Balance is key

Too much of even a good thing (known as "surfeit") can become a liability. The excess of good usually has the best intentions behind it but ultimately results in unexpected consequences that can have negative effects. That's the point of this assignment and the accompanying article.

Read the article (link below) about the need for resilience and how the prevailing parenting style of the last twenty years has affected young American's resilience and preparation for life.
 
You all are on the cusp of the affected age group, but please don't think I'm giving this to you because I think you lack resilience or that your parents have done something wrong! That's not it at all! But, you're making the transition out into the "real" world very soon, and you all will likely be parents one day. It's important to look honestly at the good and the bad of our past societal choices so YOU can make improvements toward finding the essential balance for the next generation.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/Mickey-goodman/are-we-raising-a-generati_b_1249706.html

For the your response, simply write a strong paragraph sharing your thoughts stemming from the article. You don't have to agree or disagree, but reading it should stimulate some thoughts so share them.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

☺ Mr. R

Centri-WHAT?!

We've discussed two new forces recently that aren't actually "new" or "forces." Centrifugal "force" is your perception of inertia/momentum's effect on you when going in a circle -- there's no actual force pushing you outwards.
Centripetal force isn't a "new" force at all, but simply a description of whatever happens to be holding something in its circular motion -- gravity, tension, air pressure, etc.

Riddle me this, what is the cetripetal-type force that allows a car to go around a turn rather than flying off in a straight line? Briefly explain why/how the force acts in a centripetal ("center-seeking") manner.

Hint: What matters most is where the rubber meets the road. 

 

The Power of What Matters

Hi All,

Here's a short "heartwork" assignment. Below is a link to a short video I'd like you all to watch. For your response,  write one or more sentences (whatever you feel motivated to do) about your thoughts/feelings from watching the video. In short, tell me why you think it's powerful.

http://elitedaily.com/news/world/can-learn-lot-middle-school-football-team-video/

Yours,
Mr. R

The Power of Rube!!!

Reuben Goldberg was an American cartoonist who's wild cartoons showed crazy contraptions doing simple tasks. His cartoons have since inspired countless people to challenge their creativity and their understanding of physics in the real-life production of simple yet complex machines. Fun, imagination, and physics are key.

The simple pattern

ENERGY -- FORCE -- ENERGY -- FORCE -- ENERGY -- FORCE -- ENERGY.......

Start by reviewing the week 6 notes online (this is a mandatory part of the assignment).



Watch the OK Go! video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybUFnY7Y8w) and find examples for the following six concepts. BE SPECIFIC and briefly explain why your examples demonstrate the concepts.

Static Friction
Kinetic Friction
Work
Gravitational Potential Energy
Elastic Potential Energy
Kinetic Energy

Phun Physics with Phelines!

Hope you all are cat lovers. I've always been more of a dog person, but there was no video called "Pun Pysics with Puppies." Watch the video (at right). Partway through there is the "Joke of the Day." For your response, explain why it's funny! Okay, it's only borderline funny, but still...tell us why it's funny and explain (IN THOROUGH DETAIL) the physics at the heart of the joke. You all did a fantastic job with your responses on the latest blog posts -- keep up the great work!

:) Mr. R

Quick observation of friction...

Well, whatchyu got?!

It's All About ME!!

Unfortunately, the title is a little too true when it comes to our instinctive frame of reference as human beings. We're always "Zero the Hero," which is to say...whatever you're doing is your normal -- it's your Zero. Everything else happens relative to that.

Being that the concept of relative motion and frame of reference is counterintuitive to what our eyes see, here's another example: a skydive....

Watch the video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz8lbjxLwlo). From the camerman's P.O.V., the parachuter goes upwards when he deploys his 'chute. Truth is, they DON'T go up! Why does it look that way to the cameraman and what would someone on the ground (external p.o.v.) see of both skydivers?