Parents and Students

PARENTS AND STUDENTS

"Physics is the collection of ideas used to organize and explain what we observe and to predict what might happen."

In this booklet you will find an outline of the course and a summary of my classroom policies. Although Physics is usually thought of as a "hard" course, I feel that every student should be able to do well. The math is not complex and the ideas are based in common sense. But for any student to do well they must be actively involved. A student who "does physics" for just the class period will have difficulty. They must put in time and effort both in and out of class to succeed. If they cannot stay alert, do other work during class, do not pay attention, and otherwise do not accept responsibility for their work they will not do well. I will do all I can but the responsibility ultimately rests with your son or daughter.

You can do your part by providing your child with a place to work at home and the time to do that work. Remember, school is their primary job. If I notice that things are sliding I will attempt to correct things with the student. This may involve after-school help. If things continue you will be notified by the 5 week progress reports. Should any questions or problems arise, please feel free to contact me or set up a parent conference via the Guidance Department.

I think Physics is the greatest thing going. It is a practical science and I hope your son or daughter will feel a little of the excitement of discovery here.

Sincerely, Michael Cronmiller REGENTS PHYSICS

COURSE EXPECTATIONS/EVALUATIONS

Physics is the study of matter and energy. It covers everything from the nucleus of the atom to the galaxies of space. The ideas and theories of physics are used to produce the microchips in computers, safer and more efficient cars, new diagnostic methods for medicine, lasers and microwaves, as well as allowing us to see the stars or the atoms.

One of the most important outcomes of the study of Physics is the ability and willingness to change beliefs and opinions after careful study of new evidence. The method of critical thinking and problem solving learned here will remain long after the details of the subject are forgotten.

The course of REGENTS PHYSICS has several general goals. They are:

1. To understand the fundamental concepts underlying physics. 2. To learn how these concepts were found, why they were chosen, and how they are applied in today's world. 3. To develop methods of problem solving that will allow you to apply logical and creative thinking to new and unfamiliar situations. 4. To develop an ability and willingness to change beliefs and opinions after careful study of new evidence. 5. To develop methods to apply their skills, attitudes, and knowledge to experimentally test these ideas.

COURSE OUTLINE

To accomplish the goals mentioned we will be following the general content outline below.

PART 1: MECHANICS. This is a study of motion and the conservation of momentum. Velocity, acceleration, vectors, forces, momentum and gravitation are the principal topics. Projectile motion, circular motion, and planetary motion are also covered. PART 2: ENERGY. This unit covers the topic of conservation of energy. Mechanical work, potential and kinetic energy, the transfer of energy and power are studied here. PART 3: ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM. Conservation of charge is introduced here along with the application of the conservation of energy. The topic includes static electricity, current electricity, and magnetism. The ability to construct, measure, and use simple circuits is covered here. PART 4. WAVES. In this section the transfer of energy by waves is studied. This includes a study of sound and an in depth study of the behavior of light waves.

PART 5: MODERN PHYSICS. In this unit the principles learned throughout the year are applied to uncover the structure of the atom and the nucleus.

COURSE MATERIALS

THE FOLLOWING MATERIALS WILL BE NEEDED

A spiral notebook for class notes. A spiral notebook allows you to keep a running record of the class. This becomes very important when you study for tests or when you try to find something. Keeping notes on looseleaf never stays organized.

A three ring binder for handouts, tests, homework, etc.

A calculator is highly recommended. If you are in the market purchase one of the scientific calculators (TI-83). If it has the trigonometric functions (sin, cos, tan) it will have everything you will need for this class.

Pens, pencils, etc. Pencil is acceptable for all work in this class. It is preferred for homework and lab reports.

CLASSROOM POLICIES

You are expected to be in class every day. If you are absent it is YOUR responsibility to determine what you have missed. You are responsible for all homework, tests, and labs.

TESTS: There will be a full period test approximately every two weeks. This works out to between 3 to 5 tests per marking period. The tests are worth 50 % of the quarterly average. Tests are announced well in advance of the date. If you are absent on a test date you can expect to take it the next day you are in school.

HOMEWORK: Homework is frequently given but not on a regular schedule. It is usually graded and returned. Homework should take 20 - 30 minutes to complete. Homework counts toward 20 % of the quarterly average. If you are absent you will be required to make up missed homework. Again, it is YOUR responsibility. A list of homework assignments will be posted.

LAB REPORTS: Attendance at Lab, as well as written reports are MANDATORY for a Regents science. If you miss it is your responsibility to arrange to make up the missed lab. Lab activities are worth 30 % of the quarterly average. Lab reports are due 4 school days after the lab has been done. Points will be taken off if lab is turned in late.

LABORATORY

Since this is an important part of the course I would like to emphasize several points. A laboratory experience is required by the state. The requirement states that:

"Each student must be engaged in laboratory activities for at least thirty 40-minute periods (or its equivalent of 1200 minutes). Satisfactory written reports of these laboratory experiences must be prepared by the student."

This requirement includes the following:

1. All labs must be physically done by the student. If absent they must make up the lab. The responsibility to arrange for a make up date is up to the student.

2. Written reports must be successfully completed for ALL lab exercises. If this is not done they CANNOT TAKE THE REGENTS EXAM and will fail the course.

3. The State requires that all lab reports are kept on file for at least six months past the date of the Regents exam in June.

4. The Regents also requires that we prove that your son or daughter has mastered about eight different laboratory skills that they feel are a necessary part of Physics. These are done concurrently with labs but are an additional requirement for the Regents exam.

5. The reports will usually be several pages long and will take MORE than 20 minutes to complete. LAB REPORT INFORMATION AT A GLANCE EACH LAB SHOULD HAVE THE FOLLOWING

* PURPOSE / GOAL * HYPOTHESIS * BACKGROUND / PRELAB / THEORY * PROCEDURE * DATA TABLES (IF NEEDED) DATA * ANALYSIS TABLES (IF NEEDED) ANALYSIS/CALCULATIONS RESULTS CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION

A formal lab report is a complete and accurate record of your laboratory exercise. It should be written in such a manner that a person unfamiliar with the exercise gains a clear understanding of the entire process by reading your report. Not all of your reports will be formal reports. Not all of your reports will include all of the steps of the formal report. These other reports are to be written based on your instructor's directions.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

When drawing any straight line, a ruler MUST be used. This is particularly important for diagrams, data tables, and graphs.

Units of measure MUST be included.

Each student will have a folder in the filing cabinet to keep all of their labs. Keep it neat and organized. All reports will be kept in the room at all times.

Each section of the report must be properly labeled with the label underlined.

Each section must be in proper order. THE LAB REPORT

TITLE: The title should be centered on the top line of the first page of the report.

LAB INFORMATION: This section has basic information on when and with whom you did your lab. The information here will not be filled out until you actually start working on the lab. Enter the headings but leave the space blank until you start. DATE: This will be the date that you actually started the lab. PARTNERS: Identify the others you worked with on the lab.

PURPOSE: This section of the lab report explains why an experiment is being performed. It may be to observe a process, to investigate a problem, or to answer a question. It is possible but not probable that a lab may have more than one purpose. This section may be a sentence but should be no more than a single paragraph.

HYPOTHESIS: A hypothesis is a possible solution to a problem or an answer to a question. In the hypothesis you predict what you believe will solve the problem or what the answer will be. Your predictions and estimations should be based on knowledge or research, not just a guess. Some experiments are just investigations and may not have a hypothesis.

BACKGROUND: This section requires that you explain what it is that you are doing. It should be an explanation of why you are doing the lab and why you are doing the lab the way that you are. You should include the ideas that generated the purpose, the formulas used in the lab and the reasons behind the use of those formulas, any experiments that may have led to this lab, any special history involved with the lab, etc.

PROCEDURE: If the procedure is given to you printed in detail, include it. You generally will not be allowed to have with you any prelab sheets that have been handed out to you. If no directions are given, your procedure must be very specific and should answer the question "How will you perform the experiment?" It should include all steps (numbered if possible) in the order in which they will be performed. You should include any safety precautions in this section as a separate paragraph.

DIAGRAMS Many labs will require that you construct a diagram of the apparatus or to make diagrams for your observations. Because drawing diagrams is difficult, they should be done in pencil to allow for ease of modification. If you are going to include labels, the lines connecting the part to the label should be drawn with a straight-edge and horizontal if possible. All labels themselves should be neatly printed. DATA: Data is the information you collect while performing the experiment. It may be a set of numerical measurements such as temperatures, times, distances, and masses or it could be a set of observations taken such as color changes, comparisons with a standard, and so on. Data makes more sense if it is presented in chart, tabular, or graphic form. Rules to follow:

1. Include ANY AND ALL data obtained during the lab. You may need it later. 2. Include units with all numbers. Numbers without units are meaningless. 3. Be sure to have an identification name for any data. The identification name must be more that a symbol. Numbers without any identification are useless. 3. If you have more that three measurements of a single item, a table with all measurements of that item in vertical columns should be used. The column heading should include the name, symbol, and units. If units are in the heading they do not need to be written after each measurement below it. 4. Make your table using a straight-edge. Enclose it with straight lines. Write your data in straight columns with the decimal place aligned. 5. Determine the size of your table before you construct it.

ALL DATA TABLES SHOULD BE PREPARED BEFORE LAB. You must decide what data will be taken and how much. If certain set values are known before you come to lab you should include them. If only one piece of data is measured (ex. mass), then you should have the word, symbol, and units written with a space left for the value.

GRAPHING: There are going to be many times that you will be required to draw a graph. The following general rules pertain to all types of graphs. 1. The graph may be done in pencil. 2. The graph must have a title at the top of the graph. The title should be enclosed in a box and should follow the following format:

DEPENDENT VARIABLE (Y AXIS) as a function of INDEPENDENT VARIABLE (X AXIS)

3. Label each axis with the name, symbol and units of the proper variable. The "y" axis should be plotted with the dependent variable and the "x" axis with the independent variable unless otherwise directed. 4. Make the graph as large as space permits. Choose numbers that will use most of the graph. Make sure that the scale is chosen so that each division is one of the following whole numbers (1, 2, 4, 5) that is easily worked with. You can find this by dividing your largest value by the total number of smallest divisions. Then round this number UP to a 1 ,2, 4, or 5 (or 0.1, 0.01, 10, etc.). DO NOT use 3, 7, 8, etc. for a scale. 5. Plot your data by using a point with a circle drawn around the point. If several sets of data are used, the point with circle should be replaced by another symbol (+ with square) or a different color. There must be a key if several sets of data are included on the graph. 6. Connect the points with the best smooth curve that most closely fits the points. If it appears to be a straight line for most of the graph, draw in a best fit straight line using a straight-edge. In all cases you should avoid a connect-the-dot graph. 7. If you have a straight line, you will probably be finding the slope of that line. To find the slope locate on the line places where the graph paper lines intersect. Choose one near the top of the line and one near the bottom. Use these locations to determine your slope by the point-slope formula. Slope = (y2-y1)/(x2-x1) Be sure to include units. DO NOT USE DATA POINTS TO DETERMINE A SLOPE.

ANALYSIS: Many times you will be applying the same formula to each of your data points. If this happens you should make an ANALYSIS TABLE to show your results. Since you probably will be using a calculator there is no sense in having you write the same equation many times. However, it is important that you show that you are using any equations properly. Equations that are used to manipulate data must be shown. The formula should be written in its symbolic form, the numbers with their units should be substituted in the proper place, and the answer indicated with the proper units. If the equation is used many times, use data from the middle (not the first or last) in your representative calculation. Percentage difference from an accepted value is always positive. Be sure to show any calculation for percentage difference. It is not necessary to show how you arrived at averages.

COMPUTER or CALCULATOR OUTPUT: If a computer or calculator program was used for any part of the lab, the name of the program must be included. If a program was developed by you for the lab, a copy of the program should be included. If the output from a program is used, a copy of the output should be included with the lab. If a spreadsheet was used, a copy of the formulas used in the spreadsheet should be included. Output from a computer should be either “pasted” into the lab in the proper spot or attached to the back of a page of the report.

UNCERTAINTY ANALYSIS: This is an analysis of ways that the data may have been uncertain and how much this uncertainty may have been. It should include: A. What specific steps in the procedure could have affected the quality of the data and why. B. How might the equipment interfered with the collection of accurate data and why. C. Problems you discovered during the course of the experiment and how you corrected for them. D. The percentage difference found in your calculation section. Percentage difference only tells you how close you came to an expected answer. It does not tell you how good your data was. E. Indicate the uncertainty of your data (either here or on your data) and the uncertainty of your answer if you have been able to find it. Uncertainty is different from percentage difference and should not be confused. Uncertainty tells you how good your data is and will help to tell you how good your results are.

RESULTS/ CONCLUSION Results are written to answer the purpose. If you read your purpose, you should be able to determine what to include in your results. Your results must be written in complete sentences. Your results should summarize any analysis you have done and should also include your uncertainty analysis. Your conclusion should be at least two sentences long and include the following: Specific Statement. This is the proof for your conclusion. If a graph has been drawn, the type of relationship between the variables should be stated (linear, direct, inverse, etc.). If an analysis with results was found, a sentence that indicates which results will support the hypothesis.

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PLEASE RETURN THIS PORTION TO YOUR INSTRUCTOR

I have read the attached course outline, goals, expectations, and evaluation criteria for REGENTS PHYSICS and have discussed these requirements and responsibilities with my parents/guardians.

______(Print Name)

______(Student Signature)

I have read the attached course outline, goals, expectations, and evaluation criteria for REGENTS PHYSICS and have discussed these requirements and responsibilities with my son/daughter.

______(Parent/Guardian Signature)