Day 31: Our Four Tools

We summarized all four models today in the middle of class. It a good way to realize we have four tools in our tool belt and that we have choices in the ways we look at problems. We will be looking at projectiles and circular motion next.

Before summarizing, we analyzed a ballistic pendulum. A few groups stopped when they found a velocity, thinking that any velocity must be the velocity they want.

After summarizing, we looked at different types of collisions. When would the kinetic energy be conserved in a collision?

2 responses
Wow! 31 days and you've covered the 4 basic models! Is this a first year course? If so, I'm reminded of an approach called "Overview, Case Study Physics" in which the basics of the entire year are covered up front (overview) and the rest of the year is spent going into more depth and scenarios that require multiple models (case study).
It's a first-year class, yes, but I have them for 100 minutes a day every day. They're very motivated juniors, and we are getting ready for both the AP Physics 1 and 2 exams in May. We keep going back to those models, in rotation, fluids, electricity, and modern physics. It worked okay last year, and I'll get FCI data this year.