Mr. Ellis
Physics at Mass Academy is taught by Mr. Ellis and is split into the algebra and calculus track. The algebra track follows the curriculum of AP Physics 1 and the calculus track, which I am currently taking, follows the curriculum of an AP Physics C course. The course consists of lecture and practice, with emphasis on practicing and applying the concepts covered in the lectures.
The first topics were covered were kinematics, which are the first steps to understanding Mechanics. We covered a variety of topics, ranging from displacement, velocity, and acceleration to projectile motion. During this time, we also learned skills necessary for the rest of the course, such as using Excel to model data and writing lab reports.
The content covered in this unit culminated in the Uber Rocket Problem. In Mr. Ellis’s physics class, Uber problems are problems consisting of many stages that combine various topics and concepts. This problem allowed me to demonstrate my knowledge of kinematics and writing reports and can be seen below.
The next unit covered forces and included problems relating to Newton’s laws of motion, such as those with pulleys, ramps, and elevators. This unit’s capstone problem was the Uber Pulley Problem, which can be seen below.
Following forces, we covered energy and momentum concepts. This unit offered an alternative to kinematics and forces by applying concepts of energy. In addition, we also covered power, momentum, and collisions.