THIS WEEK! Self Intervention on Empathy
Many of you know that I have a split focus at Cal Poly: Intro Physics and Sustainability/Energy/Global Poverty. The second focus involves my research and two classes that I introduced in 2007: Appropriate Technology, Development, and Appropriate Technology, Design. In these classes, we have three “self interventions” whereby we change something about our lives and log the experience. If you like, you can read about the “don’t throw anything away for a week” self intervention. However, we as a class are going to take part in the “Empathy Self Intervention“. Please go to the website. You have until next Monday to send me your experience. You may ask what this has to do with physics… but doesn’t it? As we learn to explore lenses, we may become more effective by reminding ourselves that our knowledge is not complete (as stated in the syllabus), and that it is beneficial to look at the world through other lenses. Please think about this and log the experience sometime this week starting Tuesday.
Monday: Centripetal Acceleration, gravity and inverse square law
we look at universal gravity and the inverse square law.
- Please finish PS#5 on the main class website.
- Please read 5.0, Centripetal Acceleration
- Watch derivation of Centripetal Acceleration and how to use it. Make sure you can do this for the next Big Exam.
- I’ve posted PS#6 on the main class website. Due next Tuesday. Please look through the problems.
- Solutions for MT#1 posted on main class website. Please have a look.
Tuesday
circular dynamics with more than one force. It’s just like the elevator problem, but the acceleration is centripetal acceleration.
Before Class
- Finish project #1… to be collected on Thursday. Owen and Rachel let me know that folks were sad about the activities coming back with needed changes. I can understand that this is frustrating. I should have said that it is not unusual. It usually takes three times before it’s right. I think this is the learning process. Note: I haven’t recorded any grades for these yet, so if your group accepts the present great assigned, please return your paper to me so I can record your grade.
- Solutions for MT#1 posted on main class website. Please have a look.
- Please read 5.1 Inverse square relations (if you didn’t do it already).
- See video on Universal Gravity and Inverse Square Law
- Read 5.2 Universal Gravity
- Veritassium music gravity video
- Be mindful of your thoughts. If you dehumanize someone, invoke the empathy self intervention. See the directions on the main class website.
- Watch video: There’s No Such Thing as Centripetal Force, or Centrifugal Force
- The corrections indicate that many students still have misconceptions. Please see solutions or the lovely corrections that I got from one student. Both links are on the main class website.
During Class
Wednesday
Before Class
- Please Watch Bucket of Water over your Head,
- Please read 5.3 Loop the Loop: Circular motion in the vertical plane that you can find in our textbook. Please make sure you try Exercises 3,4 and 5.
- Please take this short Survey #5.
- Please Watch Skateboarding Loop of Death
- Be prepared to address the question, “when I stand on the scale on the equator and on the North Pole, where do I weigh more?” Will you follow the dynamics protocol, will you make a FBD?
- The corrections indicate that many students still have misconceptions. Please see solutions or the lovely corrections that I got from one student. Both links are on the main class website.
- Just if you’re interested: Here is a Veritassium Video explaining the neutron star collision detected by gravity waves, gamma ray bursts, and optical telescopes.
- consider joining Mustangs United:
During Class
- Be prepared to address the question, “when I stand on the scale on the equator and on the North Pole, where do I weigh more?”
- Big Exam! #4 (today or tomorrow)
Next, we look at systems of masses, like two masses tied together and a single mass that is both moving and rotating – with both linear and rotational kinetic energy. We can solve these problems with a dynamics lens as individual masses (resulting in linear equations), or as a system of masses where forces act on the system. However, I find the easiest way to look at them is through an energy lens. How does the system’s energy change? You decide what’s best for you.
Thursday
Before Class
- Please experience your empathy self intervention sometime this week and send me your experience via Email. I’ve made an extra clarification of what I’m looking for in the empathy intervention. Please see the page again if you like. I’ve added the following paragraph:
“I’m not asking you about empathy. I’m asking you to have an experience this coming week and log it. When did you notice you objectified someone as an “other” this week? What might it be like for the other person? What did you learn? What do you think? What did you feel?” - PS#5 student solutions posted. Please check them out. Get a good start on PS#6!
- Read 6.0 Systems of masses.
- Watch an introduction to simple systems This is an important video to understand systems.
- Please check out the standard process for solving the system with simultaneous dynamics equations, one equation for each mass: Atwood Machine by individual masses. I won’t spend any more time on this method, but you are welcome to use it if you like.
- Then see the video about how to solve the A System of Masses Using Energy. WOW, I watched the video myself and … it’s really fast. Please remember that I condense these discussions as much as possible. They are meant to be stopped every few seconds so you can take notes on the video or just think about what was said.
- My appropriate technology classes have done these self interventions for years. It seems strange to many of students in the beginning. By the end of the quarter, many students claim that these self interventions are the highlight of the class. In fact, several students started a self intervention club. In past physics classes, students expressed appreciation for the statement about universally using lenses in order to recognize that our knowledge is not complete. You’ll have to let me know what you think of the activity at the end of the quarter.
During Class
- Looking at some physics systems
- Big Exam! #4