Physics 14 Assignments

Topic 1 - Summarize the science in two movies. Some possible choices:
1) An Inconvenient Truth
2) Contact
3) The China Syndrome
4) Spider-Man (I or II or III)
5) Armageddon
6) Transformers
7) Sunshine
8) October Sky
9) Silkwood
10) What the Bleep Do We Know?

1st review due:
July 12th, 11:59PM

2nd review due:
July 28th, 11:59PM

Submit online by clicking below:
Movie Review #1
Movie Review #2

Grading:
Each review: 2 pts

Topic 2 - How Things Work:
You are to choose a machine, appliance, or thing that YOU own or have in your house and find out how and why it works. Then you will write a two (2) page paper, double spaced, 12 pt font, explaining the physics behind how it works. In the words of Louis Bloomfield, "I don't want the best paper ever written on the topic; I want the best paper that the student can write in his or her own words." This paper may raise more questions than it answers, but that's fine - in fact, I prefer it that way.

Keep your paper simple. For example, don't try to explain everything about a television, but concentrate on just one feature of it, like the remote control, or the screen. Imagine you're writing this paper for someone else in this class - so they know a little physics but are not necessarily an expert in science.

Examples of past papers: Fair, Good, Better

Title and references due:
July 13th, 11:59 PM
SUBMIT HERE - past due

Paper due in class:
Wednesday July 29th

In class presentation (2 pt bonus):
Wednesday July 29th

Some resources:
How things work

How Stuff Works:
      appliances,
      science and
      engineering

Topics:
Light bulbs, pencils, pencil sharpeners, microwave ovens, TV's...

Grading:
Topic & refs: 2 pts
Narrow focus: 3 pts
Use of physics terms:
6 pts
Well constructed: 5 pts