed any questions, let me know.
    [TABLE="class: grid, width: 500"]
    [TR]
    [TD]Pg 1
    1. A
    11. B
    [/TD]
    [TD]Pg 2
    14. A
    15. E
    2. E
    65. C
    5. C
    [/TD]
    [TD]Pg 3
    1. E
    3. D
    3 (below). C
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Pg 4
    5. C
    19. D
    [/TD]
    [TD]Pg 5
    2. E
    26. C
    27. C
    10. C
    [/TD]
    [TD]Pg 6
    25. B
    7. E
    3. D
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Pg 7
    6. E
    9. E
    5. C
    [/TD]
    [TD]Pg 8
    19. A
    9. D
    [/TD]
    [TD]Pg 9
    34. B
    4. E
    7. E
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Pg 10
    34. A
    14. C
    6. B
    [/TD]
    [TD]Pg 11
    15. E
    17. A
    8. B
    10. E
    [/TD]
    [TD]Pg 12
    18. A
    32. B
    15. E
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Pg 13
    18. D
    16. A
    18 (Right). B
    [/TD]
    [TD]Pg 14
    19. C
    8. A
    13. A
    14. A
    [/TD]
    [TD]Pg 15
    31. E
    17. B
    12. C
    17 (Right). E
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Pg 16
    29. B
    31. E
    [/TD]
    [TD]Pg 17
    6. A
    28. D
    12. C
    13. D
    [/TD]
    [TD]Pg 18
    20. C
    27. A
    29. B
    30. E
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Pg 19
    23. D
    1. D
    5. C
    [/TD]
    [TD]Pg 20
    14. B
    15. A
    9. D
    35. A
    [/TD]
    [TD]Pg 21
    32. E
    33. B
    32 (Right). D
    35. E
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Pg 22
    30. B
    26. D
    26 (Bottom). E
    [/TD]
    [TD]Pg 23
    10. A
    11. D
    12. B
    12 (Top). E
    20. D
    [/TD]
    [TD]Pg 24
    32. A?
    22. C
    21. C
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Pg 25
    22. D
    11. E
    20. A
    35. B
    [/TD]
    [TD]Pg 26
    10. E
    3. C
    30. A
    34. C
    9. D
    [/TD]
    [TD][/TD]
    [/TR]
    [/TABLE]
  13. mathgeek15
    Wow. That title is a mouthful. Kinda like the equations in this unit because THERE ARE SOOO MANY. So I am going to help everyone (and myself) and create a list.
    FM= qv x B --> FM= qvBsinᶿ
    F= I x B
    FM= FC --> r= mv/ (qB)
    Velocity Selector: FM= FE --> v= E/B
    FB= ʃI (dl x
    B= μoI/ (2πr) μo= 4π e-7
    Maxwell's 2nd Equation: ʃB·dA= 0
    σInduced= (1-(1/k)) σFree
    B-Field due to Current Loop: B= μoI/ (2r)
    ʃB x dl= μoIpenetrating
    B= NμoI/ L
    μ= NIA μ= magnetic moment
    τ= μ x B τ= torque
    B= μo(qv x r)/ (4πr2)

    Huh. Maybe there aren't as many as I thought, they are just more complicated than normal. Guete Gelueck! (well, technically Alles Gute....)
  14. mathgeek15
    Hope everyone had fun on Halloween! I sure did. But after handing out about 12 bags of candy and eating some in the process, I began to wonder what is the physics behind eating too much candy. Obviously there is the dreaded "tummy ache", but thats biology, I want to know the physics!
    So this is how it works: When you consume sugar your body creates energy, lots of it. After eating so much candy after a while, you've got a lot of potential energy just dying to become kinetic energy. When the potential energy has reached its max, BAM!!! instant sugar high, every parents nightmare when the kid is all hyped up doing sprints around the coffee table screaming for more candy ( why, I don't even know) after eating all the halloween candy at once.
    Obviously once all that kinetic energy is used up there comes the sugar crash with a wiped out kid that is probably beginning to understand why his/ her parents told them not to. So biology steps in with the kid running to the bathroom, promising to never eat candy again, at least until Christmas.
    Word of the wise, dont OD on candy, It all fun and games until physics (and some biology) steps in.
    Happy Halloween!:ghost:
  15. mathgeek15
    So as most of you know the election is just a few days away! YAAYYYYYY!!!!! Just kidding. I for the most part don't pay too much attention to politics, but sometimes I find the topics interesting. I, however, do not find this years election very interesting. Too much bad mouthing and he said he said to ruin each other's reputation and poll numbers. Because for the most part I do not care for either candidate, I have decided to use physics to create an equation to help people like me choose a president. Now, friction is a big problem in politics, something that Obama seems to have experienced more than any other president that I know of. I know Jackson did, but he covered his opposers in lubricant and that solved his friction problem. Then there is the amount of energy in the president. Some presidents have all potentials, others have all kinetic, and some have a little bit of both. Therefore, using these variables we can create an equation to determine the "worthiness" of the candidate:
    E(final)= K + U +W(Friction). This equation will tell you how much the candidate can possibly do. However, a very important factor for the decision making process of the nation's president is that we want K > U. The greater the K, the better, however, we probably do not want all kinetic energy simply because if the president is all kinetic, he's not thinking as much about what else he could be doing that could be even better. I'll let you guys calculate Obama and Romney's energy, and feel free to let me know whose is better, but make sure to also state the comparison of kinetic and potential energy. Happy Election Calculating!
  16. mathgeek15
    As promised, I looked into how fast the Batmobile would go on a frictionless plane instead of the roads of Gotham. To compare the difference, I used everyone's loving friend, Energy.
    uk= .8
    aB= 60 mph in 2.4 seconds (after some conversions....)= 11.17 m/s
    mB= 4500 lbs (FYI, I was wrong, a tank weighs 135,000 lbs)

    F-Ff= mBa
    mBaB- ukmBg= mBa
    (4500) (11.17) - .8(4500) (9.8)= 4500a
    a= 10.376 m/s
    They may not look like a big difference; well, its not in the short distance.

    x= 1 mile= 1609.34 m
    x= .5at2
    t2= 2x/a
    t2= 2(1609.34)/ (10.376)
    t2= 310.2
    t= 17.65 s
    vs.
    t2= 2x/a
    t2= 2(1609.34)/ (11.17)
    t2= 287.999
    t= 16.97 s
    So, obviously, when it comes to short distances, the friction on the car is almost negligible. However, if Superman decided to play a prank on Batman (his attempt to be funny), he could put the Batmobile in space, where the car can infinitely accelerate without friction, where the Batmobile will become the Batrocket. Let's hope the brakes are working.
  17. mathgeek15
    Ok, I gotta admit, that last blog post stunk like my dog's farts. In fact, other than the physics of faradays cage, they all have been pretty bad. Well, I am going to tell you what the best and the worst have in the blog posts.
    The best:
    Humor is a good thing. Physics at times can be rather boring, and if you couple it with some humor, it can be more entertaining for the viewers.
    Have it on an interesting topic. Let's face it, a bad topic is a bad blog.
    Connect to the "real world." Dont just talk about school and physics class, but connect it to the outside world. It gives the blogs a sense of meaning.
    Ad finally, Make it meaningful. I know lots of you are only trying to get these done at the last second, but if you are just randomly posting things hoping to get credit, the post is going to be a dud, except on those rare occasions where it turns out amazing (aka the physics of faraday's cage).

    The Worst:
    Dry. There's no spice, no excitement. If you simply have a dry subject, try adding in colors or fun faces. It adds character and draws the eye.
    No Physics. Yes, the are times where the blog posts are simply people rambling. Come on, weve all done it (the physics of tetris by me, not mrmuffinman). Make something up, find some connection, just put physics in it! ***Warning: lame physics is better than no physics, but still won;t do well
    Bore-fest. As sad as it is there are certain topics that people dont care about, like my independent study. Not that I blame people....

    I think the most important part of making a blog post is to be excited for it!!! Put a little of yourself into the blog posts, just like in English voice is key.
    Well, I hope I have helped make you all better bloggers!!! Ready, Set, Blog!
  18. mathgeek15
    After talking so much about my favorite engineering field, I decided to create a QUIZ to find your perfect field of engineering. A nerdy-version of a personality quiz. WIN.
    By the way, please post your results, I am curious to know how accurate my quiz is.

    1. Other than physics, what is your favorite subject?
    a. Biology
    b. Chemistry
    c. Technology
    d. Math/ Calculus

    2. What do you like to do in your free time?
    a. Logic puzzles
    b. Tinker
    c. Go out with friends
    d. Go for a walk/ do sport things

    3. People would describe you as:
    a. Perfectionist
    b.Caring/ Kind
    c. Innovative
    d. Logical

    4. As a Child you loved:
    a. The loud electronic robots that made shooting noises
    b. Building the marble race tracks (with the plastic pipes)
    c. Playing outdoors
    d. Video Games

    5. During a group lab, you usually:
    a. Set up the lab
    b. Collect the Data
    c. Calculate the necessary numbers
    d. Answer the lab questions

    6. You hate:
    a. Disorganization
    b. Carelessness
    c. Selfish People
    d. Things done incorrectly

    7. Your favorite superhero is:
    a. Spiderman
    b. Batman
    c. Aquaman
    d. Ironman

    8. What is your favorite unit in Physics?
    a. Work, Energy, Power
    b. Electricity and Magnetism
    c. Dynamics
    d. Fluids
    e. Statics (Combination of torque, dynamics, and vectors)

    9. Would you rather be responisble for:
    a. A company
    b. People's lives
    c. Improving the world/ country
    d. The community

    10. Why do you want to go into engineering?
    a. To protect the environment and people
    b. To manage things efficiently
    c. To help people
    d. To advance the world we live in

    Biomedical: 1a/b, 2c, 3b, 4c, 5d, 6b, 7a, 8d, 9b, 10c
    Civil: 1c, 2a, 3a, 4b, 5c, 6d, 7b, 8e, 9b, 10a
    Electrical: 1c, 2b, 3d, 4d, 5a, 6a, 7d, 8b, 9c, 10d
    Environmental: 1a, 2d, 3b, 4c, 5b, 6c, 7c, 8a, 9d, 10a
    Industrial: 1d, 2a, 3c, 4b, 5b, 6a, 7b, 8c, 9a, 10b
    Mechanical (Robotics): 1c, 2b, 3c, 4a, 5a, 6b, 7d, 8a, 9c, 10d
  19. mathgeek15
    Ok so I think it's fair to say that no one wants to read a textbook, especially a physics one. Me personally, the words just kinda go in one ear and out the other. So here's my tip on how to read the textbook: Don't read the textbook.
    A lot of you are probably thinking, "YES! I've been doing that all year!" Well, there's more too it. Mr Fullerton is right when he says the textbook can be very helpful, but the way I "read" the textbook is by doing the problems. Obviously you can't just open the textbook and do all the problems at once on the first day of the unit, but go through them along with the class. It gives the stuff you learn in class something to base it off of.
    Now, I definitely would not go and do every single problem in the book; some of them are unnecessary or just dumb (aka unnecessary). So, since we have a magnetism text coming up, here are the problems I thought were helpful focusing on the stuff we just learned:
    28.1, 28.3, 28.4, 28.6, 28.7, 28.9, 28.12, 28.13, 28.14, 29.4, 30.1
    After doing these problems, I feel a lot better about this unit (not magnetism in general, just this unit). Hope this helps you and good luck on the test!!
  20. mathgeek15
    Ok, I'm going to be honest... I am waiting for my hair to dry before I go to bed, and I have nothing better to do than to do a blog post. This might take a while.
    Well, in the meantime, since this was the last day of real physics c, I decided to say the top ten tings I have learned from taking this course (fyi, they are in no specific order, only in the order they pop into my wet head)

    1. Rotational kinematics/energy/momentum/ everything is without a doubt the coolest subject in the course. Not that I'm biased.
    2. E&M is the most evil thing in the world
    3. Maxwell's Equations are the best thing in the world of E&M and the only reason why I (sort of) understand E&M
    4. Drag Force is definitely the hardest thing you learn in the entire course, and once you finish the course you realize it isn't that hard in the first place
    5. Calculus is your saving grace- if you know calculus, it will make the course 10000000X easier.
    6. Don't underestimate the book. Even when the words don't make sense (they never do), do the sample problems and they will go a long way.
    7. No one is as good at physics as Mr. Muffin Man. Don't bother trying, you will lose. (If I have the screen name wrong let me know and I will fix it)
    8. Walter Lewin makes the best dotted lines. Don't deny it, it's true.
    9.Batman is the coolest way to apply physics.
    10. The right hand rule is unteachable to me. I have had two teachers, several friends, and multiple books attempt to teach it to me, and its no use. It's a lost cause.

    Well, that's my top ten. I hope you guys can learn something from it! ( To all future physics c students: see #3. There is hope.To all future professors: see #10. There is no hope)
  21. mathgeek15
    Next year I will be going to college for civil engineering and I can't wait. One of the people in my physics class is always asking me if I'm going to build an Atlantis. Ever since, I have been interested in the idea of building a floating city on water, called seasteading, which is what Atlantis was before it sank supposedly. Current engineers are looking into the idea, using a similar set up as oil rigs, which are held up on platforms that go down to the bottom. The issue is the cost and the politics of it.

    There are floating bridges in existence, which use multiple air compartments so that in the case of a leak, the bridge will not collapse. However, these bridges are mostly used temporarily because it is not always the most stable or reliable. Thus, this same technology would not be possible. Not to mention that a car is a whole lot lighter than a city.

    So are floating cities a possibility? I don't know, but I want to try. Even if it means taking all the floaties in the world and building a city on top. Think it will float?
  22. mathgeek15
    So senior year has finally come to an end and we all are saying goodbye. So I thought I would discuss the physics of senior year. The year has had so much physics enwrapped in it, in and outside the classroom. We got to use physics in physics c (duh), calculus, and technology for those who take these classes. With a basic understanding of physics, these classes became easier to learn and master.
    Outside the classroom, physics was used by every athlete in the school in some shape or form from lacrosse involving torque, to hockey with rotational motion. But there is so much more. Physics was used every time the students went up and down the stairs, or when we used the computers or cell phones (which of course none of us would ever do). There's when we go to the nurses office and they use the thermometer, or when we do our locker combinations to get our stuff.
    Physics can even be applied to our work effort. the more energy that we used throughout the year, the less potential energy we had to use. Hence, the moment APs were over, almost the entire class stopped working, using at times only the most minimal of effort.
    Finally, there was the excitement factor. Like with electromagnetism, the closer we got to the end of the year, the more energetic we got, buzzing with excitement for graduation.
    On that note, I would like to say good luck to everyone in their future, whether that be in college or high school or whatever it is you do, and to continue with physics and stay nerdy!!!
  23. mathgeek15
    I'M BAACCCKKKKK!!!! As stated in my last entry, though it be several months ago, college wont stop me from blog posting. And with my new found wisdom of college life, I thought I should give some advice to the new prisoners, I mean physics C students.
    The first thing you learn in physics c is vectors, along with the dot and cross product. LEARN, MEMORIZE, MASTER, REPEAT. Not only will they continue to pop up throughout the year in physics, they will continue to pop up in college. I was one of the many that learned and memorized it at the beginning of the year for the first test, then forgot about it the next day. DON'T DO THAT. I am currently taking calculus III and Fullerton's lessons on it are my lifesaver. I am the one explaining the notes to others instead of being extremely confused. Also, Fullerton's method for solving the cross product is very useful, so while it may seem confusing or overly complicated now, it will simplify the more difficult questions in the future.

    Alright, I think that enough of now, I don't want to scare you newbies away already!!!
  24. mathgeek15
    So, I am aware that you guys have been doing E&M for a while, so while this is a little late, it should still help. Now, I know that not everyone likes E&M (just ask Mr. Fullerton how much I liked it ). Well, I too am taking E&M (for the third time), and I have finally cracked the code for success (took me long enough). Now I, the girl who cannot do the right-hand rule (still), is not only understanding E&M, but solving it CORRECTLY.
    How you ask? Well, here are some tips:

    1. Don't read the book. Seriously. People who say they read the book and found it helpful either a) didn't read the book b ) are lying or c) is Mr. Fullerton. Instead, DO THE PRACTICE PROBLEMS. The book has some really good example problems that are similar to the ones you do in class, but different enough for practice, and then you have the step by step answers. Plus, some of the examples are actually the derivations for electric fields, and trust me, it's a good idea to do those again.

    2. Ask questions. Think you understand what you did in class? Think again. Very few people that I know understood E&M perfectly the first time. Mr. Fullerton doesn't bite, so ask him questions. (The worst that he will do is throw you out a window )

    3. Actually do the homework. I mean do the homework on your own, not do the homework with the answer right in front of you so you can glance at it for every step or copy someone else's procedure and plug in your numbers. You may think, Oh, I'm not going to do that. I will only look at the answer key when I need to. I know. I was you. But I stopped doing that because I realized that I was looking at the answers too frequently for it to be MY work. Now I'm not saying don't use the answers. I love answer keys (just ask Mr. Muz). But don't become so dependent on them that you can't solve the problem on your own.

    4. Ask for help. The most important of them all. If you need help, you are not going to learn anything by ignoring it, hoping it goes away. In E&M, your worst nightmares never just "go away". They linger in the background and attack when you least expect it, causing you to have a mini breakdown. I know. I've been there. Two days ago. But then I went to my professors office hours and it turned out I knew more than I thought. Shocker, I know.

    These things have helped me to survive E&M (barely). And if I can survive, so can you.

    PS: Since I am taking E&M this semester, I will post helpful tips, problems, derivations, equation dumps, anything that I think might help you, the new Physics C students, to survive... As long as I have time. I do have my own homework.
  25. mathgeek15

    First Blog...

    By mathgeek15,

    Hey fellow physics people, this is my first blog!!!!

    So I am taking this independent study on statics (nonmoving objects such as buildings and bridges) and my first project is a poster on the truss unit for the Principles of Engineering class. I gotta say, physics B is definitely playing a part in this project like the ups= downs idea for equilibrium. But when I was planning the poster I couldnt remember the most simple things, like finding the moment first in order to find the torque on the different ends of the beams. Thankfully I have all my old notes from Principles of Engineering to guide me in finding the torque of the sides of the triangle/ truss example I created.

    The planning for the poster is all done now and I am currently making the triangle truss on photoshop. You would think that is easy, but with engineering drawings, you have to include the pin and roller, which is a bunch of triangles and circles and photoshop is sooo not being friendly with me.

    I sure hope this is physicsy enough for the extra credit points!!! (:

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