Day 36: Ramps, Interaction Problems, & Atomic Models

AP Physics 1: Ramps

Students collected position vs. time data for a cart on a ramp. I can tell that I did a better job introducing photogates than I have in the past because students flew through the data collection with nice looking results.

Physics: Interaction Problems

Students worked on some real-life balanced force problems based on Kelly O’Shea’s. There were some students who made really nice connections to the labs we’d done; there was a great moment when I heard a student use the “for every” statement we made about the slope in the force of gravity lab to figure out a station. One thing I’m thinking about is I had students start at a random station, then rotate through, but they build nicely enough that it could be helpful to figure out a way for all students to do them in order.

Chemistry Essentials: Atomic Models

Students did a reading on the main historical models of the atom. I like that students recognized that at each stage, new evidence showed a major limitation in the previous model, but I have yet to find a reading or other atomic models activity that doesn’t reinforce the myth of the “lone genius”. Afterward, we got out the gas tubes and diffraction gratings to see some of the evidence for the Bohr model.