List of Summer Activities for all Physics Students

It will be expected that you will complete the following activities during the summer months to begin your study of physics. Physics is the study of the physical world around you. We have noticed many students are struggling with the understanding of some motions and actions.. Most of these motions and actions can demonstrated through daily type activities. We made every effort possible to create a list as short as possible, yet fulfilling and rewarding in the study of physics. This is supposed to be fun, and hopefully is not limited to this short list.

Activities to participate in:

□           On water activity. Participate in an activity that involves you floating on moving water. Such examples are canoeing, boating (power, sail, paddle), rafting (such as white water or “summer floats”), and/or tubing on the Yellow Breeches. The idea is relative motion, and how you move relating to the water and the land, and how the motion with water and land is different. Many students really struggle with this unit, and being aware of real situation should aid in the understanding. Exercise appropriate caution when participating in water sports!!! You will be responsible for your own actions. If you are apprehensive regarding water activities, seek a moving sidewalk. Similar activities can be done on a moving sidewalk such as those at sidewalks. Be aware of your motion with respect to the sidewalk and the area beyond the sidewalk. Escalators work as well, as they are simply moving sidewalks that go up.

□           Ball Activity. Participate in an activity that involves throwing and catching a projectile, such as a ball. We would like you to be aware as to how you position yourself to catch a projectile that is not coming directly at you. How do you determine where the ball will land? Also, notice the separation of the Vertical (up/down) motion with the Horizontal motion. You should notice the horizontal motion is of a constant speed, while the vertical is not.

Movies to watch:

□           Apollo 13. This is an awesome movie, period. How many Non-fictional movies are there that keep you on the edge of your seat the whole way through? The entire movie is applications of Newton’s Laws of Motion. Rent it, Netflix it,...watch it 13 times....not a hard task to complete....it could be the fastest three hours of your life!!!!

□           Mission to Mars. Another really good movie with some scenes that “Really make you think.”

On the first day of class, be prepared to summarize the general plot of the movies, and to explain (in detail) your summer activities. We realize that you might not be able to apply the laws of physics to the activities; that’s why you take the class!!!! We DO want you to have the experience so we can relate the laws and concepts to real things you did do.