Physics: Projectile Launchers

Instead of writing a lab report on an energy lab, I’m having students build projectile launchers that convert gravitational potential energy into kinetic energy. Today, students brought in their prototypes and had some time to test how well their prototype worked, as well as collect data on how at least two different variables affect the range of their launcher. When we do the final tests of the launchers, groups will need to hit a target at a randomly selected distance, though groups can chose between a small, medium, and long range. The launchers ranged from very simple, like a paper ramp with a meter stick spine, to more complicated, like the full-blown trebucet.

Chemistry: More Stoich

My plan had been to give students 15 minutes or so to work on the last two problems from Friday’s worksheet, then have them write an example problem where they would include a written description of the steps along with their work, but nearly all of my students needed the whole hour to finish Friday’s problems. Most of them were really focused on the steps they needed to follow and, not surprisingly, students are overwhelmed by how many steps there are and losing track of a lot of details. Next time, I need to start with some activities to help students to better connect the concepts to the process. I might do something with the nuts, bolts, and washers I used to introduce molar mass to make things more concrete at the start.