CREATE YOUR OWN PHYSICS PROBLEM!
For me to get a sense of your understanding of each unit, you will be creating your own physics problem and
solution. You may use our class resources for a reference or the internet, but the question must be your own.
WHAT DO WE DEFINE AS A ‘PROBLEM’?
A problem is a situation that you do not know how to resolve immediately. If you know how to do it, it is not a
problem! Solving a problem requires making decisions about connecting what you know in new ways.
The problem you create will be assessed in many ways, not just its level of difficulty. The goal of this assignment
is for you to show your conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills at the level of difficulty that you
are comfortable with.
Example 1 is something that you would see in one of your worksheets, we would not consider it to be a
‘problem’. Its solution is very straightforward and doesn’t really allow you to demonstrate your conceptual
knowledge and problem-solving abilities.
To make a good physics ‘problem’, try to make it have a purpose and/or meaningful. This can be accomplished
in many ways, whether it is through real world applications of physics, the design of a new or improved
machine/product, or a story line.
In the following examples, you can see that there is an actual ‘problem’ to solve and the problem posed has a
purpose. In addition, the solution will take some thought and problem-solving abilities.
Example 1: A block starts from rest and accelerates for 3.0 seconds. It then goes 30 m in 5.0 seconds at a constant velocity.
a) What was the final velocity of the block?
) What was the acceleration of the block?
Example 2: You are working with a design team to build a simple system to transport boxes from one part of a warehouse to
another. In the design, boxes are placed at the top of the ramp so that they slide to their destination. A box slides easily because the
amp is covered with rollers. Your job is to calculate the maximum length of the ramp if the heaviest box is 25 kg and the ramp is at
5.0o to the horizontal. To be safe, no box should go faster than 3.0 m/s when it reaches the end of the ramp.
Example 3: You have a summer job with the police CSI unit and are helping to investigate a tragic incident. At the scene, you see a
oad running straight down a hill at 10° to the horizontal. At the bottom of the hill, the road widens into a small, level parking lot
overlooking a cliff. The cliff has a vertical drop of 400 feet to the ground below where a car is wrecked 30 feet from the base of the
cliff. A witness claims the car was parked on the hill and began coasting down the road, taking about 3 seconds to get down the hill.
Your boss drops a stone from the edge of the cliff and determines that it takes 5.0 seconds to hit the bottom. You are told to
calculate the car's average acceleration coming down the hill based on the statement of the witness and the other facts in the case.
Obviously, your boss suspects foul play.
Example 4: Ella Mentary, adventurer, physics fan and all-around great lady is out on a walk when she notices that her boyfriend,
Noah Vale, has been kidnapped by her arch-enemy Rotcod Dam. He is holding Noah in a wagon at the top of a 200 m long hill that is
51.8 m high.
Rotcod releases the wagon, which has a mass of 10.0 kg, and Noah with his 50.0 kg mass, and they accelerate down the hill. There is
a coefficient of friction between the wagon and the hill of XXXXXXXXXXThe problem is that there is a cliff only 100 m away from the
ottom of the hill. Can Ella stop the wagon and Noah before he falls to a very messy end?
At the bottom of the hill Ella leaps into the wagon adding her 60.0 kg mass to the total. By dragging her feet Ella can increase the
coefficient of friction to XXXXXXXXXXWill this be enough force to stop the wagon and keep their love alive? Or will Noah and Ella be taking
the plunge?
Your question will be assessed with the following criteria.
CREATIVITY
• How original is your question?
• Are there creative elements in it
such as a theme, jokes/puns,
story lines?
DIFFICULTY
• Have you added a level of
difficulty that extends past our
notes and worksheets?
• Is a high level of conceptual
understanding required to solve
the problem?
SETUP
• Have you provided a detailed
diagram or visualization of the
problem?
• Have you defined your variables
and listed your
knowns/unknowns?
You will also be required to provide a step-by-step solution of your problem. Your solution will be assessed with
the following criteria.
ACCURACY
• Is your solution co
ect?
• Does your solution co
ectly
eference physics concepts and
ideas?
COMMUNICATION
• Is your solution easy to read and
follow?
• Does your solution provide clear and
detailed explanations?
Criteria Beginning Developing Proficient Exemplary
Question
Creativity
Problem closely resembles
common worksheet
problems or was taken from
online sources
No creative elements have
een incorporated
Problem has some
originality
Minimal creative
elements have been
incorporated
Problem demonstrates
originality
Creative elements have
een incorporated
Problem is not only
original and incorporates
creative elements, but
also stands out from the
est
Difficulty
Problem does not require
any problem-solving skills or
conceptual understanding
eyond a worksheet
question.
Problem requires some
problem-solving skills and
conceptual
understanding, but still
closely resembles a
worksheet question
Problem requires a level
of problem-solving skills
and conceptual
understanding beyond a
worksheet question
Problem is challenging
and requires a high level
of problem-solving skills
and conceptual
understanding.
Setup
Diagram is missing key
details/labels and is difficult
to understand
Variables are not defined,
or are not consistently used
Diagram is not sufficiently
detailed/labeled making it
somewhat hard to
understand
Variables are defined
Diagram is clear,
sufficiently
detailed/labeled and easy
to understand
Variables are defined
Solution
Accuracy
More than one minor e
or
is present
Explanations do not show
understanding of underlying
concepts
One minor e
or is
present
Explanations shows
understanding of
underlying concepts
Solution is co
ect
Explanation shows
understanding of
underlying concepts
Solution is co
ect
Explanation shows high
level of understanding of
underlying concepts
Communication
Explanation is missing two
or more of A, B, or C
Explanation is missing one
of A, B, or C
Explanation is;
A. clear
B. sufficiently detailed
C. easy to follow
3.1
Circular Motion & Gravitation -
Uniform Circular Motion
Essential Questions
1. What is uniform circular motion?
2. How do we apply Newton’s Laws to an
object with circular motion?
3. What are centripetal and centrifugal
forces?
Uniform Circular Motion
When something is moving at a constant (uniform)
________ on a circular path
Period (T): the time it takes for one
complete cycle (seconds/cycle)
Frequency (f): the number of cycles
per second (cycles/second)
Measured in Hertz (Hz)
How Fast in the Ball Moving?
Example 1: A plane, flying at a constant speed,
makes a complete circle with a radius of 3622 m in
2.10 min. What is the speed of the plane? What is its
frequency?
Is the Plane Accelerating?
The plane is constantly changing ___________. Therefore
it ____ accelerating!
Centripetal Acceleration
Special kind of acceleration used for circular motion
Centripetal means
“____________ _______________”
Where does this acceleration come from?
Newton’s ____________ Law! For an object to
accelerate it must be experiencing a ________________
in the same direction
This net force is given a special name for circular motion
Centripetal Force!
Remember! This is not a new force. It’s the net force.
You will NEVER include it on your free body diagram!
f dspeed t
Vcircumference
period
F for1 v Qtrfor since f
inverse v 2Trfrelationship
direction
is
µ v Vi V CViT 2.10min6011265
f3622in min sv
v re
f Y
µ o
I.IE ff fiIaiiTi sina.e.noieeitieitiaiationmustalsobepointedtowardsthecentre
second
netforce
unbalancedforce
centre seeking
v a i 4t
mak
Fmac f MRI military
ace T2r T2
Learning Check
In the game of tethe
all, the struck ball whirls
around a pole. In what direction does the net
force on the ball point?
a) toward the top of the pole
) toward the ground
c) along the horizontal component
of the tension force
d) along the vertical component of
the tension force
Where does the centripetal force come
from?
1. A mass is twirled in a circle at the
end of a string, the centripetal force
is provided by ______________
2. When a car rounds a corner on a
highway, the centripetal force is
provided by _____________
3. When the Moon o
its the Earth, the
centripetal force is provided by
_____________
Example 2: A 90 kg bicyclist travels at 5.0
m/s around a curve of radius 12 m. What is
the centripetal acceleration and centripetal
force?
What is the centripetal force if the radius is
5.0 m?
Example 3: Jeevan is traveling in his car in slippery highway
conditions. He sees a curve in the road ahead, and quickly throws
his physics 12 notes to his passenger and tells him to calculate the
maximum speed they can take the curve. They assume the radius
of the curve is 50.0 m, and the coefficient of friction is 0.01.
Learning Check
Let’s say you are the passenger in Jeevan’s
car, and not wearing a seat belt. The car
makes a quick left turn around the curve.
From your perspective in the car, what do
you feel is happening to you?
a) you are thrown to the right
) you feel no particular change