Mechanics

Last updated on: 01/08/2012

Mechanics

since 7/11/09

Unit Objectives
Unit Activities
Key Terms (Vocab)
Unit Notes
Equations
Helpful Links

~~Topic 2 Outline (syllabus statements)~~

Unit Objectives: This is a summary of the syllabus statements that are detailed on the topic outline.

	Understand the fundamentals of kinematics: distance vs. displacement, speed vs. velocity, acceleration
	Know when and how to use the fundamental kinematic equations of motion
	Understand and apply the concepts of scalars, vectors, and vector addition
	Be able to create and analyze various graphical representations of linear motion
	Explain the difference between weight and mass; know when to use each quantity
	Understand and apply Newton's three laws of motion, including knowing the difference between balanced forces and action/reaction forces
	Understand and use the vector characteristics of forces when analyzing systems of forces that may or may not be in equilibrium
	Understand the concepts of impulse, linear momentum, and the conservation of momentum
	Know and use the concepts of kinetic energy, gravitational potential energy, and the conservation of energy
	Explain the different forms of energy (not just mechanical!) and explain how energy transformations can occur
	Understand and apply the concepts of work and power
	Analyze situations where an object is in uniform circular motion

Units of Study:

Topic 1: Physics and physical measurement

Topic 2: Mechanics

Topic 3: Thermal Physics

Topic 4: Oscillations and Waves

Topic 5: Electric currents

Topic 6: Fields and forces

Topic 7: Atomic and nuclear physics

Topic 8: Energy, power and climate change

Unit Activities

	Graph matching with motion detectors
	Ticker-timer analysis
	Uniform Accelerated Motion
	Free-fall acceleration

Key Terms

	Vector quantity
	Scalar quantity
	Distance
	Displacement
	average speed
	average velocity
	instantaneous velocity
	acceleration
	uniform motion
	uniform accelerated motion
	gradient
	integral
	relative velocity
	g
	free-fall
	acceleration due to gravity
	mass
	weight
	force
	contact force
	at-a-distance force
	tension
	friction
	resultant force (net force)
	inertia
	balanced forces
	translational equilibrium
	static equilibrium
	dynamic equilibrium

...

	Newton's first law of motion
	Newton's second law of motion
	Newton's third law of motion
	action/reaction force pair
	Linear momentum
	impulse
	impulse-momentum theorem
	conservation of linear momentum
	work
	energy
	kinetic energy
	gravitational potential energy
	conservation of energy
	mechanical energy
	radiant energy
	electrical energy
	nuclear energy
	chemical energy
	thermal energy
	elastic collision
	inelastic collision
	explosion
	power
	efficiency
	uniform circular motion
	centripetal force
	centripetal acceleration

Unit Equations--Note: the following equations are using variables as seen in the IB data booklet.

The equations used in class will either be exactly like these, or the variables will match your textbook.

Variable reference:

Variable Name	IB Data booklet	Wilson/Buffa Textbook
position		x
Displacement	s	Dx
distance		d
speed		s
initial velocity	u	v₀
final velocity	v	v
acceleration	a	a
time	t	t
radius	r	r, (sometimes d)

Unit Notes

	Introduction to mechanics (pdf)
	vectors (pdf)--note: first slide has last year's assignment for syllabus statements. Your syll. statements are due Monday, and only 1.3.1-1.3.3
	Handout: graph patterns--linearizing tips
	Uniform accelerated motion (ticker tape and photogate tips)
	Kinematic Equations
	Free-fall lab: Graphs and results (.docx) Data (.xlsx)

Mini lab: Riding in an Elevator (.pptx)

Notes: Linear momentum and Impulse (.pdf)

(additional resource: Linear Momentum notes from last year)(just a little hard to read some of it...the font is really light and was hard to change. sorry!)

Week 7

Monday	10/10/11
Tuesday	10/11/11	Notes and practice problems: vectors and vector diagrams
Wednesday	10/12/11	PSAT--special schedule, no classes periods 3 and 5
Thursday	10/13/11	notes and practice problem: Vector component addition process
Friday	10/14/11	Lab: Displacement between classroom and office--vector addition activity HW: due Tuesday--WebAssign Vector assignment HW: Due Tuesday--Syll. Statements 1.3.1-1.3.3

Week 8

Monday	10/17/11	finish collecting measurements for displacement lab; last half of period work on lab and practice problems HW: Lab due on Wednesday (vector diagram, table of vector components, thorough work shown for vector addition process, final answer of displacement including a direction)
Tuesday	10/18/11	Practice problems on Vectors; Notes: velocity and speed (average vs. instantaneous) HW: webassign Velocity assignment due Friday
Wednesday	10/19/11	pre-lab: relative velocity
Thursday	10/20/11	Quiz: vectors and vector addition begin work on mini-lab
Friday	10/21/11	mini-lab: Relative Velocity--due Monday HW: WebAssign: Speed and Velocity--due Tuesday 7:25 AM

Week 9

Monday	10/24/11	Topic = Relative velocity Discuss mini-lab observations Ranking Task Exercises (RTE) on whiteboards HW: finish WA, due tomorrow morning before school.
Tuesday	10/25/11	pre-lab: spinners and tracks Note--Ms. Fowler was only here for 2 periods...5th period watched a Mythbuster's video
Wednesday	10/26/11	Video: "Law of Falling Bodies"--uniform accelerated motion equations
Thursday	10/27/11	Lab: Spinners--the effect of total time of travel on the position of the wheel
Friday	10/28/11	virtual lab: Skee-Ball...a study in velocity and accelerated motion

Week 10

Monday	10/31/11
Tuesday	11/1/11
Wednesday	11/2/11
Thursday	11/3/11
Friday	11/4/11

Week 11

Monday	11/7/11	Pre-lab and lab: Uniform Accelerated motion--photogates
Tuesday	11/8/11	work on lab--DCP due next Monday
Wednesday	11/9/11	notes: kinematic equations
Thursday	11/10/11	practice problem and finish notes: kinematic equations short video: skydiving--free fall and effects of air resistance
Friday	11/11/11	Veteran's Day--no school

Week 12

Monday	11/14/11	mini-lab: free-fall acceleration of a marble HW: rough-draft conclusion of results discuss: free-fall intro practice problems: kinematic equations
Tuesday	11/15/11	go over requirements for conclusions; discuss results of free-fall lab practice problems: kinematic equations
Wednesday	11/16/11	Quiz: kinematic equations
Thursday	11/17/11
Friday	11/18/11

Week 13

Monday	11/21/11
Tuesday	11/22/11
Wednesday	11/23/11
Thursday
Friday

Week 14

Monday	11/28/11
Tuesday	11/29/11
Wednesday	11/30/11
Thursday	12/1/11
Friday	12/2/11

Week 15

Monday	12/5/11	RTE warm-up; 2nd law application; mini-lab: riding an elevator; practice problems HW: Design lab: design an experiment to test how some factor of your choice will affect the effects of the force of air resistance on a falling object. ~~due Thursday, please submit to turnitin.com (see Ms. Fowler if you don't remember your class code/password)
Tuesday	12/6/11	Other applications of 2nd law; Momentum
Wednesday	12/7/11	Quiz: Newton's 2nd law
Thursday	12/8/11
Friday	12/9/11

Week 16

Monday	12/12/11	Notes: Momentum video demos: momentum; impulse
Tuesday	12/13/11	Notes: Impulse; force-time graphs
Wednesday	12/14/11	Warm-up/review/practice: determining impulse, forces, change in velocity, etc. using a force-time graph Answer key for 12/14 homework (p215+) 2) 75 kg 10) 3.5 m/s 13) 6510.4 N 18) a. 2.09 Ns b. 24.00 N upward 27) the average force decreased from 1.110^3 N to 470 N 28) a. 76.5 N*s b.546.4 N c. 31.5 m/s
Thursday	12/15/11
Friday	12/16/11	Have a great break!! See you next year!

Week 17

Monday
Tuesday	1/3/12	Newton's 3rd law of motion
Wednesday	1/4/12	conservation of momentum
Thursday	1/5/12	lab: collisions (posted on my Connect site)
Friday	1/6/12	conservation of momentum

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday