My Bad

Oh dear - I certainly am behind on updates, eh? Please use the labels or search box to search for past years' notes until I can find the time to get this up to date.

Acceleration

Don't forget to turn in yesterday's homework: Ranking Tasks: Velocity I and Relativity.
Tonight's homework: Ranking Tasks: Velocity II and Acceleration II.

Velocity and Relativity

Don't forget to turn in last night's homework, Kinematics I.
Tonight's homework: Ranking Tasks: Velocity I and Relativity.

Position and Speed

Homework tonight: Kinematics I

Energy Levels and Light

Lens Ray Diagrams II

Today we finished up the notes for lens ray diagrams and started working on your homework, Concept-Development 30-2.

Ray Diagrams

Today we learned how to draw a ray diagram. Here are some notes from last year:

Ray Diagrams I
Ray Diagrams II

No new homework tonight.

Lenses

Today we are working with some things that use refraction: lenses. First, the bellwork:



We then used our light sources and some lenses to find out what each kind of lens does to light. I'll get a picture of our final notes later, but for now, just know that convex lenses converge light and concave lenses diverge light.

The rest of the period we spent working on Concept-Development 29-3, which is due today. No new homework tonight for regular classes. Honors Homework: Snell's Law was assigned for honors students.

Total Internal Reflection

First we did some bellwork to help you on this weekend's homework:


Then we talked briefly about total internal reflection and demonstrated it with a tank of water and a laser. Here are some notes:

Total Internal Reflection

Homework tonight, due Monday: Concept Development 29-3
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Honors students: Here is a reading to look over this weekend. I'll have homework on this subject for you next week.

Refraction

The bellwork and notes kind of merged today. In between, we went outside and pretended to be a light ray to show how refraction happens.

Here are some old notes from a couple of years ago:
Refraction

Honors students: your homework is Concept-Development 29-4, due on Monday
.

Curved Mirrors Continued

First some bellwork to review yesterday:



Then we used some small convex and concave mirrors to find out what they did to your image:


Due tomorrow: HW: Curved Mirrors. There is a regular version and an honors version, so make sure you get the right one!

Curved Mirrors

First some bellwork:


Then we used our light sources and mirrors to discover what curved mirrors do with parallel light:


No homework tonight, but don't forget to turn in Concept-Development 29-2

Line of Sight

First we went over some bellwork, which involved a trick to tell who can see whom in a mirror:

We then worked on Concept-Development 29-2, which is due tomorrow. Please turn in Concept-Development 29-1 by the end of the day.

Here are some notes on the trick:
Reflected line of sight (sorry about the blurriness)

Law of Reflection

Starting off with bellwork:

Then we completed the lab that we set up yesterday:

And here are some notes from a couple of years ago:
Reflections
Line of Sight
Homework: Concept-Development 29-1, due Monday.

Reflection

Starting off our reflection/refraction unit with some basics.

Unit II: Light Study Guide

Today we worked on the Unit II Study Guide (click here for honors version) and counted our bellwork stamps. Don't forget to make your 15 square inches of cheat sheet for the test tomorrow!

Shadows and Eclipses

Today we spoke briefly about shadows and eclipses, then started on the study guide for the Unit II Test (next Wednesday!).

Unit II Study Guide
Honors Unit II Study Guide

Here are some old notes about shadows and eclipses. We did NOT go into this much detail in class.
Shadows
Eclipses

Colors

Today we talked a bit about colors before finshing yesterday's practice worksheet, Light III, which is due at the end of the day.

Bellwork:
1. What are the primary colors of light?
A: red, blue, and green.

2. Is "black" a color of light?
A: No; it is the absence of all colors.

3. Is "white" a color of light?
A: Not really; it is the combination of all colors, not a color in and of itself.

Light Practice

Today we reviewed a bit on Bellwork and then worked on a practice worksheet:

Light III
Light III back:

Speed of Light

Today we learned that the speed of light in a vacuum is c = 300,000,000 m/s. There is nothing faster. Sound in air is only about 340 m/s - about a million times slower!

We also attempted to calculate the speed of light in air using a microwave oven and some candy bars. Just remember that speed of a wave = wavelength x frequency.

Don't forget to turn in last night's homework: Light I.

Tonight's homework, due tomorrow: Light II for regular classes, Honors Light II for the honors section and anyone else taking the honors supplement.

Polarization of Light

Here are some notes from a couple of years ago. We took some notes today, but I didn't get a picture of them. Bellwork to follow.

Homework, due tomorrow: Light I
Due today: EM Spectrum Mini-Poster

Electromagnetic Spectrum

Bellwork:

Notes that some classes started yesterday but we all finished today:

Homework, due Monday: a mini-poster of the EM Spectrum.

Light

Due to the assembly, some classes got no farther than the bellwork, below. Some took more notes, which we will finish tomorrow. no homework tonight.

Unit I Test: Waves and Sound

Test today! If you miss this test, you must make it up after school by the end of the week.

Unit I Review: Waves and Sound

Today you are working on the study guide for the test tomorrow. First period, you receive it today. All others received it yesterday. Remember that you are allowed to make a cheat sheet of no more than 15 square inches (3"x5" note card) to use on the test.

Doppler Effect

Today we demonstrated and learned about the Doppler Effect. This will not show up on this unit's test, but it will show up on next unit's test. No homework tonight, but Waves II is due today.

Beats and Pitch

I hope you were here, because I don't have a way to reproduce this demonstration.

Homework: Waves II

Sound