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The documents and all material contained therein are (c) 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 | UCM
& Gravity Examples Definitions of quantities, description of equations, and worked-out example problems. |
| 2 | Uniform
Circular Motion Description of circular motion and the corresponding parameters. |
| 3 | Planetary Data Reference Vital statistics on the sun, moon, and planets. (Not included here since it was based on a published table.) |
| 4 | The History of Gravity, part 1 The History of Gravity, part 2 The story of celestial mechanics from Aristotle and Aristarchus to Ptolemy and Copernicus. |
| 5 | Weighing
the Earth An account of the Cavendish experiment for determining the universal gravitational constant. |
| JOBS | |
| 1 | Forced
to Go in Circles - Centripetal Force Springboard - Answers Classroom discussion guide to develop the idea of the force needed to keep a body in UCM. |
| 2 | Centripetal
Force Bill Springboard - Answers - Keynote ("PowerPoint")
Presentation (Zipped QuickTime) Classroom discussion guide to develop the equation for centripetal force. |
| 3 | Superheroes of Gravity - Answers - Keynote ("PowerPoint")
Presentation (Zipped QuickTime) Match the descriptors to the pictures! Physics cultural literacy for Aristotle, Ptolemy, Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler, Galieo, and Newton. |
| 4 | Be Newton
for a Day - Answers - Keynote ("PowerPoint") Presentation (Zipped
QuickTime) Step-by-step development of Newton's law of universal gravitation, starting from basic principals (circular geometry, Newton's second law of motion, and Kepler's Law of Harmony. Nice graphic motif. |
| 5 | Gravity
Basics - Answers - Keynote ("PowerPoint") Presentation
(Zipped QuickTime) Simple ratio exercises involving the law of universal gravitation. |
| 6 | The
Apple and the Moon Springboard - Answers - Keynote ("PowerPoint") Presentation
(Zipped QuickTime) This one's a little intense. The idea is to go through the derivations shown in The Mechanical Universe video via classroom discussion and student participation (instead of watching them passively). Significant geometry and some algebra is used. |
| 7 | Journey
to the Centre of the Earth - Answers Use the Law of Universal Gravitation and the concept of density to determine what the Earth is made of. |
| 8 | UCM
and Gravity Wrap-Up - Answers Reviews UCM algebra and Universal Gravitation calculations. |
| OTHER | |
| 1 2 |
UCM and
Gravity 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. UCM and Gravity 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 | Kinetic
Karnival - Rotation Part 1 The first few minutes of this episode are devoted to uniform circular motion. The questions here refer to those minutes. The rest of the episode is devoted to rotation, a topic for AP Physics 2. |
| 4 | The Mechanical Universe: Kepler's
Laws (form 1) (form
2) This episode shows Kepler's development of his three laws of planetary motion. It includes excelelnt biographiocal information on Kepler and his difficult professional relationship with Tycho Brahe. Alternate forms accommodate students seated side-by-side. |
| 5 | The Mechanical Universe: The
Apple and the Moon (form 1) (form 2) This episode shows Newton's development of the inverse square nature of gravitational force. It includes an excellent animation of "Newton's Cannon." Alternate forms accommodate students seated side-by-side. |
| 6 | 2001: A Space Odyssey Extended
Clip Questions Questions to accompany a 25-minute segment of the classic film. |
| 7 | UCM & Gravity Crossword - Grid - Clues Crossword puzzles are highly personalized and may not always translate well from my classroom to yours. |
| 8 | Practice
Test Questions - Answers Sample test questions covering uniform circular motion and gravity. |
| OLD STUFF Some no longer used; some transferred to AP Physics 2. |
|
| Uniform Circular Motion
Video Springboard - Answers Classroom discussion guide to develop the basic concepts and geometry of uniform circular motion. Uses Physics: Cinema Classics. |
|
| The Rotor
- Answers A determination of the coefficient of friction required in the old spinning chamber amusement park ride. Knowledge of circular motion, friction, and normal force is required. |
|
| Centrifugal
Weight Loss Springboard - Answers Classroom discussion guide to develop the idea of the force needed to keep a body in UCM. |
|
| Be Kepler
for a Day - Answers It took Kepler 30 years and 900 pages of calculations to work this out; we move through it a bit more quickly. We start with orbital period and orbital radius data and end up with the mathematical relationship known as Kepler's Law of Harmony. |
|
| Galactic
Weigh Station - Answers Use the Law of Unioversal Gravitation to determine the mass of astronomical bodies. At least ones with orbiting bodies. |
|
| From
the Center of the Earth to the Surface and Beyond - Answers What happens to gravity when you go inside the Earth; what happens to gravity when you move away from the Earth. |
|
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