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lshads

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  1. lshads

    The Perfect Fifth

    By lshads,

    For those of you who don't have any musical knowledge, the perfect fifth is the best sounding sound interval to the common ear. It is the key ingredient in structuring chords based around the root. With a 3:2 ratio, it creates a nice and pleasing sound to the ear. The most common example of a perfect fifth is a C to a G. Kepler himself, founder of the planetary laws, researched the beat frequencies of the error bound for an imperfect fifth tuning. Just a slight slip-up in tuning can create an unpleasing sound for the human ear. Posted below is a link to the wikepedia page where you can learn more about this interval and also listen to it.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_fifth#The_pitch_ratio_of_a_fifth
  2. lshads
    From a very young age, my dream was to become a scientist. I didn't know that I wanted to discover the god particle or find a cure for cancer or synthesize a new element. I had no idea how broad the term "scientist" was and how many denominations it had, either. The only thing I knew is that it would be pretty awesome to be the guy who mixed two chemicals in a beaker and watch it explode, just like in the cartoons.

    As soon as school became more serious than learning how to write, I already prioritized my focus on the basic math and science we were taught. This process stuck with me throughout Dake and so far in high school. I cherished every lab, where I could explore the topics through hands- on learning.

    Physics jumped out on me. It was love at first test. I loved every single concept of physics. They were all interesting, informative, and I breezed through the tests (at least in B, anyways). My teachers were both understanding and dedicated to teaching with passion and interest. It is because of these two classes that I have my major set wherever I go to college. I have only my two physics class to thank for showing me my own passion.
  3. lshads
    Brace yourselves, pull up your britches, and put your thinking caps on, ladies and gentlemen, because here comes Induction! Last year, induction was one of the most difficult concepts to grasp. And as a result, we suffered a significant loss in points on our tests! Thankfully, this unit will not be independent like the last one, because I fear that with the addition of the tweaks and calculus incorporation, I am anticipating that I will need a copious amount of time spent staring at equations until they make sense!


  4. lshads
    1.) Gauss's Law/Ampere's Law - the AP writers love to give problems that ask to find the electric field or the magnetic field about an enclosed current or charge. Knowing how to use these equations will pick you up valueable points in the free response.

    2.)Right Hand Rules- if you cannot use the right hand rules correctly, you might as well throw away a couple questions on the test and hurt your chances at a 5 on the AP test.

    3.) Kinematics equations with angular translation- I can't even tell you how many times knowing these will get you out of a sticky situation in the mechanics section of the test.
  5. lshads
    Theoretical physicists develop "mathematical models that both agree with existing experiments and successfully predict future results", while experimentalists devise and perform experiments to test theoretical predictions and explore new phenomena. Although theory and experiment are developed separately, they are strongly dependent upon each other. Progress in physics frequently comes about when experimentalists make a discovery that existing theories cannot explain, or when new theories generate experimentally testable predictions, which inspire new experiments."

    Given this information, it is tough to decide which end of physics would fit me better. I would probably take more of a theoretical view on this, because I like proving theories true through logical proofs. Which one would you be?
  6. lshads

    Standard Deviation

    By lshads,

    While we use percent error to dictate how far we off in class, there are far more efficient ways of defining the error of the set. Standard deviation, for example, given a value, will give rise to numbers that fall within one S.D., two S.D. and so on.

    "One can find the standard deviation of an entire population in cases (such as standardized testing) where every member of a population is sampled. In cases where that cannot be done, the standard deviation σ is estimated by examining a random sample taken from the population. An estimator for σ used when sample size is very large is the standard deviation of the sample, denoted by sN and defined as follows:"



    This method is effective for creating intervals for which certain points would have to lie within and give us the ability to decide on percent error for an entire group of values. The closer the value of S.D. approaches 0, the less the error percent is.
  7. lshads

    Quarter 3

    By lshads,

    This quarter was a roller coaster. With my grade in the tank at the beginning after one bad test, I have been climbing very slowly ever since. I enjoy the fact that we are actually having more independent units this quarter. The very first one was very effective, and although we took for granted the class time in these units, our grades showed significant prowess from these tests. I am both excited to buckle down and commence prep for the exams soon, but I am afraid of this new induction unit! I think I could do a lot better to stay on top of things in class. I can't wait to push forward through Physics C into the 4th quarter! Let's see how many more tricks Mr. Fullerton has up his sleeve!
  8. lshads

    The AP Exams

    By lshads,

    As late as it might be, I'd just like to take a bit to reflect on the ap exams. We worked our butts off to try and achieve the highest possible. I bough review books, took old practice exams, and worked out all part 2 problems from recent years. Needless to say, i was completely prepared by may to take that test. And yet, I still walked into that exam and came out a little uneasy. The mechanics exam was relatively straightfo​rward, with just one part two that gave me grief. However, mr. Fullerton put it best: "electrici​ty and magnetism was a bear". I hope I'm not the only one feeling this way.
  9. lshads

    Physics on Youtube

    By lshads,

    For those of you who don't know, there are many cool physics channels on YouTube for those of you who want to explore subjects outside class curriculum​. My favorite is Minutephys​ics, which covers small snippets of informatio​n at a time.



    
    
  10. lshads
    I am constantly stunned when I listen to a new guitarist make sweet music, and yet I am also always amazed by the music that bands such as Led Zeppelin made previously. So how do all of these bands make sound that is pleasing to our ears? Well, physics takes its part in melody making! Although we didn't cover it this year, sound waves were one of my favorite unit of physics (probably because I got to bring my guitar in last year to demonstrate harmonics). Guitars can be tuned so that there is a frequency differential between the strings. Some intervals of frequency, such as perfect fourths and fifths, are pleasing to the human ear, while others are very dissident. Also, the 12th fret on a guitar has special qualities; being a complete perfect octave above the open string, it is the first harmonic, and therefore can be played with a very interesting noise. Go Physics!!!!



  11. lshads

    Kerbal Space Program

    By lshads,

    Allow me to give my first impressions on Kerbal Space Program. It seems pretty confusing as a software, just because it is unfamiliar. After my first flight had an interesting crash straight into the ground, I am very impressed by the physics engine. Taking the fact that we are flying 3-foot tall Kerbins into planets that are pretty colors into consideration, the Physics engine and cost system makes the game surprisingly realistic. I am excited to work with my team, Charlie and Devon, on winning this contest. Unfortunatley, we are in a setup that does not seem favorable to me. Although we start with the most cash, we inevitably suffer more penalties as will build larger spaceships due to a 10% additional tax. Still, I can't wait to actually learn how to play!
  12. lshads
    Volleyball is an interesting sport. It's very fun to play with friends with no serious competition, but once it's played for real, it is a difficult sport to master. You'd think it would be physically impossible to hit a sphere with two cylinders. Our studies of momentum have indicated that the collision would bounce off at irregular angles. Since it is easy to make passing unpredictable, I do my best to flatten my wrists by rotating them. Creating a flat platform, I am able to successfully pass the ball straight (or at least to where i want it to go) more often. I'm still going to shank the ball every once in a while, but I increase the favorablility of my pass.
  14. lshads

    RIT Physics Program

    By lshads,

    I am excited to start my college physics programs next year. Since I have collected so many credits (Thank you Mr. Fullerton and Mr. Powlin!), I will not need to take the first two courses of Physics at RIT. Therefore, I will be taking a physics exploration class the first year. This will allow me to look at all different kinds of physics, even units we never covered in high school. I am very enthusiastic about the quantum level of physics, and I enjoyed the modern unit in B, so I think i will be able to find alot of enjoyment out of the class. I think it will also help me begin to decide the type of physics I will be taking. Also, I have enrolled into Electrical Engineering to have more job opportunities coming out of college. Overall, as this year comes to a close, I can't wait to see what college has to offer me!
  15. lshads
    Now that I finally understand how to control the Kerbins, it's just about time to stop! I am always excited to got to phyics now so that I can take my crack at doing a new mission at Kerbal Space Program. Our missions have gotten increasingly competitive lately, since recently charlie and I were able to orbit
    Duna, and another group was actually able to land, dock, and return home from Duna! I am amazed by the scope of this program, as there seems to be a new twist, turn, and addition to the playing. I love this game so much that I might just buy it myself for my home computer! I really enjoyed the learning experience it gave me to be able to learn so much more about the thrust required to escape, create and monitor different orbits in order to make precise manuvers. Theres no pressure quite like trying to make the right efficient burn in order to exit orbit of Kerbin and try and create an encounter with Duna or Eve.

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