Physics at Mass Academy helps us understand the world around us through content that extends beyond AP Physics C Mechanics, as well as AP Physics C Electricity and Magnetism courses. Our teacher, Mrs. Chase, works extremely hard to make sure that every student has a strong understanding of the concepts we learn in class. Through activities such as demonstrations and interactive problems to individual work and labs, we are able to utilize the knowledge we gain in a variety of ways.
While traditional Physics classes may prioritize more lecture-based learning, our Physics class provides us with opportunities to solve problems through a variety of solutions. An epitome of this is the first Physics “Problem of the Week” (POW) that we completed, which is shown on the right. This problem provided us with a question that combined all of the information we had learnt up to that point. However, the problem didn’t have a set solution; Mrs. Chase encouraged us to approach the problem in different ways, whether it was through physics equations or even coding. My group was able to provide a solution that merged the two. What I enjoyed the most was looking at other solutions the next day, which exposed me to the multitude of ways in which one singular problem could be addressed.
As mentioned above, the Physics class at Mass Academy prioritizes interactions with content. As a result, we are often working on lab assignments that demonstrate extension of our knowledge. One specific assignment that demonstrates this is the Physics Dynamics Lab Report, which is shown on the left. Through lab reports, we are able to demonstrate our knowledge of the current unit. I really enjoy working on them, as we are able to pick what we want to investigate about. Furthermore, by writing reports on our findings, we are able to develop better communication skills.