Category: Momentum

Physics: The Physics of the Fast Five

7/20/2013

Just when you watch a movie and get a great idea, you go online and find that someone already did it and they did it better. I found this article called, "Ask A Physicist: Could You Pull of the Fast 5 Heist in Real Life?"

The article breaks down a few scenes first by setting up the problem and identifying knowns based on what characters said. For example, they use the phrase "Ten tons of security" to calculate how much mass the cars have to pull. Next they check if the cars could really accelerate that quickly. Then they use momentum and acceleration to check out some of those crazy turns.

The nice thing is that the article has the specific movie clips embedded in the article so I don't have to go and find them all myself. :D

0 Comments

Physics: Momentum through Tornadoes

7/18/2013

0 Comments

I grew up in the south and was constantly exposed to tornado warnings and tornado watches. One thing I like to do in my classroom is to introduce students to my culture by talking about tornadoes through the lens of momentum.

I was surprised by how unimpressed about tornadoes they were until I painted a picture for them of what it was like by telling stories and sharing memories. Showing them a picture of tornadoes isn't the same as showing them a video of tornadoes.

Image courtesy of www.shoppbs.org.

Title: Deadliest Tornadoes

Run time: 53 Minutes

Cost: Stream it for free through the PBS website: Deadliest Tornadoes

Highlights:

Visual depictions of air flow while meteorologists explain as well as overlays on video of tornadoes
Cardboard through a concrete wall around 37 min.

Closed Captioning:

Yes, if streamed through Netflix.
No, if streamed through PBS.org.

0 Comments

Welcome, Teachers!

Physics: The Physics of the Fast Five

Physics: Momentum through Tornadoes

Author

Archives

Categories