Newton's Laws, my journey

Sir Isaac Newton is most famous for discovering gravity and his three laws of motion.  Most recently, my Physics class has been learning about Sir Isaac Newton's laws, and learning about how they work.  Newton's First Law describes an object at rest tends to stay at rest, and object in motion tends to stay in motion, unless acted upon.  Both of these scenarios describe equilibrium.  Newton's second law is describes acceleration, or an object that is not in equilibrium.  Acceleration is caused by the amount of force that is exerted on an object, and the more mass an object has, the force is needed to move it.  Finally, Newton's third law states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction.  For example, when a cat traps a mouse's tail on the floor, the floor exerts an equal and opposite force on the cats paw.

I have found that second law problems are the most difficult because they involve acceleration.  First Law problems are easier because they are in equilibrium and they variables on the axis equal zero and Third Law problems are also simple, because there is little math involved and the answer is in the problem.  Second Law problems are much more challenging because of the amount of work needed to complete them.

Throughout the course of the year, I have noticed that I learn things at a slower pace than my teacher teaches it.  Mrs. Gende goes boom, boom, boom ready, next thing.  I thought that I was just horrible at Physics until I got an A on my exam when I was getting low Bs on my test.  I realized that I really need to motivate myself to get better grades in Physics if I am going to be successful in High School.

Vector Review

A new concept that we learned in Honor's Physics was vectors.  I learned that vectors have magnitude and direction, and that vectors can be combined to find their resultant.  I also learned that the process of solving a vector uses trigonometry, a skill we learned earlier.  I found that adding the vectors correctly to solve for the resultant and the tangent was the most difficult part of solving vectors.  I did well in solving for the resultants and components of the vectors, but I ran into trouble when there were multiple vectors.  Vectors can be connected to everyday life by traveling 30 miles East, and then 40 North and knowing that you displaced yourself 50 miles.

Projectile motion is the newest concept that we have discussed in Physics.  I learned that the horizontal velocity of an object in the air does not change throughout the course of its flight.  I also learned that an object in the air has two different velocities.  I found that solving for the distances and ranges of that projectile in flight gave me much difficulty.  I had much success with these problems when it gave me more than the initial velocity and the angle, and I struggled when they did.  Projectile motion is seen every day in an sports game that has to do with hitting, kicking, or throwing an object.

The Story of Acceleration

One of the most common aspect of our lives is acceleration.  As velocity increases, there is acceleration.  In my Pixton, two robbers have a problem because they are being chased and they cannot get caught.  They accelerate away from the police and they become millionares.

How to be Successful in Physics

There are five different steps to how I will be SUCCESSFUL in Physics:

1. I am going to come prepared with my two spirals, planner, pencils, and a ruler.  I will also come to class with my homework fully completed before class, and with it prepared to turn in.
2. I will go to the Wiki if I need any help, and I will also go to some of the many links when I need extra practice.
3. I will check the website for any changes in the assignments. I will also stay up to date with all of my assignments and Labs, and I will turn them in on time.  After anytime that I am late, I will go to my, amazing, teacher for the assignment from the day that I was absent.
4. I will learn all of the terms and vocabulary so that I can use them properly in class.  I will also use the Four Step Plan to solve all of my problems by; Recording my Data, Forming an Equation, Using Substitutions, and Checking to make sure that my process is correct.
5. The main thing that will help is being extremely organized with my papers and graphs.  I must want to learn more and ask questions so that I can answer every question easily, and that I will be the "go-to" person for Physic's help.  When I need help, I will turn to my teacher, my fellow students, and the Wiki.

These are set guidelines for me, and my fellow students.  Everyone must follow these rules if they want to be a success in Honors Physics.

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