Friday, January 31, 2014
Semester II Week #2 Blog, Due Wednesday, February 5th by 11:00 pm
We are about 3 1/2 months away from the AP test. What are you most concerned about at this point? For the past few months, we have been working on Newton's Laws and forces. What concepts or equations are giving you the most trouble right now? What can I do to help you? Are there any activities or resources that you know of that you would like me to present in class? What have you been doing to facilitate your own learning? Remember, in order to receive full credit, you must post an original comment PLUS reply to someone else's comment. Happy Blogging!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
My main concern at this point is that I feel like i'm not quite ready to take the AP test yet. The concepts that i'm having the most trouble with is forces. I get confused on what equations to use sometimes, I really need to focus more on physics. Activities that I would really appreciate is more example problems on the board or as a warm-up. And you going over it with the entire class later, explaining it, and showing us what we did wrong or common mistakes.I learn better that way. To make things easier on me I've been getting help on my homework to try and understand the material better rather than just doing it on my own and getting stuck.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I learn really understand concepts better that way as well. I'm a visual learner. Hockman does a lot of problems with the class and walks everyone through them, and I think it is very effective. When doing my physics homework, I like looking at multiple examples on the internet to walk me through a problem,
DeleteThat's a very good way to learn from her explaining it on the board because I'm the same, a visual learner. It might be confusing at first for me but step by step the explanations you do Ego help a lot.
Deleteas well as yall I am a very visual learner I need to see how to do a problem so I can double check my work, those calculus notes you gave me Friday ms. ego I found really helpful because I have something to look at when im having problems with any calculus
DeleteI'm the same way. I need to see examples in order to apply them to my homework. A good way to comprehend would be to search up youtube videos that have examples of the problems you are having.
DeleteI agree with Paola and Jose. Going step by step is very helpful as well as the notes you gave us Friday because I have something to look at now that explain where/why I'm stuck.
DeleteI've been doing fairly decent so far. With forces, the main thing that confused me was where to put the correct angle when drawing the FBD and it's components. The placement of the angle was very important, and if I placed it in the wrong spot, it would make the rest of the problem wrong. Thanks to a few peers though, they've explained it to me and it has helped me understand it better.
ReplyDeleteI had trouble drawing the angles for the FBD in the beginning too. I'm getting better at it now with practice. And yeah more examples on the board is how I learn best.
DeleteThat is my weakness as well. I am always struggling on determining where to place the angle. X and Y components also still give me trouble. I would like more practice and explaining of those two concepts.
DeleteMe too. At the beginning i was having difficulty drawing the fbd. I need help on where to put the angle becuse i would not like to get the whole problem wrong. Its good when we go over the whole class.
DeleteI'm good with the forces but sometimes the wording confuses me that's why I ask some of my classmates for help. The laws are simple but they just slip out of my mind. I need pretty hard questions to do that will explain things enough for me or the whole classroom to understand. Not like that question from Friday that was just confusing , it didn't help but probably when you explain it it'll be easier. To ubderstand some stuff better I just youtube or Google it to get more information about the topic. It helps most of the time but there are various ways of teaching and it ends up getting me more confused. An easier way for us to get better might be a fun way to memorize the equations. I know that it's an AP test but there's also fun stuff to do that teaches us more and catches our attention.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Iban, there are fun ways of learning for the AP test and I hope we get a chance to use them, which would be fun and I think we could actually learn.
DeleteAt this point in time I am concerned with the equations, how to use them, and if any theory is behind them for when to use them. I feel I learn better when you would explain the equation or with notes before and then do sample problems that use the equations so we have a chance to learn and ask questions if we don't understand. I use the 5 staps to a 5 book to understand somethings, YouTube and Google, but with all the different methods of teaching I do get confused on what to do because I put all the things I have learned into one big mess and end up doing the same thing a couple of times and get nowhere. But, I do hope I end up being prepared for the AP test.
ReplyDeleteAt this point my main concern are the X and Y components. When it comes to Kinematics and I am given everything needed, all I have to do is plug it in a formula. That is fairly easy in comparison to determining a force and having to use X and Y components. My first struggle is finding out where to put the angle. I have gotten better at this but sometimes I do get confused and mess up, causing my whole problem to be wrong. How could I make sure I placed my angle in the correct place. After that I get confused on where to draw my x ad y axis components. The trig part is easy, it is just finding where my components go and hoping I have my x and y axis correct. I have been am listening in class and hope to improve. More explanations and worksheets would help.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI focus on what my horizontal and vertical forces are, or if not, what my parallel and perpendicular forces are. Then, I place the given angle where it should belong based on where my axes are. Finally, to simplify components, you should draw your axes in such a way where you only have to manipulate the fewest amount of forces to lessen confusion.
Deletemy main concern is the fact that I am in pre cal right now while most of the class is in calculus already. sometimes I feel really behind and lost but lately I have been asking questions around to understand. I am very visual learner so I always ask for somebody to walk me through a problem first when they help me therefore I have something to check my work with.
ReplyDeleteI also feel a bit lost sometimes since I also have pre cal but hopefully we will understand the work despite that. I agree with you on the visual learner part I also seem to learn better that way sometimes.
DeleteI feel the same way because im also in pre cal and that leaves us in a disadvantage. But im sure by looking at youtube videos or physics websites we can leran and get the hang of it.
DeleteI also feel at a disadvantage because most of my class is in calculus. Calculus would have been really helpful during the kinematics portion of physics.
DeleteMy main concern is preparation for the AP test. I sometimes think that I'm not ready to take the AP test. I have trouble knowing when to correctly write the equation for the sum of forces on a certain axis. It would be great if you could teach the class when it should be correctly used on the AP test. I use www.physicsclassroom.com as a resource for everything physics. You should present this source to the class, as it has been very helpful to me.
ReplyDeleteI think like that too but then I think about how we only have to get like a 65% and that helps me out because I think I know enough to get me there.
Deletei'm with you edgar. a little more examples like those like the ones that we'd see on the test would be Greatly appreciated.
Deleteresources that cover what we are learning would be helpful
DeleteMy main concern is knowing the right formula to use for the forces. I always use peculiar formulas that end up with the correct answer, but i'm afraid that in the ap test they won't give me those imperative points.
ReplyDeleteMy main concern is catching up at this point. I have fallen so far behind because i havent done my homework that when we cover something new in class i dont understand. I plan on finding a schedule that works for me so that i can get help after school. I mainly struggle with components after drawing the FBD. I've been searching up videos and examples to see if i can catch on.
ReplyDeleteOne of my main concerns is remembering the forces and to stop overthinking everything. At one point I thought I would start to understand the work better as time passed, but the fact that I make the work more difficult than what it actually is keeps me from doing that. I also fall a bit behind due to the fact that I'm still in pre-cal and more than half of the class is in calculus. I will need to focus more on AP Physics and stay for tutoring to get the extra help I need.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree, sometimes is not that I don't know how to do the problem it is just that I am over thinking its solution.
DeleteMy main concern is to understand part of what was taughg in first semester. I have trouble with forces and formulas. I know for a fact I need physics tutoring and studyung more would help.
ReplyDeleteI have the same problem, Stephanie. Studying would definitely help! I am going to try to focus more on physics this semester. I suggest using physics websites, they help!
DeleteI have basically the same concern, I have a problem with remembering the things we learned in first semester. I as well need to go to tutorials maybe on saturdays.
DeleteUp to this point, what I am most concerned with is forces. I am not graspinng the concepts completely. I have the most trouble with drawing FBD diagrams, and using the right equations to find the missing forces. I feel that we should receive the notes first, then do a few practice problems together as a group. Then do some on our own, and you can help us out when we're done. You should go through the problem with us, step by step, and ask us what we need to do. Personally, that is how I'll learn. In order to review, I go to websites like Physics Classroom, and soon I'll by an AP review book.
ReplyDeleteI agree, for us to fully understand something we first need notes then practice
DeleteI agree with Yajaira, i struggle and second guess when it comes to drawing the FBD diagrams,instead of just going for it.
DeleteI also agree with yajaira. Getting some notes before doing a problem would really help us understand how to begin working out a problem.
DeleteI understand most of it I just need to practice it more often because I tend to forget it. And I need to come up with a way to remember the equations and formulas.
ReplyDeleteI forget them as well. I just hope i don't forget them when we take the AP test.
DeleteI am very concerned about not feeling fully prepared for the AP text. I struggle with which equations to use on specific questions and I think too hard when it comes to a question that isn't hard to understand whatsoever. I need to study more to prepare and take the time to teach myself what I am having problems with and what Im weak in.
DeleteMy main concern at this point is newtons second law i have trouble sometimes on the way the questions are worded. I pretty confident with my force diagrams. However i tend to forget the kinematic equations. Maybe you can show us a way we can memorize the equations.
ReplyDeleteI also struggle with the wording of the questions, maybe we could go over how to figure out what the harder word problems are asking as a class.
DeleteWow if Mrs.Ego can find a way to remember them and when to use them that would be amazing!
DeleteIm having trouble understanding how to set up the equation when it comes to finding the net force esecially when there is a friction force. Im also having trouble memorizing the formulas I know how to do it just dont know what to plug it in to.
ReplyDeleteat this point I am having most trouble setting up and calculating unbalanced forces, it is something that I am not grasping easily but with more practice I feel I could master it. Tension forces sometimes give me trouble but I am able to comprehend them more now than I used to.
ReplyDeleteI am most concerned about solving for the amount of force when given word problems. I understand them when working in groups because we are able to bounce ideas off of each other, working alone is a struggle. The kinematic equations give me a little trouble, not the equations themselves, but memorizing them all. The way I help myself understand the concepts a bit better is when we discuss in class or work in groups.
ReplyDeletei'm just scared that i'm unprepared for the test. The notes you give are good but most of the time it's just notes and not enough examples. Sure the homework helps but half the time i don't understand it once i get home. I would just really enjoy and benefit if you could walk through some sample problems to not only help me but other people too. I'm sure sample examples would really help errrbody.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Sample examples could really help us in the long run!
DeleteI honestly don’t believe I’m prepared for the AP test because i still have to catch up with all the stuff from 1st semester. The main thing I’m going to struggle with is trying to remember all the equations and formulas. I have to start going to tutoring more often and start doing my homework because that’s what killed me last semester.
ReplyDeleteI completely understanding you. I feel like I am still stuck in the 1st semester but that is just me. AP test is getting close, and all I see is failure in myself. It's sad but it's true. I just hope the next few months we actually review.
DeleteMy main concern at this point of the year is not being able to go through problems quickly because sometimes I don't understand the concept. I would like to see more examples being worked on as a class. Like that when I am doing homework I can follow through the notes. When we get the coefficient of friction I do not know to what equation to put it on. So then i need to start studying the equations for the forces. I have ask my older sister for help and gone through the internet to help me on my homework, but I can't get much explanation if I have a question.
ReplyDeleteI also feel rushed by the time when we do FRQ's. Not knowing how to apply the equations correctly can be very time consuming.
DeleteAna M.
With all honesty, everything is a problem to me in physics to this point. Except derivatives and intergrals which we haven't even gotten to yet, but I know they will be easy because I learned them in Hocks. I don't know if it is me or what, but last years physics class was so easy to me and was simple. But this year I feel like I have learned nothing, but only how to draw arrows and write F=ma. I wish I knew what I needed but I honestly do not, I've had a rough time always in science, but I never taught it would get to the point were giving up was an option. When I need help I mainly go to the internet.
ReplyDeleteMy main concern at this point is the force part of physics. I am still struggling with creating the proper equations for problems that require us to find the value of a certain variable or force. I also still have trouble placing the angle in problems that have an angle or on an incline. I would like to do more examples in class that involve fnet systems and placing angles on inclines/rope tension. And last i still do not feel prepared for the AP exam.
ReplyDeleteMy main concern is that i don't believe that I am prepared for the AP test I have a hard time applying the formulas to the questions we do for homework. I think if we did more problems together as a class I would learn better rather than just taking a lot of notes because i'm not actually anticking what i write down i'm just copying the words. I have been separating time out of my days to focus solely on physics homework.
ReplyDeleteI agree I feel like we need to just work on practice problems as a whole bc I usually get confused on what I'm doing on my own. I feel like I work better in groups as well.
DeleteVery true joceline, when we take notes I feel I'm just writing and copying not learning what's going on with what we're writing.
DeleteThe AP test is coming up and what worries me at this point is not the AP test itself nut just passing the class.
ReplyDeleteIf you're worried about passing the class, it helps to stay after school for tutorials and come on Saturdays, or going online for help. Really, any little bit you can do will help you pass the class.
DeleteI honestly do not think I'm ready for the ap test. Ever since we started forces, my mind is just always confused :( like when you have to find tension in a system where it has two objects or sometimes knowing what equations to use and memorizing them but I think the only thing that can help is just practicing random problems and studying more.
ReplyDeleteThose questions get me too. I get the general understanding of what to do, but I still feel like I'm unsure of them. I think a lot of it just has to do with practicing more, as well. With these worksheets lately, I feel like I'm understanding more and it's all just practice. So, I agree. More practice problems would be great.
DeleteI think that's a great way to put it, by practicing random problems. If we could expose ourselves to a as many different scenarios as possible we could learn a thing or two and maybe we could apply that knowledge in a question we have yet to encounter. I'm also suggesting that we should work on packets of previous AP Physics exams like we did in Mr. Hockman's class last year.
DeleteWhat's really helping me so far in Physics is the homework that you assign us. Luckily, I have you 3rd period and I get a chance to actually do my homework and ask you personally for help when I need it. It would be great if you could make us do like a Newtons Forces fold-able or like Kim said earlier "show us a way we can memorize the equations"
ReplyDeleteI usually remember all the formulas and equations. My problem is that when I read a question I'm not quite sure what the it's asking for and what steps I need to take to find the answer. I don't think that I will be able to coherently interpret a problem and solve it within the 15 minutes I'm given on the AP test.Usually when I don't understand something I turn to YouTube or after school tutorials and those sources tend to help me a lot.
ReplyDeleteMy main concern at this point is not being ready to take the Ap exam. I am some what struggling with creating the proper equations to find certain variables or forces. I would like to do more examples in class that involve finding the tension. I feel like I'm doing better than last semester bc I now have more time to catch up on my physics hw in 3rd Period.
ReplyDeleteSome of my biggest concerns are not being to understand and catch up on some of the first semester material. I feel behind and I still can't grasp many concepts. My biggest issue would be the equations. Sometimes I feel I simply don't have them memorized but then at other times I just struggle knowing which one to apply. Components is still an issue for me when having to use them as well. I like how we've been doing those worksheets lately. They seem to be a great help so far. On my part, I just need to take time out of my day to actually get my stuff together and up to speed.
ReplyDeleteI still have some problems applying the rightn formula to the problems given to us. When I don't understand something very clearly, I normally go to youtube or ask some of my other classmates for help. That seems to help me a lot.
ReplyDeleteAna M.
I totally agree with you . Remembering the specific formula for a problem is a struggle for me as well. I always end up using the wrong one and this leads me to the wrong answer.
DeleteMy concern at the moment, I believe, isn't as large as it used to be a week ago. I have been studying outside of class with a variety of sources that are offered online and also by skimming through the physics textbook that we had checked out for the class last semester. Through this self-study I cleared up most of the confusion that had accumulated up to this point. The AP Physics exam, however, does concern me greatly because I'm still unsure if I mastered the concepts we've covered in class so far. I would like to suggest packets with practice problems from past AP Physics exams so we could kind of gain a feel of what will be on the exam we take in May. It would be similar to what Mr. Hockman does to prepare his students for the AP Calculus AB and BC exams and I am pretty sure that it could serve as a means to facilitate our learning if we went over some common problems in class together (that is step by step, if possible).
ReplyDeleteI agree on the step by step and going with the whole class. doing sertain problems not only one or the ones that people have trouble with. we should go though all of them so we make sure we we did it right
DeleteMy biggest concern is remembering formulas. I always end up using the wrong ones and this leads me to the wrong answer. I need to do more problems that use these formulas so I can learn how to apply them and will have them memorize for the AP Test.
ReplyDeleteI agree sometimes the variables in the formulas get confusing. Some examples would help though.
DeleteYes, just figuring out how to use the information you have is very confusing.
Deletemy main concern at this point is that I'm somewhat behind in the work. I have been studying and I'm getting a little bit better. I know what to do with the equations the thing is that I have a problem remembering them. Some thing you could do to help me is make is memorize this equations and maybe for the warm ups make us write them. Ti help me out I have studied outside the class and looked in some books for a betterexplanation
ReplyDeleteSo far my biggest concern is a little review on the first semester. Not everything seemed to stick from then. Formulas are also kind of a struggle because we just took one test over them and all so I feel like it wasn't covered, I think those were my main concerns.
ReplyDeleteUnderstanding the concept and what happens is easy and learning the parts of it is also easy, however my issue is finding the formula to fit a situation. More example problems and walkthroughs would be easier to learn from, learning equations and just overall review and sharpening up my equations seems to be what I need.
ReplyDeleteMy main concern is that i am not able to understand what equations to use or how to use the information i have to figure it all out. I dont think im ready for the AP test & i really just think that more practice and explaining how to work them out is the only way to get any better
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Jessica, practice is the best teacher for everybody because if we don't practice then how are we going to show up to the real game prepared.
DeleteMy main concern is whether or not I am going to understand forces fully. It would be great help if we just do ap problems.
ReplyDeleteTo his point I'm doing okay, but there is always there and then a problem that might confuse me, such as the ones that have no numbers just variables, but other than that I'm doing fine. Also, the resource that has really helped me has been, YouTube videos and practice,practice,practice.
ReplyDelete