Dowd's Physics Class: Honors Physics

Welcome to Dowd's Physics Class
Reference frames are important. From Dowd's perspective, on the moving skateboard, he threw the angry bird up and caught it. From yours, it moved as if one person threw it to another

Reference frames are important. From Dowd's perspective, on the moving skateboard, he threw the angry bird up and caught it. From yours, it moved as if one person threw it to another

Current Site Map:

Home	AP Physics 2	Physics A	Physical Science B
AP Physics 1	AP Physics C: Mechanics	Old Classes	Important Links

Old Site Map (from 2019 at MHS)

Home	AP Physics C: Mechanics	CP Physics	Honors Physics
Why Physics?	AP Physics 1	General Physics	Important Links

This page contains all of the online content for my Honors Physics course. Dowd keeps all of his content on Flickr, the photo sharing site. Each course has its own album each year. If you click the link to the album, you'll be taken to it. The tables contain the major units in the course. Clicking on this link will bring you to a header photo in the album. To see the course content, scroll forward.
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2018-2019
MHS Logo

To access the couse syllabus, click here.
Period 1 Google Classroom (must be logged into mpspride.org)
Period 2 Google Classroom (must be logged into mpspride.org)
Period 8 Google Classroom (must be logged into mpspride.org)

To access all the course notes on Flickr, click here.
Students: Do not watch the videos at the link below. Check Google Classroom and EdPuzzle instead to recieve credit!

Unit	Videos/Tutorials	Description
One Dimensional Motion / Graphing	Introduction to Physics Introduction to One D Motion Variables Measuring One D Motion Variables by hand Analyzing Hand Graphed Motion Data How to write a lab report Collecting Data Automatically (Ticker Tape Timer Lab) Using a Spreadsheet to Analyze Data (Ticker Tape Timer Lab) Introduction to Force's Role in Acceleration Collecting Motion Data using Video Analysis (1/2) Collecting Motion Data using Video Analysis (2/2) Step by Step Screenshots of how to use Tracker Constant Acceleration (Angry Bird Lab Conclusion) Air Resistance Constant Velocity and Constant Acceleration Equations as a Model for Motion One Dimensional Motion Practice Problem № 1 One Dimensional Motion Practice Problem № 2 More One Dimensional Motion Practice Problems	In this unit, we look at objects moving in just one dimension. We practice measuring their position and time at various moments and look for patterns that will help us understand motion more generally.
One Dimensional Kinematics & Dynamics	Mass and Weight Mass on a Spring Lab Simple Newton's Second Law Lab Introduction to Free Body Diagrams and ΣF=ma One Dimensional ΣF=ma Practice Problems Solving MultiForce Problems (The Elevator Problem.) (1/2) Solving MultiForce Problems (The Elevator Problem.) (2/2) Newton's First Law One Dimensional Force Quiz Study Guide Fictitious Forces Video № 1 Fictitious Forces Video № 2	A dimension is something that can be quantified using a number line. We'd usually call it "horizontal" or "vertical" or maybe "the x-axis" or "the y-axis." In this unit we study one dimension at a time. The motion from the previous unit is the "kinematics" part. The "dynamics" part is where we introduce the concept of force (a push or pull) and go through Newton's first two laws for understanding how these pushes and pulls interact.
Momentum	Newton's 3rd Law Conservation of Momentum Conservation of Momentum Example Problems Deciding whether to use Conservation of Momentum or Impulse Momentum Test Review	This concept is useful for helping to understand situations where complex forces are acting, forces that increase and decrease during the interaction. We'll see it is especially helpful for collisions and explosions. There are two main topics: first, where momentum is changed by an outside force, and second, where there are no outside forces and momentum remains constant. For this latter topic we'll introduce Newton's 3rd law, which relates to how forces affect more than one object.
Vectors		This short unit defines a vector and why it's important. It lists all the tools that are useful to us in dealing with vectors.
Two Dimensional Kinematics & Dynamics	Two Dimensional Force (Force Board) Lab Step by Step Solving of 2D ΣF=ma Statics Problem (Spiderman) Video of Solving a 2D ΣF=ma problem 2D Force Quiz Review The difference between Kinetic and Static Friction Box on a Ramp Friction Problem Sample 2D Forces with Friction Problems	In this unit we use a force board to see how forces add in two dimensions, which is an introduction to how all vectors add and subtract. We then learn about forces in two dimensions, including a new force, the frictional force.
Projectile Motion	Horizontal Launch Projectile Motion Problem (the Doll Problem) Angled Launch Projectile Example Problem Projectile Motion and Launch Angle Projectile Motion Review	This is a brief return to vectors to discuss motion in two dimensions. No new concepts are introduced, merely the application of the vegas rule "what happens in x stays in x and what happens in y stays in y" to motion, rather than forces.
Circular Motion	Introduction to Circular Motion Circular Motion Lab Midterm Review	This is really an extension of 2D forces. Two new concepts are introduced: the centripetal (inward) acceleration that things moving in a circle have to have, and the concept of fictitious forces, which among other things sometimes make us feel like there's a centrifugal (outward) force on us.
Energy	Energy Intro Work and Potential Energy (No Calculus) What is Kinetic Energy? Conservation of Energy Example Problem Energy and Circular Motion on a Roller Coaster Energy Review	This is the most important unit in the course for helping us be better citizens. It goes through what "doing work" means in physics and discusses what objects or phenomena have the ability to do work. The ability to do work is called energy, and it's the reason energy is so important in our society: if we we want to change our environment, we need energy to do it. It will also be a valuable tool in solving problems that were too difficult to do using the concept of forces.
Power	The Importance of Power Power Quiz Review	In this unit we examine power, the speed of energy
Gravitation & Satellite Motion	Phases of the Moon Introduction to Newton's Law of Gravity The Inverse Square Law (Honors/AP Version) Finding the Gravitational Constant (G) Finding g on other worlds Gravitation Review	This section introduces Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation. It uses this new force combined with the ideas of circular motion to help us understand ideas of planetary motion. A complete treatment of planetary motion doesn't come until later in the year, when we study the concepts of energy and momentum.
Electrostatics	Using an Electroscope № 1 Using an Electroscope № 2 Electrostatic Induction Capacitors Wimshurst Machine Van de Graaff Generators Mapping Electric Fields How a Lightning Rod Works Electrostatic Review	This topic is about how charges can be separated, and how charged objects behave physically. There's a discussion of the electric force (Coulomb's law,) of how much charge an object can hold, and of the electric field, which we'll understand as being very similar to the gravitational field. We'll also discuss lightning and dielectric breakdown
DC Electric Circuits	The Meaning of Voltage in a Circuit Using a Breadboard Resistance and Ohm's Law Drawing a Schematic Kirchhoff's Loop Rule Parallel Circuits	This unit discusses the kind of electricity that comes from a battery, where charge always flows in one direction. We call the movement of charge current, and since the charge is always going in one direction we call it direct current. Batteries, light bulbs, resistors, and capacitors are discussed. We discuss Ohm's law for determining current in a branch of a circuit and qualitatively mention Kirchhoff's rules
Current Progress	as of	2019-05-10

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2017-2018
Manchester High School

To access the course syllabus, click here.

One Dimensional Motion / Graphing	In this unit, we look at objects moving in just one dimension. We practice measuring their position and time at various moments and look for patterns that will help us understand motion more generally
One Dimensional Kinematics/Dynamics	A dimension is something that can be quantified using a number line. We'd usually call it "horizontal" or "vertical" or maybe "the x-axis" or "the y-axis." In this unit we study one dimension at a time. The motion from the previous unit is the "kinematics" part. The "dynamics" part is where we introduce the concept of force (a push or pull) and go through Newton's first two laws for understanding how these pushes and pulls interact.
Momentum	This concept is useful for helping to understand situations where complex forces are acting, forces that increase and decrease during the interaction. We'll see it is especially helpful for collisions and explosions. There are two main topics: first, where momentum is changed by an outside force, and second, where there are no outside forces and momentum remains constant. For this latter topic we'll introduce Newton's 3rd law, which relates to how forces affect more than one object.
Vectors	This short unit defines a vector and why it's important. It lists all the tools that are useful to us in dealing with vectors.
Two Dimensional Kinematics & Dynamics	In this unit we use a force board to see how forces add in two dimensions, which is an introduction to how all vectors add and subtract. We then learn about forces in two dimensions, including a new force, the frictional force.
Projectile Motion	This is a brief return to vectors to discuss motion in two dimensions. No new concepts are introduced, merely the application of the vegas rule "what happens in x stays in x and what happens in y stays in y" to motion, rather than forces.
Circular Motion	This is really an extension of 2D forces. Two new concepts are introduced: the centripetal (inward) acceleration that things moving in a circle have to have, and the concept of fictitious forces, which among other things sometimes make us feel like there's a centrifugal (outward) force on us.
Energy	This is the most important unit in the course for helping us be better citizens. It goes through what "doing work" means in physics and discusses what objects or phenomena have the ability to do work. The ability to do work is called energy, and it's the reason energy is so important in our society: if we we want to change our environment, we need energy to do it. It will also be a valuable tool in solving problems that were too difficult to do using the concept of forces.
Power	In this unit we examine power, the speed of energy
Gravitation & Satellite Motion	This section introduces Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation. It uses this new force combined with the ideas of circular motion to help us understand ideas of planetary motion. A complete treatment of planetary motion doesn't come until later in the year, when we study the concepts of energy and momentum.
Electrostatics	This topic is about how charges can be separated, and how charged objects behave physically. There's a discussion of the electric force (Coulomb's law,) of how much charge an object can hold, and of the electric field, which we'll understand as being very similar to the gravitational field. We'll also discuss lightning and dielectric breakdown
Electric Circuits Videos: 1.) Wimshurst Machine (9/2017) 2.) Capacitor (3/2016) 3.) Measuring Voltage and Current in a Circuit (4/2018) 4.) The Meaning of Voltage in a Circuit (9/2017) 5.) Resistance and Ohm's Law (9/2017) 6.) Drawing a Schematic (5/2017) 7.) Series Circuits (10/2017) 8.) Kirchhoff's Loop Rule (3/2016) 9.) Parallel Circuits (3/2018) 10.) Kirchhoff's Junction Rule (3/2016) 11.) Combined Circuits (3/2016) 12.) Power (4/2017) 13.) Calculating Voltage, Current, and Power in a Series Circuit (5/2017) 14.) Calculating Voltage, Current, and Power in a Parallel Circuit (5/2017) 15.) Calculating Power in a Combined Circuit (3/2016)	This unit discusses the kind of electricity that comes from a battery, where charge always flows in one direction. We call the movement of charge current, and since the charge is always going in one direction we call it direct current. Batteries, light bulbs, resistors, and capacitors are discussed. We discuss Ohm's law for determining current in a branch of a circuit and qualitatively mention Kirchhoff's rules.
Magnetism 1.) Ørsted's Law 2.) Magnetic Force on a Charged Particle and Motors	In this unit, we begin by mapping magnetic fields. We then discuss Orsted's discovery that moving charge causes magentism, and go through a bit of atomic theory to understand how permanent magents are caused by electronic currents in atoms. We talk about the direction of force on moving charged particles and how this enables a DC electric motor to work.
AC Electric Circuits 1.) Faraday's Law and Generators 2.) Generators 3.) Motors and Generators 4.) Lenz's Law 5.) Transformers	This unit gets put into the middle of the magnetism unit. Michael Faraday and Joesph Henry figured out in the middle of the 19th century how Orsted's discovery could work in reverse, that is, how magnets could be used to produce electricity. This allowed us to make the generators that supply us with power. The electricity produced by a generator doesn't all flow in one direction, it alternates going one way and then another, so we call it alternating current. This focuses on the amplitude and frequency of AC, how generators work, how transformers work, and how your cell phone charger converts AC power from the wall outlet to DC power for your phone to use. Magnetic braking and how an electric guitar works are part of this unit too. It wraps up with the phenomenon of electromagnetic waves, which are actually light waves, and will be talked about later on.
Sound 1.) Wave Reflections and Natural Frequencies 2.) Standing Waves and Resonance 3.) Beat Frequencies	This unit discusses resonance in musical instruments, and beat frequencies.

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2016-2017
Manchester HS

To view the course syllabus, click here.
To access the entire course, click here.

One Dimensional Motion/Graphing	We explore the meaning of the slopes of (t,d) graphs and introduce the concept of "area under the curve." We also define some important ideas: position, velocity, and acceleration. We introduce how to do automated data collection and manipulate large amounts of data using spreadsheets. We specifically look at the two most common types of motion, constant acceleration and constant velocity motion.
One Dimensional Kinematics & Dynamics	A dimension is something that can be quantified using a number line. We'd usually call it "horizontal" or "vertical" or maybe "the x-axis" or "the y-axis." In this unit we study one dimension at a time. The motion from the previous unit is the "kinematics" part. The "dynamics" part is where we introduce the concept of force (a push or pull) and go through Newton's 3 laws for dealing with forces.
Momentum	This concept is useful for helping to understand situations where complex forces are acting, forces that increase and decrease during the interaction. We'll see it is especially helpful for collisions and explosions. There are two main topics: first, where momentum is changed by an outside force, and second, where there are no outside forces and momentum remains constant.
Vectors	This short unit defines a vector and why it's important. It lists all the tools that are useful to us in dealing with vectors.
Two Dimensional Kinematics & Dynamics	In this unit we use a force board to see how forces add in two dimensions, which is an introduction to how all vectors add and subtract. We then learn about forces in two dimensions, including a new force, the frictional force.
Circular Motion	This is really an extension of the previous unit. Two new concepts are introduced: the centripetal (inward) acceleration that things moving in a circle have to have, and the concept of fictitious forces, which among other things sometimes make us feel like there's a centrifugal (outward) force on us.
Gravitation & Satellite Motion	In this unit we discuss the history of our understanding of the force of gravity and of the solar system and space in general. We use the ideas of circular motion and the idea of waves spreading out from a rock thrown in a pond to discover the inverse square law, which we'll use again several more times. We calculate our weight on different planets, as well.
Projectile Motion	This is a brief return to vectors to discuss motion in two dimensions. No new concepts are introduced, merely the application of the vegas rule "what happens in x stays in x and what happens in y stays in y" to motion, rather than forces.
Energy	This is the most important unit in the course for helping us be better citizens. It goes through what "doing work" means in physics and discusses what objects or phenomena have the ability to do work. The ability to do work is called energy, and it's the reason energy is so important in our society: if we we want to change our environment, we need energy to do it. It will also be a valuable tool in solving problems that were too difficult to do using the concept of forces.Finally, Power (the "velocity" of energy) is discussed.
Atomic Energy	This is a discussion of radioactivity and radiation, along with a description of the nuclear chain reaction and how nuclear power stations and nuclear weapons are produced.
Electrostatics	This topic is about how charges can be separated, and how charged objects behave physically. There's a discussion of the electric force (Coulomb's law,) of how much charge an object can hold, and of the electric field, which we'll understand as being very similar to the gravitational field. We'll also discuss lightning and dielectric breakdown
DC Electric Circuits	This unit discusses the kind of electricity that comes from a battery, where charge always flows in one direction. We call the movement of charge current, and since the charge is always going in one direction we call it direct current. Batteries, light bulbs, resistors, and capacitors are discussed. We discuss Ohm's law for determining current in a branch of a circuit and qualitatively mention Kirchhoff's rules.
Final Review