Category Archives: Earth/Physical Science
Quarter Project Info
Here are the quarter project options for EPS and Dynamic Earth…
Firing a Ball from the Back of a Moving Truck
Mythbusters…
That EPS Weather Video
You know the one we showed the day I was absent…
Quarter Projects
Here are the instructions for the quarter projects. They are not due right away when we get back. EPS is due Jan. 9th and Dynamic Earth is due the 11th.
EPS 2nd Quarter Project (note Straw Tower Project is not an option this year)
The Double Slit Experiment
Very well done. Sub atomic physics is really weird.
Entropic Gravity
Today in EPS we spoke about entropy and the second law of thermodynamics. What if gravity was a function of entropy? this is pretty deep stuff, but interesting…
Solution To Dark Matter Proposes That Gravity Is An Illusion
Thanks Tom!
EPS Quarter Project Options
Here are the requirements for this quarter’s project options. Good Luck! The project is due when we get back from break.
Reactivity
Today in EPS I discussed chemical reactivity, and I used the element Fluorine as an example of a crazy reactive substance. Here is the video I mentioned. And the presenter’s hair is a comic bonus. Your welcome for that.
Rocks + Gravity
A not uncommon sight out west. Fun when it happens along the Pacific Coast Highway.
Thrill Rides and Physics
Dr. Jearl Walker Today
Still at it. What a great guy.
The Syllabus
Blizzard Bag Assignment
Here it is, any future such assignments will be posted here.
Blizzard Bag Lesson for Dynamic Earth
Go to the following Web sites from USA Today. Look at the graphic of Seasons and of Doppler Radar and complete the questions that follow. Turn the assignment in when we return to school.
http://usatodayeducation.com/k12/weather-graph3
http://usatodayeducation.com/k12/weather-graph6
Blizzard Bag Lesson for Earth / Physical Science
Instructor Chris Boch
Go to The Physical Science section of howstuffworks.com
http://science.howstuffworks.com/physical-science-channel.htm
Pick one of the articles, read it and write a one-page review, telling me about the article, what you learned and how you felt about it (was it well written, was it boring, etc.) Turn the assignment in when we return to school.
EPS Second Quarter Project Options
What Happens When…
You fire a soccer ball at 50 mph out of the back of a pick-up truck doing 50 mph? I explain this each year in E.P.S. but now, thanks to Mythbusters, you can see for yourself.
To the observer on the side of the road, it appears as though the ball just drops, and it does, relative to that observer.
EPS Weekly Reading Assignment
Here is the link to this week’s reading assignment. The article is on a new type of polymer plastic.
Heat-conducting plastic: 10 times better than conventional counterparts
As you read, think about the following questions,
“Who developed the new material?”
“What can it do?”
“What is it good for? or Why is there a need?”
How to Make Magnetic Slime
Looks like fun, and an excellent addition to any EPS Quarterly Portfolio.
Cosmos is on HULU!!!
Awesome! I forget who told me this in class (thank you Ramneet) but I am thrilled. I missed the second episode, but was able to watch it in HD on hulu. Here is the link for all three episodes so far….
Saturn Has an Aurora
Wow, and before you tell me the images are grainy, remember, this is from a probe we humans put around Saturn! Saturn’s northern and southern lights glow in red on the bottom and purple on top in visible light, according to Cassini photos.
Saturn’s Auroras Glow in 360-Degree Views from NASA Spacecraft (Photos, Video)
WHAT?!
Okay, this makes me mad.
Quarter of Americans Convinced Sun Revolves Around Earth, Survey Finds
This year marks 45 years since we put a human on the Moon, and 54 years since the first human orbited the Earth. How is this possible? In all my years of teaching, I have NEVER met a kid who thought the Sun went around the Earth, not one. Frankly, I doubt I’ve met many adults who thought that either (and like most folks, I’ve met some really dumb people). Anyone who doesn’t understand how the Earth orbits probably can’t blame it on our educational system. Certainly not in a state like Ohio where it has been taught since long before I was born. This is ignorance by choice.
The original press release is here…
The Oldest Star We Have Ever Found
Cool Rube Goldberg Machine
Made by a company called “2D House“.
Isaac Newton vs Rube Goldberg from 2D House on Vimeo.
Earth in the Martian Night Sky
Mars rover Curiosity snapped this photo of Earth (and the Moon) high in the Martian sky. You can see it much clearer in the larger size (click on the link). Humans can be amazing sometimes.
PIA17936: Bright ‘Evening Star’ Seen from Mars is Earth
Image: NASA/JPL
Is This the Timeline for Our Future?
The BBC has created this infographic to illustrate some predictions on the far future. All the way to 100 trillion years from now. Not sure I buy a lot of it though.