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The documents and all material contained therein are © Dean Baird. All rights reserved. They may be used by teachers and students for classroom instruction. Beyond that, no part of these documents may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.
| GUIDES | |
| 1 | Energy Examples Definitions of quantities, explanations of equations, and worked out example problems. |
| 2 | Work / Simple
Machines A development of the physics definition of work and why you don't do any when it seems like you do. |
| 3 | Equilibrium
& Stability Describes the conditions for equilibrium and distinguishes stable, unstable and neutral equilibrium. |
| 4 | Gravitational
Potential Energy Describes potential energy as energy required to move away from equilibrium; describes gravitational PE. |
| 5 | Kinetic
Energy Describes kinetic energy as the result of work and shows a derivation of the equation for KE. |
| 6 | Conservation
of Energy Illustrates how energy undergoes transformations without increasing or decreasing in quantity. |
| 7 | Power Simple discussion of power and derivation of P=Fv from P=W/t. Remember: it's wrong to say that power is the rate at which work is done. How much work does a 60-watt lightbulb do each second? |
| JOBS | |
| 1 | Work Springboard
- Answers
- Presentation (Zipped
QuickTime) Introduces the concept of physical work through illustrative examples. Addresses positive, negative, and zero work. |
| 2 | Potential
Energy [Springboard] at TPT Introduces the concept of gravitational potential energy and its dependence on mass, height, and gravitational acceleration. |
| 3 | Kinetic
Energy [Springboard] at TPT Introduces the concept of kinetic energy and its dependence on mass and the square of speed. |
| 4 | Conservation
of Energy Springboard - Answers - Presentation
(QuickTime) A classroom demonstration and discussion involving loading and firing a dart gun. |
| 5 | Energy
Transformation [Sketches] at TPT A classroom demonstration and discussion involving a pole vault and the loading and firing of a dart gun. |
| 6 |
Conservation
of Energy Number Puzzles at TPT |
| 7 |
Introduction
to Power [Springboard] at TPT Introduces the concept of mechanical power and its dependence on work and time. |
| 8 |
Roller Coaster - Answers A quantitative exercise following ideal energy transformations throughout a roller coaster ride. Involves estimation, work, power, gravitational potential enertgy, and kinetic energy. |
| 9 |
Work-Momentum
Conundrums - Answers
- Presentation (Zipped
QuickTime) Twins push different carts for equal distances or equal times. Which cart ends up with more momentum or kinetic energy in each case. Non-trivial! |
| LABS - The unlinked titles below are available in the Conceptual Physics lab manual from Pearson Education - Amazon link | |
| 1 | An Uphill Climb Prelab - An Uphill
Climb Laboratory comparison of using a steep path or a shallow path to crest a hill. Which--if either--is better from an ideal energy consideration? |
| Fire
It Up [PhET] at Teachers Pay Teachers A comparison of maximum kinetic energy and maximum kinetic energy of a ball launched vertically using PhET's Projectile Motion simulation. |
|
| 2 | Catch
The Pop-Up A comparison of maximum kinetic energy and maximum kinetic energy of a ball launched vertically. |
| DEMOS - The unlinked titles below are available in the Conceptual Physics lab manual from Pearson Education - Amazon link | |
| 1 | Nailed
[Virtual Demonstration] at Teachers Pay Teachers
A set of questions and illustrations to accompany a segment of Physics: Cinema Classics that involves energy transformations. |
| 2 | Nailed
With Numbers [Virtual Demonstration] at Teachers
Pay Teachers A set of calculations to follow the "Nailed!" demonstration. |
| 3 | Physics in The Fountain
of Fizz [Virtual Demonstration] at Teachers
Pay Teachers The physics of the Diet Coke-Mentos geyser. Not the chemistry. The physics. |
| OTHER | |
|
1 2 |
Energy
Begins With an M (QuickTime) Part of the "Physics Begins with an M" series. This is a QuickTime export from Keynote that has been Zipped. Energy Begins With an M Keynote A nifty Keynote presentation of the M's. (Keynote is Apple's presentation software; PowerPoint is Microsoft's presentation software.) Trust me, neither Keynote nor PowerPoint are The Great Saviors of education. I recommend using them sparingly if at all. Better to teach! |
| 3 | Mechanical
Universe: Potential Energy (College) [Question
set at Teachers Pay Teachers] This episode traces back to the origins of the idea of potential energy and relates potential energy to equilibrium and stability. |
| 4 |
YouTube Physics: Danny
MacAskill April 2009 - Link to the
YouTube video (v=Z19zFlPah-o) Running
Time 5:38 A broad, encompassing physics lesson to accompany this jaw-dropping, slickly-produced mini-masterpiece of applied physics. |
| 5 | Mechanical
Universe: Conservation of Energy [Teachers
Pay Teachers question set] This episode develops conservation of energy. |
| 6 |
Energy Crossword Puzzle Grid - Clues Crossword puzzles are highly personalized and may not always translate well from my classroom to yours. |
| 7 |
Practice
Test Questions - Answers Sample test questions covering energy. |
Click here for a legend and explanation of cryptic terms and abbreviations.
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