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Newton's 3rd Law
High schoolers examine how the formal definition of Newton's 3rd law: forces always originate in pairs, equal in magnitude and opposite in direction. They also examine how the informal, qualitative version: Each action has an equal and...
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Frames of Reference: The Basics
Students learn the concept of frames of reference in physics. They examine how two frames of reference, each moving with respect to the other with a constant velocity v (constant speed, constant direction).
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Airplane flight
High schoolers learn the basic concepts about airplane flight. They learn the reason jetliner wings are swept back and why jet engines have replaced propellers in high-speed flight.
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Accelerated Frames of Reference: Inertial Forces
High schoolers examine how when applying the laws of motion to an object in an accelerating frame, using coordinates defined in such frame, one must always add an "inertial force", representing forces caused by the frame's acceleration.
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Kepler's Second Law
Students explore orbital velocities and how they vary along each orbit, according to Kepler's Second Law.
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Kepler's Third Law
Learners use Kepler's third law to derive the velocity in a circular orbit of any radius, and identify the Earth escape velocity.
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Seeing The Sun In A New Light
Learners examine the observation of "coronal holes," by x-rays, also about related fast streams and moderate magnetic storms that recur at 27 day intervals. They study NASA'S great observatories.
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#22c Airplane flight #22d Airplane flight--How High? How Fast?
Learners discuss the application of frames of reference to an airplane flying with a constant velocity v through the air.
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The Sundial
Students explain the design, principle and orientation of a sundial, the type with a gnomon pointing towards the pole of the heavens. They construct a model sundial from paper.
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(S-1) Sunlight and the Earth
Students discuss the solar heating of the Earth and atmosphere, its heat loss proceses, and the way these relate to weather and climate.
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#24 Rotating Frames of Reference in Space and on Earth
High schoolers explore rotating frames of reference, focusing on the weightless environment in space and the Coriolis force.
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Motion in a Circle
Students study about deriving centripetal acceleration for motion at constant speed around a circle.
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Ellipses And Kepler's First Law
Young scholars explain that planets actually orbit the center of gravity of the solar system, and that distant planets may be detected by motions of their central star around the centers of gravity of their planetary systems.
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Graphs And Ellipses
High schoolers become acquainted with linear graphs, the parabola and the rectangular hyperbola. Also prepare tables of paired values as preparation for plotting a line. They study the cartesian equation of an ellipse, with a worked...
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How Distant Is The Moon?
Students discover how Aristarchus, a Greek astronomer around 230 BC, used a simple observation of the eclipse of the Moon, plus clever reasoning, to deduce the distance of the Moon. They practice the same calculation technique.
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Coordinates
Students use cartesian coordinates (x,y,z) in 3-dimensional space. [Optional: appreciate there exist two ways of defining the z axis, and which of them is used.] They become familiar with the tools and terms used by surveyors.
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The Path of the Sun, the Ecliptic
Students are introduced to the ecliptic, the zodiac and the apparent motions of the Sun, Moon and planets across the sky.
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The Discovery of the Solar System
Students explain the observed motion of the planets. The inner ones move back-and-forth across the position of the Sun, while the outer ones usually advance in one direction, but with occasional temporary reversals known as "retrograde...
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The Celestial Sphere
Young scholars are introduced to the celestial sphere, describing its apparent rotation and the special role of the pole star.
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The Path of the Sun: The Ecliptic
Students investigate the celestial sphere and the paths it takes in the solar system.
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Seasons of the Year
Learners examine how the link between the tilt of the Earth's axis to the ecliptic and seasons of the year--length of day, effectiveness of sunlight, polar day and night, and seasons south and north of the equator, as well as near it.