Real World Physics: From Amusement Parks to Race Cars

Tentative Schedule

Week 1 : 22/24 Aug

Syllabus, class schedule

Begin accelerometers (handout)
Estimation, size of pace
Triangulation, height of flagpole

Week 2: 29/31 Aug

Hand out first paper assignment
Talk about plagiarism -- worksheet

Finish and test accelerometers
Sensations - feeling lighter/heavier

Intro to motion physics, vocabulary

Motion lab

Week 3: 5/7 Sept

Science/media topics due
Lecture on position, velocity, acceleration
use graphs from HA ch 6
Linear speed, angular speed,
circular motion, forces

 Bowling ball experiments

Week 4: 12/14 Sept

Science/media articles due
Hand out paper 1 rubric, discuss

Library visit

Lecture on forces, linear and circular

Work on amusement park results

Week 5: 19/21 Sept

Roller coaster design web site
Conservation of energy web sites
Roller coaster experiment

Science & Media paper due

writing workshop

Week 6: 26/28 Sept

Due: detailed outline of ch 17

conservation of energy
Human Adventure ch 17

Campus Day -- No Class

Week 7: 3/5 Oct

Science/media oral reports

Week 8: 10/12 Oct

Simple machines and forces

No Class - Fall Weekend

Week 9: 17/19 Oct

Conflict and the scientific search for "truth"

Week 10: 24/26 Oct Advising

Science and conflict paper due

Building big web site, hand out activities

Building big activities

Week 11: 31 Oct/ 2 Nov  Advising
Kathryn Craig -- career center

Discuss annotated bib assignment
Writing issues

Bernoulli's equation lecture, demos
Sailing simulator, race car dynamics, weather applications

Week 12: 7/9 Nov

Research paper due
writing workshop

Research paper talks

Week 13: 14/16 Nov