Physics is taught by Mrs. Chase, and is simultaneously one of the most challenging yet rewarding and enjoyable classes. In physics, we learn about the laws that govern our reality. We do this through not only taking notes, but many interactive labs and activities. Physics has also continued to aid in my general problem solving skills, and helped me realize there's multiple ways to solve a problem. Physics covers the material on the AP Physics 1 and AP Physics C Motion, as well as the AP Physics C Electricity and Magnetism.
The goal of this lab was to determine the acceleration of a cart traveling on an inclined plane. The introduction and methods sections were already provided, leaving the data collection, analysis, and conclusion of the lab to complete. In this experiment, a cart was placed on an inclined plane from different distances, and using a photogate the initial and final velocities were taken. This experiment was repeated for multiple different angles. To find an experimental value for the acceleration, a linear equation had to be made following the y=mx+b format in terms of x (displacement) and v (velocity).
For the Dynamics Lab, we had to experimentally test a hypothesis relating to dynamics. Then, we had to create a one page report on the results to practice identifying the most important pieces of information to include in the presentation. I investigated how the acceleration of an elevator can be found using apparent weight and Newton’s Second Law (Force = mass*acceleration). To test this hypothesis, the apparent weight (being the force) was found using a scale while on an elevator. This was an exciting lab to complete despite the fact one of the elevator’s malfunctioned while we were trying to acquire data, and nearly trapped us inside.