Well, I am disappointed. Somehow I managed to delete a video file of me presenting the concept of kinetic and potential energy (and their relation to mechanical energy) to the S section. It was 13 minutes of amazing teaching, but now it is deleted and no longer exists. I can only guess that somehow I failed to save it, but I don't know.
We continue to study energy--today I talked about Einstein's theory of relativity with the O section. Here is a video clip on time dilation:
Here is a link to a fun interactive twin paradox activity. Very mind boggling, but proven true (mostly).
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/einstein/hotsciencetwin/
February 28, 2008
February 26, 2008
Day 112 - 113
Well, now we start to learn about Energy. Our first lesson is all about potential and kinetic energy. I used a mousetrap today to help distinguish between the two. Potential energy is stored energy, ie when the moustrap is set, the energy is in the spring. Kinetic energy is moving energy. So, then the mousetrap is sprung, there is the moving mass or KE.
We also watched a short video on my childhood hero, Evil Knievel. Why he was my hero is a mystery to me--how can you be so reckless? But we looked at some of his jumps and saw that the had the most KE on the ramp before he left and the greatest GPE (gravitational potential energy) in the middle of his jump when he was the highest.
The L and O section had this lesson today, the S and W sections will have it tomorrow. They both just completed the step lab on power. Each student finds their weight in Newtons (not pounds), and uses that to see how much power they can generate. Right now Reed and Alyssa in the S section are leading. I got 163 watts today, which is ok. The faster you step the better (power is how fast the energy is delivered). I looked up trivia on Lance Armstrong--he average 223 watts in his last Tour de France win. Astounding. Ask your son or daughter to show you how we did the actual measurements and calculations--you could do this at home pretty easily. Power does not come cheap.
Sweet justice!
We also watched a short video on my childhood hero, Evil Knievel. Why he was my hero is a mystery to me--how can you be so reckless? But we looked at some of his jumps and saw that the had the most KE on the ramp before he left and the greatest GPE (gravitational potential energy) in the middle of his jump when he was the highest.
The L and O section had this lesson today, the S and W sections will have it tomorrow. They both just completed the step lab on power. Each student finds their weight in Newtons (not pounds), and uses that to see how much power they can generate. Right now Reed and Alyssa in the S section are leading. I got 163 watts today, which is ok. The faster you step the better (power is how fast the energy is delivered). I looked up trivia on Lance Armstrong--he average 223 watts in his last Tour de France win. Astounding. Ask your son or daughter to show you how we did the actual measurements and calculations--you could do this at home pretty easily. Power does not come cheap.
Sweet justice!
February 24, 2008
Day 110-111
My mind is slipping as I get older . . . and I am forgetting to post right away when I get home. My bad.
The last two days, before our snow day on Friday, were spent getting ready for the simple machines/work test. The last day was a day of review--we ate apples, using a compound apple peeler/corer/slicer that Mrs. Nolan gave me last year. I let Scottie Pippen choose the students who got to eat the apples. The device has levers, screws, inclined planes, wedges, a wheel and axle, but no pulley. I guess you can't have them all!
Then we watched a fun video from Japan showcasing a complicated Rube Goldberg way to make ramen noodles. We enjoyed it very much in class--I hope you can enjoy it at home as well!
The test is Monday, and then on to energy! Sweet justice.
The last two days, before our snow day on Friday, were spent getting ready for the simple machines/work test. The last day was a day of review--we ate apples, using a compound apple peeler/corer/slicer that Mrs. Nolan gave me last year. I let Scottie Pippen choose the students who got to eat the apples. The device has levers, screws, inclined planes, wedges, a wheel and axle, but no pulley. I guess you can't have them all!
Then we watched a fun video from Japan showcasing a complicated Rube Goldberg way to make ramen noodles. We enjoyed it very much in class--I hope you can enjoy it at home as well!
The test is Monday, and then on to energy! Sweet justice.
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