Lesson Plans for Physics

4.8.1  - Final Exam: Pinhole Cameras

May 31, 2016, 2016
Today we will be taking pictures with our Pinhole camera. You will need to determine your shutter speed and distance from your object to completely fill your photo paper.

4.7.2 Pinhole Camera

May 25, 2016, 2016
​Today we will be creating our Pinhole cameras and discussion basic optics terminology as it relates to the Pinhole camera.

4.7.1  - Introduction to Optics

May 23, 2016, 2016
Today we will experience how rays of light ...

  • reflect off the surface of mirrors
  • travel through a converging lens

4.6.1  - Tuning Forks

May 17, 2016, 2016
Today we will analyze the data collected from measuring the sound waves of several different tuning forks.

4.5.2  - Sound Waves

May 13, 2016
Today we will analyze data for sounds traveling in waves.

4.5.1 - Harmonic Period and Frequency Lab

May 11, 2016
Today we will analyze our data from our oscillating spring-mass system.

4.4.2 - Harmonic Period and Frequency Lab

May 9, 2016
Today we will create a graph using calculations as well as data collection systems in harmonic motion.

4.4.1 - Harmonic Period and Frequency

April 27, 2016
Today we will learn the concepts of period and frequency and how to read them off a graph and how to calculate them for systems in harmonic motion.

4.2.3 - Simple Harmonic Motion

April 25, 2016Today will predict which properties determine the motion of a simple harmonic oscillator and what the dependence of the motion is on those properties.

4.2.1 Physics of Roller Coasters

April 18/19, 2016
Today will explore the physics exploited by engineers in designing today's roller coasters, including potential and kinetic energy, friction and gravity.​

4.1.1 Amusement Park Physics

April 12/13, 2016
​Today we will learn how to measure heights of rides and  familiarize ourselves with the rides at Six Flags® Great America and decide which areas of physics are involved.

3.5.1 Conservation of Momentum

March 3/4, 2016
Today we will explore conservation of momentum in a closed system.

3.4.1 Impulse

February 23/24, 2016
Today we will describe the effects of impulses in every day life.

3.3.3 Momentum and Force continued

February 19/22, 2016
​Today we will investigate the relationship between momentum and force.

3.3.2 Linear Momentum and Force

February 17/18, 2016
​Today we will investigate the relationship between momentum and force.

3.3.1 Power, Work and Energy

February 15/16, 2016
Today we will investigate how an object must be displaced for a force on it to do work.

3.2.1 Mechanical Energy Lab Write Up

February 9/10, 2016
Today we will support the claim that energy can not be gained or lost, but only transformed throughout the system.

3.1.3 Conservation of Energy

February 5/8, 2016
Today we will learn how to support the claim that energy can not be gained or lost, but only transformed throughout the system.

3.1.2 Mechanical Energy continued

February 3/4, 2016
Today we will continue from the previous lesson.

3.1.1 Mechanical Energy

February 1/2, 2016
Today we will learn how:
  • to measure both gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy.

2.9.3 Gravitational Potential Energy

January 15/19, 2016
Today we will learn how:
  • explore gravitational potential energy in terms of work done against gravity.
  • demonstrate that the gravitational potential energy of an object of mass m at height h on Earth is given by PE = mgh.

2.9.2 Work and Energy

January 13/14, 2016
Today we will learn how:
  • an object must be displaced for a force on it to do work
  • work as a transfer of energy and net work as the work done by the net force.

2.9.1 Conservation of Energy

January 8/11, 2016
Today Dr. Hafemann will be discussing the concepts of Energy to our class.

2.7.2 Centripetal Force Lab

December 17/18, 2015
​Today we will investigate the force necessary to keep an object moving in a constant circular path.

2.7.1 Force and Acceleration in Circular Motion

December 15/16, 2015
Today we will 
  • review the expectation of the AP Physics Newton’s 2nd Law Lab
  • set up for our upcoming lab on Centripetal Force and Acceleration

2.6.2 Centripetal Force on a Turntable

December 10/14, 2015
Today we will 
  • measure centripetal acceleration on a turntable
  • determine the relationship between centripetal acceleration, radius, and angular velocity.

2.6.1 Uniform Circular Motion

December 8/9, 2015
​Today we will discover the variables of centripetal force, and be able to solve centripetal force and acceleration problems.

2.5.1 Newton's Third Law

November 30 / December 1, 2015
Today we will complete a project to demonstrate mastery of Newton's Three Laws of Motion.

2.3.1 AP Physics Runs Newton's Second Law

November 17/18, 2015
Today AP Physics will demonstrate Newton’s Law and introduce their labs that they have created.

2.2.2 Newton on a Bike - Lab Report

November 13/16, 2015
Today we will demonstrate Newton’s Law by analyzing the data collected from our bike ride.

2.2.1 Newton on a Bike - Regression Equations

November 10/11, 2015
Today we will create trendlines for our data to calculate the acceleration for each of our trials.

2.1.2 Newton on a Bike

November 4, 2015
Today we will investigate how the acceleration of an object depends upon the Net Force and mass of the object.

2.1.1 Mass vs. Weight

November 2, 2015
​Today we will discuss the difference between mass and weight.

1.9.1 Free-Body Diagrams

October 26, 2015
Today we will use free-body diagrams to represent the forces exerted on an object.

1.8.2 Newton's First Law of Motion

October 22, 2015
Today we will investigate the law of inertia.

1.8.1 Projectile Motion of a Paper Rocket

October 20, 2015
Today we will investigate what angle of trajectory is needed that results an object traveling the greatest distance.

1.6.1 Displacement, Velocity & Acceleration

October 5/6, 2015
Today we will continue to describe motion and investigate the equations that describe displacement, velocity and acceleration.

1.7.2 Vector Practice

October 19, 2015
Today we will review velocity, acceleration and vector problems.

1.5.2 Displacement, Velocity & Acceleration

October 2/3, 2015
Today we will describe motion and investigate the equations that describe displacement, velocity and acceleration.

1.5.1 Acceleration due to Gravity continued

September 29/30, 2015
​Today we will ​discuss and begin to prepare our lab presentations.

1.4.1 Acceleration due to Gravity

September 24/28, 2015
​Today we will begin investigation acceleration due to gravity.