If you are assigned a research project, before you determine your topic, figure out the professor's field of expertise. Then pick a topic as far from that specialty as you can. The professor will be much less critical. If you write about something on which he or she is very knowledgeable, you will get torn up!
Other practical tips based on what we are seeing from our students:
Don't use contractions
Proofread before you finish
Font style should be something standard and size should be 10 or 12
Paper should have an introduction and a conclusion
Introduction can list the topics to be covered
Then have a paragraph that discusses these topics in the same order
Know the difference: it's and its, there and their, etc. Use Spellcheck but it will not correct for incorrect use of these words
When you paraphrase make sure it sounds like your own voice not that of the writer
Cite your sources. In some of our topics, the age of the source is critical as technology changes so quickly.
Friday, April 12, 2019
Thursday, April 11, 2019
Apologia Physics: Electrical Circuits (and demonstrating with Snap Circuits)
Students need to be familiar with various terms and calculations that relate to electrical circuits. They should be able to define VOLT, AMP, conductor, switch, resistor, capacitor, fuse, circuit breaker, series and parallel circuits. They should be able to explain how a battery stores and releases energy.
Electrical circuit: manages the flow of electrons by shaping the conductor (often copper wire) and controlling the electrical field.
Volts: electrical potential
Lead acid batteries, common in cars, use an Oxidation/Reduction reacting to create electrical current. LEO the lion says GER. Loss if Electrons Oxidation, Gain of Electrons Reduction.
Resistance: how a conductor impedes the flow of electrons. Electrical heating devices use resistance in wires to create heat. For example, toaster, coffee maker, electric stove. There is resistance in all electric lines.
If resistors are in series the total resistance is the sum of the resistance in the resistors.
If the resistors are in parallel, the total resistance is 1/Rt=1/R1 + 1/R2 Therefore if two resisters (10 ohms ad 20 ohms) are in series the total resistance is 30 ohms. If they are in parallel, the total is 6.7 ohms. Go ahead and prove the math!
We demonstrated much of this with Snap Circuits. Each student was instructed to put together a number of circuits which used a switch, resistor ( and demonstrate to me the resistor worked ), rheostat ( a variable resistor ), sound device, light bulb, fan, etc. Also put together circuits which demonstrated how a series and parallel circuit worked. Each demonstration was then supported by a drawing in which the students had to use the correct symbol for the various electrical devices.
We discussed personal situations which demonstrated how fuses and circuit breakers worked in their houses. Older houses very often do not have enough power in their wiring that you can run your coffee machine and your toaster at the same time in the same room. You have to find an outlet on a different circuit to run the toaster if you have already started your coffee pot! Do not under any circumstances replace a fuse with a penny so that you can get more power to an appliance; good way to start a fire. There are various levels of power (amperage) in various circuits running in your house. Obviously it takes more power to run your kitchen than your bedroom. It takes more power to run your washing machine or your HVAC than your television, etc.
Electrical circuit: manages the flow of electrons by shaping the conductor (often copper wire) and controlling the electrical field.
Volts: electrical potential
Lead acid batteries, common in cars, use an Oxidation/Reduction reacting to create electrical current. LEO the lion says GER. Loss if Electrons Oxidation, Gain of Electrons Reduction.
Resistance: how a conductor impedes the flow of electrons. Electrical heating devices use resistance in wires to create heat. For example, toaster, coffee maker, electric stove. There is resistance in all electric lines.
If resistors are in series the total resistance is the sum of the resistance in the resistors.
If the resistors are in parallel, the total resistance is 1/Rt=1/R1 + 1/R2 Therefore if two resisters (10 ohms ad 20 ohms) are in series the total resistance is 30 ohms. If they are in parallel, the total is 6.7 ohms. Go ahead and prove the math!
We demonstrated much of this with Snap Circuits. Each student was instructed to put together a number of circuits which used a switch, resistor ( and demonstrate to me the resistor worked ), rheostat ( a variable resistor ), sound device, light bulb, fan, etc. Also put together circuits which demonstrated how a series and parallel circuit worked. Each demonstration was then supported by a drawing in which the students had to use the correct symbol for the various electrical devices.
We discussed personal situations which demonstrated how fuses and circuit breakers worked in their houses. Older houses very often do not have enough power in their wiring that you can run your coffee machine and your toaster at the same time in the same room. You have to find an outlet on a different circuit to run the toaster if you have already started your coffee pot! Do not under any circumstances replace a fuse with a penny so that you can get more power to an appliance; good way to start a fire. There are various levels of power (amperage) in various circuits running in your house. Obviously it takes more power to run your kitchen than your bedroom. It takes more power to run your washing machine or your HVAC than your television, etc.
Friday, April 5, 2019
Apologia Physics: Electrostatics
Electrostatics measure the instantaneous charge between two atoms. For examples see the pictures below. We rubbed balloons on our sweaters and on our hair to create static electricity. It is best to do this on a cold dry day so you may have to change the order of topics in your Physics instruction to get this demonstration done before Spring. Then we hung tape and yarn from rulers which extended beyond the edge of the table. The static electricity attracted the tape and yarn. We also applied tape to the table and ripped the tape off and hung it from a ruler. Repeat with another similar piece of tape and hang it close to the other one. They should repel because they have the same charge.
How is this static electricity created? You actually rip electrons off your hair or sweater when you rub with the balloon. Therefore the balloon takes on a negative charge. The tape rips electrons off the table and therefore the tape takes on a negative charge.
An atom has protons and neutrons in the nucleus. Electrons orbit the nucleus. To change the charge of an object you add or subtract electrons as we did above. The number of protons and neutrons does not change.
Apologia Physics: Current Topics for the study of Electricity
I struggle with anything concerning electricity and magnetism in my teaching of high school Physics. Maybe it is because most of the other topics in Physics I relate to the operation of a car! So I decided to veer away from the topics covered in our textbook and have the students do a small research project on topics that are relevant to current events. These projects would also serve to update my knowledge.
The topics below came from several sources. My wife and I helped judge a science fair for grades 6-8 at a local school in February. Several ideas came from projects done by those students. My students are also very interested in electric cars and of course all their electronic gadgets. I have eight students and we came up with eight topics. I have asked them to do some research, summarize their research into a one page paper including sources, present their findings to the class and lead a discussion of the topic with the class. Here are the topics.
How do very high and low temperatures impact the range of an electric car? How and why? Explain change in chemical and physical reactions.
What factors impact battery life in an electric car?
Compare operating costs over several years for three similarly sized cars: gas powered, electric powered and gas/electric hybrid.
What is an EDDY current? How is it created? What are its uses? Make a model.
How does a MAG LEV train work? Where are they in use?
How does a wireless charger work? Contact vs. Non-contact. See article by Joanna Stern in the Wall Street Journal May 5.
Compare various aspects of performance of a gasoline powered car vs. an electric car. Find comparable cars and/or cars in the same price range.
Compare the safety of a gas powered car vs. an electric car.
Projects are due after the Easter break. I will follow up at that time.
On Thursday April 11 I sent the students a summary of how to write a five paragraph essay. It is important to have an Introduction (containing your subject, hypothesis, scope, three main ideas), three paragraphs each discussing one of the main ideas, and a conclusion. The conclusion needs to be based on what was discussed in the preceding paragraphs.
The verbal presentation to the class should be based on notes or an outline. Do not read your essay and just refer to your notes if necessary. No one wants to listen to someone reading a Powerpoint presentation! I saw too much of this in my career in business.
The topics below came from several sources. My wife and I helped judge a science fair for grades 6-8 at a local school in February. Several ideas came from projects done by those students. My students are also very interested in electric cars and of course all their electronic gadgets. I have eight students and we came up with eight topics. I have asked them to do some research, summarize their research into a one page paper including sources, present their findings to the class and lead a discussion of the topic with the class. Here are the topics.
How do very high and low temperatures impact the range of an electric car? How and why? Explain change in chemical and physical reactions.
What factors impact battery life in an electric car?
Compare operating costs over several years for three similarly sized cars: gas powered, electric powered and gas/electric hybrid.
What is an EDDY current? How is it created? What are its uses? Make a model.
How does a MAG LEV train work? Where are they in use?
How does a wireless charger work? Contact vs. Non-contact. See article by Joanna Stern in the Wall Street Journal May 5.
Compare various aspects of performance of a gasoline powered car vs. an electric car. Find comparable cars and/or cars in the same price range.
Compare the safety of a gas powered car vs. an electric car.
Projects are due after the Easter break. I will follow up at that time.
On Thursday April 11 I sent the students a summary of how to write a five paragraph essay. It is important to have an Introduction (containing your subject, hypothesis, scope, three main ideas), three paragraphs each discussing one of the main ideas, and a conclusion. The conclusion needs to be based on what was discussed in the preceding paragraphs.
The verbal presentation to the class should be based on notes or an outline. Do not read your essay and just refer to your notes if necessary. No one wants to listen to someone reading a Powerpoint presentation! I saw too much of this in my career in business.
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