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Dr. Leonard McCoy

PostPosted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 1:43 pm


Ok, so here is my story… I am a sophomore mathematics student. I have been asked to help with a research project that we will have limited time to work on. They are only asking me because we have NO PHYSICS DEPARTMENT at our college. (It is really sad, because I wanted to take physics...) So I have just a few weeks to learn the basics and acquire enough information about physics to be of some use. I knew you guys would be able to help me out… So I ask you for your knowledge.

Typically the problems are like this:
A stunt man drives his bike off of a _ degree ramp at _ miles per hour. Together the man and the bike weighs _ lbs. Where should the stack of boxes be place to catch the stunt man?

I want to say they usually toss in some more information and few extra variables (like in this problem it would be like wind or something of that nature).

As you can see, it isn’t really rocket science… I was just wondering if you guys could tell me the basics or tell me a website that might be able to give me sort of a crash course. (I have not taken any physics classes so forgive me if I ask stupid questions.)
PostPosted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 10:00 pm


That looks like standard projectile motion.

There are a fair number of resources about it, as it's standard high school physics.
Here's what look to be a good site from a quick google: http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/vectors/U3L2b.html

And of course, don't forget that drawing a diagram always helps.


Just an unrelated question, what exactly do you mean by college?
From the context and problem difficulty it seems like you're talking about high school, but I've never heard college used to refer to high school before.

Dave the lost


nonameladyofsins

PostPosted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 7:09 am


Dave the lost
That looks like standard projectile motion.

There are a fair number of resources about it, as it's standard high school physics.
Here's what look to be a good site from a quick google: http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/vectors/U3L2b.html

And of course, don't forget that drawing a diagram always helps.


Just an unrelated question, what exactly do you mean by college?
From the context and problem difficulty it seems like you're talking about high school, but I've never heard college used to refer to high school before.


well it looks like a first year course, first year physics courses usually cover things like projectile motion as well do a review of high school physics and continue it a little bit. She did say that they don't have a physics departement and this is the first they've made of it. You might start by choosing a txt, something general like "Physics: for scientists and engineers" or just "Physics" Usually most upper year courses don't have general titles like that as physics begins being branched off into Thermal Physics, Electrodynamis, Quantum Mechanics, Classical Mechanics... etc. there are many different courses to take, but no upper year course has a general like 'physics' so any book with such a name is good. What kind of libraries do you have available at your college? If you don't have a physics departement are they likely to carry books on the topic? Getting yourself a text is very useful in drawing for a curriculum, and it'll give you an overview of what you can teach and how to solve those kinds of questions. I'd suggest a Serwey or Giancoli. Those are two texts which I used.
PostPosted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 1:31 pm


Dave the lost

Just an unrelated question, what exactly do you mean by college?
From the context and problem difficulty it seems like you're talking about high school, but I've never heard college used to refer to high school before.

As in I am at a University... You can get up to your masters at this university. People around these parts often don't have physics... Heck I don't know of any high school within 30 minutes of where I live that even offers the course. My high school dropped Calculus my junior year and we were the only ones that taught it in the area.

This project is mainly to force us to work together and put us under pressure. They are allowing 2 days to complete the project with a full explaination of all of the steps we did. I think the focus is mainly be on the explaination though.

Oh yeah... thanks for the help. 3nodding

Dr. Leonard McCoy


Dr. Leonard McCoy

PostPosted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 1:41 pm


Quote:
What kind of libraries do you have available at your college? If you don't have a physics departement are they likely to carry books on the topic?
There isn't much... Not in the main library... Maybe in the basement storage. The physics department disolved about 5 years ago they might have the books somewhere. I have a book on applied mathematics... It has a few things on physics in it... Unfortunately the main focus is business math.

Thank for the advice... I will look around.
PostPosted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 10:41 pm


A university with no physics?

That's...that's...criminal.

Dave the lost


nonameladyofsins

PostPosted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 8:32 am


Dave the lost
A university with no physics?

That's...that's...criminal.


yeah I didn't know it was possible either. It seems strange to me.
PostPosted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 12:41 pm


poweroutage
Dave the lost
A university with no physics?

That's...that's...criminal.


yeah I didn't know it was possible either. It seems strange to me.

I sucks... But we couldn't keep enough people in the program... You have to graduate a certian number of students in that major to keep it, and they couldn't hit the minimum for two years... So it is gone... Sad day...

sad

Dr. Leonard McCoy


Drake07

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PostPosted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 5:59 am


It seems really sad. What is the minimum number of students?
Well, I know that there are only a few people studying physics/chemistry in our university, but they still keep those departments and they try to improve it by adding some features to the course (such as Physics with Computer Engineering). Traditionally, math students were around 10-15, but we started to increase in number especially since the math department opened new programs (such as Applied Math Major in Finance and Applied Math Major in Computational Science). Heck, our batch only have one student whose Major is Filipino, but they still teach him. I guess it is just a matter of the university's dedication to teach students. (But there is a minimum number of students that is required for a class. If that is not met, the students will join another class with the same subject or some kind of compromise will be done.)

Well, I thought that basic physics (such as free fall, projectile motion) is taught in most high schools. There are what I consider as two versions of basic physics- calculus and non-calculus version. Personally, I liked the one without calculus back in high school because I had an easier time deriving formulas from definitions unlike in our analytical physics (calculus version) wherein we get confused until we see a familiar formula (maybe it was just my prof's lack of teaching skills). The only difference is that the calculus version includes more concepts like derivatives, integrals and limits. But the calculus version is still manageable if you have the basic background in physics and calculus. Anyway, if you just understand the formulas (how it was derived or its definition), things will be a little simple because all that is left is manipulating those formulas according to what is given.

For problems like those, you could search for Kinematics or Vectors since the problem can be reduced to considering the x and y components, where y is affected by gravity or free fall. Just to give the basics (Presuming that you know the kinematic formulas because it is a matter of plugging in the values):
Calculate the time it takes for the object to fall into the ground (using the y component wherein (speed)*(sin (_degree)) is the vertical speed). Velocity at the maximum height is zero and acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 meters per second. Formula: final velocity= initial velocity + acceleration*time. Remember that the thing goes up, then down so multiply it by two to get the time it takes to go up and down. (Presuming it is on a level ground, which makes the time going up equal to time going down).
Then calculate the horizontal distance it travelled (by using cos (_ degree) to get the horizontal speed). Formula: distance= time*(velocity intitial + velocity final)/2
To put it simply, compute for the time using the free fall principle (gravity with an acceleration of 9.8 meters per seconds) and then use that time to get the horizontal distance. (Also be sure that you use the same units such as meters per second into miles per hour).


Anyway, these are what I found in Wikibooks
Physics- Vector Components
Physics Study Guide
PostPosted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 11:49 am


Thanks Drake07

And about you question... We have to graduate 10 a year.... So with fall, winter, and spring you must have at least 10 graduate.

We only have one math major here though... Which is mathematics... But with physics and math not very popular here (actually higher education isn't valued very high in these parts) there isn't a real demand for more of those majors. They focus on safety, Ag, and aviation. Honestly, I can't wait to leave Oklahoma...

Dr. Leonard McCoy


Dave the lost

PostPosted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 10:28 pm


Needing to graduate in a faculty is a stupid idea.

Only nine people graduate with a degree in maths, lets drop maths.

Oh wait, now we have no one to teach maths, which is used throughout science, engineering, commerce, and even some for the arts.
PostPosted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 11:22 am


Dave the lost
Needing to graduate in a faculty is a stupid idea.

Only nine people graduate with a degree in maths, lets drop maths.

Oh wait, now we have no one to teach maths, which is used throughout science, engineering, commerce, and even some for the arts.
lol.. We are fortunate that our math department is somewhat know for pumping out smart people... we graduate about 20-25 students a year... Which is okay for the school only having about 2,000 students. 3nodding

I would love it if they had engineering here too... Always looked like fun... But saddly I am stuck with Mathematics and Computer Sciences... sad Oh well...

Dr. Leonard McCoy


nonameladyofsins

PostPosted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 5:35 am


Dr. Leonard McCoy
Thanks Drake07

And about you question... We have to graduate 10 a year.... So with fall, winter, and spring you must have at least 10 graduate.

We only have one math major here though... Which is mathematics... But with physics and math not very popular here (actually higher education isn't valued very high in these parts) there isn't a real demand for more of those majors. They focus on safety, Ag, and aviation. Honestly, I can't wait to leave Oklahoma...


why do you only have a math major? and how did this happen? was there a local demand for mathematics?
PostPosted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 5:33 pm


poweroutage
Dr. Leonard McCoy
Thanks Drake07

And about you question... We have to graduate 10 a year.... So with fall, winter, and spring you must have at least 10 graduate.

We only have one math major here though... Which is mathematics... But with physics and math not very popular here (actually higher education isn't valued very high in these parts) there isn't a real demand for more of those majors. They focus on safety, Ag, and aviation. Honestly, I can't wait to leave Oklahoma...


why do you only have a math major? and how did this happen? was there a local demand for mathematics?
Just math... I really would like an applied mathematics program to spring up, but there are barely enough regular math majors to make the math department feel happy hunky doory... Although there has been talk of the math department taking over physics and starting it up agian... But it looks like it isn't going to happen. There just isn't a strong demand for math degrees (not by students or area businesses). As far as I know we have never had other branches of mathematics. (My fave math professor graduated from here a long time ago... So most of my info is based off of the brief history he gave me.)

I am planning to move to get my masters (not sure where yet), because they have a technology masters program here but not math (go figure rolleyes ).

Pre-med, aviation, and safety are the most popular majors here... Conservation is pretty popular too.

Dr. Leonard McCoy


nonameladyofsins

PostPosted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 6:50 pm


Dr. Leonard McCoy
poweroutage
Dr. Leonard McCoy
Thanks Drake07

And about you question... We have to graduate 10 a year.... So with fall, winter, and spring you must have at least 10 graduate.

We only have one math major here though... Which is mathematics... But with physics and math not very popular here (actually higher education isn't valued very high in these parts) there isn't a real demand for more of those majors. They focus on safety, Ag, and aviation. Honestly, I can't wait to leave Oklahoma...


why do you only have a math major? and how did this happen? was there a local demand for mathematics?
Just math... I really would like an applied mathematics program to spring up, but there are barely enough regular math majors to make the math department feel happy hunky doory... Although there has been talk of the math department taking over physics and starting it up agian... But it looks like it isn't going to happen. There just isn't a strong demand for math degrees (not by students or area businesses). As far as I know we have never had other branches of mathematics. (My fave math professor graduated from here a long time ago... So most of my info is based off of the brief history he gave me.)

I am planning to move to get my masters (not sure where yet), because they have a technology masters program here but not math (go figure rolleyes ).

Pre-med, aviation, and safety are the most popular majors here... Conservation is pretty popular too.


what university is it? if you don't mind my asking.
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The Physics and Mathematics Guild

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