Jen+Hughes+10-6-08

On Monday, October 6th, Mr. Manning’s Class began class with a graded daily question. The question was a means of testing the students’ knowledge of position, distance, and displacement. Daily Question Scenario: // You set of a bottle rocket from the ground. It goes up 500 meters and comes back down and you catch it. You are 3 meters tall. What are the bottles: // // Total Displacement: 3m-0m=3m // // Total Distance: 500m+497m= 997 m // (See picture) Following a discussion of the graded question, the class split up into groups in order to complete the //“Graphin’ the Walk”// Lab. The students worked together to create a graph showing a comparison between the walking speeds conducted on Friday. After completing the lab and turning it into Mr. Manning, students were instructed to begin the homework. The packet describes the difference between average velocity and average distance. **Average Velocity** = __change in x__ Change in t **Average Speed**= __distance__ Time In the packet, students are asked to consider a jog that Mr. Physics took, then to express modifications to his travels on several graphs. There are also several questions requiring them to calculate average velocity and average speed on their own for a specific situation. It is important for students to understand that velocity shows displacement, where as speed is calculating the total distance (sum). Furthermore, because displacement is involved in the formula for average velocity, this calculation is the only one that can show direction in its value. Average speed cannot show direction because it is asking for total distance. Students are reminded to complete the packet (and lab if it wasn’t finished in class) for homework, and bring all materials to class tomorrow. The lab that was due on Friday will be returned tomorrow.
 * Average Speed vs. Average Velocity **