Corbett School District» Mr. Pearson

Notes and Physics stuff by Phil Pearson

Phil Pearson — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:30:44 +0000

We’ve been pushing the pace in Physics. We’re working on collisions now, at least 6 weeks earlier than last year’s Physics C students. Why? We’ve got a lot to do, and this is just the first of 5 topics for the year. As in many AP classes, it’s a push and pull between depth and breadth. Sometimes we push out too far, which can sometimes create frustration. That happened today. At those times, it’s good to ease back and consolidate and work on solidifying things we’re already familiar with. At other times it’s important to push. Soon we’ll need to push into our next big topic, but just for a moment, we’ll pause. This is a tricky business we’re in.

What’s an orbit by Phil Pearson

Phil Pearson — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 22:37:22 +0000

A physics riddle:

When the space shuttle is in orbit, astronauts experience “weightlessness”. But weightlessness implies a lack of gravity, and we know that gravity doesn’t simply disappear in low-earth orbit. So how does this happen? What is “weightlessness” exactly? If gravity ACTUALLY disappeared, then how is it that the moon stays in orbit around the earth?

And here’s one for those interested in environmental science:

Why is it that common spaces like public parks are more often treated poorly as compared to privately-owned spaces. In a classic essay from 1968, Garrett Hardin suggest that leaving litter is the RATIONAL choice in the commons. Those who pick up after themselves actually are being altruistic but actually a bit irrational.

Vectors have both magnitude and direction by Phil Pearson

Phil Pearson — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 23:06:07 +0000

A vector is a special thing in math. It has both size and direction, and both are important. Take velocity for an example. It’s important to know both the magnitude of an object’s velocity and its direction. This is what we’ve started to explore in physics. Here’s a riddle involving vectors: An orange will sit on a counter without rolling, but if the counter is titled, the orange WILL roll. Why? Gravity is the only downward force operating, and it didn’t suddenly change direction. Ask a physics kid if you’re interested.

And speaking of direction, in what direction is biodiversity headed globally? Down, mostly. Coral reefs are suffering the most with over half of all coral species set to disappear in the next 50 years or so. That’s bad in both magnitude and direction. Who cares? Ask your environmental science student about ecosystem services which are valued at over 40 trillion dollars globally.

A school year is a vector, too. It has both a magnitude and a direction. The direction is onward this week, and the rate of progress is increasing. We’re settling in and getting things worked out. Sports teams have gotten started. Clubs are getting organized. The trend is upward and onward.

Week 1 in the books by Phil Pearson

Phil Pearson — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 04:38:23 +0000

The first week of school is often chaotic, especially in the admin office. I confess that I was a bit apprehensive as we got started, especially given the staffing and scheduling changes we were making right up to the last minute. Despite all the changes, though, the first week went off well, even smoothly. Without everyone – staff, students, parents – school would never have gotten off the ground. Well done.

In my own courses, we began right away to dig in. In Environmental Science, we began with a look at the importance of agri-biodiversity using the story of the Irish Potato Famine as our vehicle of investigation. In the 19th century, the Irish became critically dependent on the Lumper Potato as the result of overlapping economic and social forces. When an airborne potato fungus arrived on ships from the new world. the Irish Potato Famine was on. Hundreds of thousands of Irish died or fled the country in search of a better life. In the US, our crop of dependance is corn. Are there important parallels?

In Physics, we began thinking about a common phenomena: acceleration. Think you really understand this concept? Question: How many accelerators do you have in your car? The answer – 3! If that doesn’t make sense, ask your physics student. The really crazy thing about physics is that often, the things we think are simple turn out to be counter-intuitive in the extreme.