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Thursday, November 21, 2013

Video tutorials on F=ma, FBDs, ionic and covalent bonding

Hi chemistry guys and gals,

I found a few videos on YouTube that do a great job of explaining the two skills that will be on your Test #4 (Monday, Nov. 25th):
Ionic Bonding Intro
How To: Write Ionic Compound Formulas
Covalent vs. Ionic Bonding
How To: Write Lewis Diagrams

Hey there physics guys,

Here are videos that will help you with your F=ma and Free Body Diagrams test (also your Test #4, and also on Monday, Nov. 25th):
Free Body Diagrams
How To: F=ma word problems

HW for this week, which will be a review and help you get ready for the test, will be posted tomorrow (Friday).

best,
Mr. Mikulski

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Test #3... only one week left to retake parts you did badly on!!!

It is now Tuesday, a week after you were shown how you did on Test #3 and made to write your scores down into your notes. At that time, you were also all reminded as a class that the time frame in which you can retake parts of the test that you did not pass was TWO WEEKS.

I have only had five students take advantage of test-retaking so far. The last day to retake Test #3 is Tuesday, Nov. 27th. Here are the scores again, in case you were not in class when I gave out this information or you've somehow forgotten how you did:

1st period chemistry
3rd period chemistry
5th period physics
9th period chemistry

Again, the last day to retake part or all of this test is Tuesday, Nov. 27th (just before Thanksgiving break)

Friday, November 15, 2013

HW #11b


HW #11a


Chemistry students, be sure to use this [LINK] to a periodic table if you don't have your notes with you. It will enable you look up what element is being referred to, what its symbol is, and how many valence electrons it has. Remember, the column that the element is found in tells you the number of valence electrons -- from hydrogen's column (one valence electron) to neon's (eight valence electrons).

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

HW #10 -- make a cheat sheet for Test #3

Your one and only HW assignment for this week is to make a cheat sheet for test #3. Ideally, you would do it in time to have it for TEST #3 on Friday. Here are the topics that will be on each test:

Chemistry:
I) Protons, neutrons and electrons -- counting them in a given element, where they are located in the atom, etc
II) Drawing Bohr models for atoms
III) Determining what kind of ion an atom will form
IV) Determining how ions come together to form ionic compounds

Physics:
I) The difference between position, speed and acceleration
II) Interpreting a position, speed or accel. vs. time graph
III) Solving simple distance, speed and acceleration word problems.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

HW #9 -- PLEASE DO THE CORRECT SECTION!

For PHYSICS:

1) Draw a position vs. time graph showing a person walking to school, staying at school for a while, and then walking back home

2) Draw a speed vs. time graph showing a car accelerating from being stopped at a stop sign, and then a few seconds later braking and coming to a stop at another stop sign.

3) Draw the position vs. time graph for the situation in #2.

4) Draw the acceleration vs. time graph for a bowling ball pushed out of a plane at a height of 20,000 ft above the ground. Show the graph all the way to one second after the ball has hit the ground. BONUS if you can label your y-axis EXACTLY (HINT: acceleration due to gravity is a constant 10 m/s/s)

For CHEMISTRY:

Draw the complete Bohr model (with electron energy levels) for each. Then, say exactly what kind of ion the atom can form to undergo ionic bonding... (ex. -- "Na can become the positive ion Na2+"). hou can use the link to a periodic table in the HW#8 post if you need to use one and don't have yours...

1) Magnesium
2) Lithium
3) Phosphorus
4) Chlorine
5) Neon

Friday, October 25, 2013

Test #2 scores -- and, HW#8

Greetings students!

Use the links below to look up how you did on the most recent test, Test #2:
1stPeriod
3rdPeriod
5thPeriod
9thPeriod
We took this test using the computers last Thursday (Oct. 17th), and it had four parts -- Identifying the phase of a sample (S-L-G); Converting temperatures; Heat vs. temp vs. chemical vs. physical changes; and Calculations using specific heat. As usual, you have two weeks from today to meet with me after school, to study over and practice the needed skills, and to retake any sections that you were not happy with your grade on.

Now, here is the weekly homework assignment: (AGAIN, ITS ONLY ONE...)

FOR PHYSICS:

1) Using complete sentences, write out three real-world examples of speed. Your answers have to be sensible; here is an example of an answer that is real AND realistic: "A pitcher throws a baseball 90 miles per hour." (you cannot use the example as one of your responses)

2) Using complete sentences, write out three real-world examples of forces.

3) Using complete sentences, write out three real-world examples of things accelerating. You can use any form of the action -- "accelerates," "accelerating," "acceleration," etc. -- just make sure you use it correctly!

You can use your notes, flashcards or web definitions for these words if you are having trouble remembering what they mean... you can also use the web to look up the examples that you list!!!

FOR CHEMISTRY:

First, complete the worksheet we started in class (Finding symbol, # of protons, # of electrons, etc.). Here's a link to a colorful periodic table if you don't have yours with you. Then, answer these five critical-thinking questions about a sample of metal:

Pretend that you have a 10 kilogram sample of the liquid metal mercury (atomic symbol "Hg"). Assume it's in a big jar. Answer each part:

1) Based on the periodic table, how many protons, neutrons and electrons would a typical atom in your sample have?

2) What would be the atomic mass of a single Hg atom, if we crammed twenty more neutrons in the nucleus? (Hint: a single neutron weighs 1 AMU)

3) What might happen to the mass of the entire sample (started out weighing 10 kilograms) if we did this to ALL the atoms in the whole sample?

4) Adding two protons to the nucleus of Hg makes two changes to the atom -- one obvious and the other quite remarkable. How would the atomic mass change? What is the other, 'remarkable' change that occurs?

5) How would the appearance (and value) of your 1,000 gram sample of Hg change if you could remove exactly one proton from every atom in the sample?


Friday, October 18, 2013

HW #7a -- the one and only homework assignment for this week!

Lucky students, you only have one HW assignment for this week. Examine each infrared picture below. For each picture, use the color scale to tell what temperature the two objects are. Then, make your best guess as to what temperature one of the objects will have in one hour's time (once heat heat has been lost/gained to the surrounding objects or the air)

1a) Temp of the windshield     1b) Temp of the leaking engine coolant    1c) Coolant temp one hour later?

                                                                (deg F)
 2a) Temp of the boy      2b) Temp of the basketball    2c) Temp of the boy one hour later?

                                                               (deg F)
3a) Temp of the caterpillar      3b) Temp of the hand    3c) Temp of the caterpillar one hour later?


 4a) Temp of the left hand      4b) Temp of the right hand    4c) Temp of both hands one hour later?

                                                               (deg F)
5a) Temp of the ice cube      5b) Temp of the surrounding air     5c) Temp of water (melted cube) 1 hr later?

                                                          (deg F)
6a) Temp of the hand      6b) Temp of the lizard    3c) Temp of the lizard, if held by the hand for one hour?

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

HW #6b

** Note that there are TWO questions here (part 1 and part 2, typed out below it...)

2)  Be careful when you heat your gasoline up... if you get it up to 230 degrees C, it won't just be a gas, it will actually ignite. And when it ignites, that is a chemical reaction -- not just a physical change. If you make it hot enough to ignite, then you can't keep telling a story about a sample of gasoline... why not? (Explain, using at least 2 complete sentences)

HW #6a

Use the chart here to answer the questions below:

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

HW #5b


HW #5a


Test #1 scores -- look yours up, see which parts you need to retake... ASAP

Only a week and a half remaining to retake any parts of Test #1 that you failed. Most of you know your student ID but if you don't, look it up first so you can find your score:

1st Period (Chem)
5th Period (Physics)
9th Period (Chem)

This test, being the only assessment we've had so far, is worth 50% of your grade. Next Friday, Oct. 11th, is the last day that you can possibly retake this test.

HW #4 (last week) -- Crossword finished + in your binder

Greetings students, last week there was no posted online HW problem sets. However, there was one assignment started in class that I asked you to finish on your own. The Heat + Temperature Crossword Puzzle needs to be completed and in your binder. As it was largely in-class practice, it is fair game for a future binder check... - Mr. M

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

HW #3a

Use the included example, your notes and the link in the previous post to complete the problem set below.


Monday, September 16, 2013

Thursday, September 12, 2013

HW #2b

Be sure to complete both HW problem sets (today's and yesterday's, further below) and bring them in to grade on Monday... - Mr. M



Wednesday, September 11, 2013

HW #2a

Sorry, I had meant to post this yesterday... looks like you will only have two assignments this week! (This one, and the one I will post tomorrow)
-- Mr. M


Friday, September 6, 2013

HW #1c -- Find a graph, and copy it down!

The last assignment this week can be completed by following these steps:

1) Find a graph anywhere -- in a magazine, on a billboard, in a book, or on a website.
2) Make a copy of the graph as best as you can, with your pencil or pen, onto your notebook paper.
3) Label each part of T.A.I.L.S. that you see on your graph; for example, write "TITLE" with an arrow pointing to where the graph's title is; circle the hash marks showing the interval and write "INTERVAL" next to the circle, etc. You should be able to find and mark all five parts!

In case you don't have your notes handy, here were the five parts of a good graph:
T = Title -- says what two things are being compared in the graph
A = Axes -- The numbered lines on the bottom (x axis) and on the side (y axis)
I = Interval -- The even spacing between the hash marks along the axes
L = Labels -- Says which variable is being plotted along the x-axis, and which is being plotted along the y-axis
S = Spacing -- The data on the graph should fill up the graph (and not be crunched in a corner of the graph)

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

HW #1b

Here is the rest of the 'story' that you started reading in Monday's HW. Annotate it, showing where the last three steps of the scientific method take place:
*Here's a COMPLETE version of the annotation 'key' (with all 7 steps of the scientific method): 


Tuesday, September 3, 2013

HW #1a

Hello students, here is the first of three small HW assignments for this week. Remember to complete each one on looseleaf notebook paper, and to bring them in completed and ready to grade on Monday, Sept. 9th...

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

HW #0a.... A "mock" HW post that we can do together in class

Hi everyone, this small exercise will let us practice the protocol for grading homework in class. YOU DO NOT NEED TO TURN THIS ONE IN ON MONDAY.

Please realize that there will usually be THREE assignments per week, with a minimum of ten to fifteen minutes of practice associated with each.

-- Mr. M