Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Physics
BriannaBalke
May14,2015
EndofCourseReflection
PhysicsisthefirstclassI'veevertakenatBlackstonethatwasnotinthebiologyrealm.
I'veonlytakenbiologyandenvironmentalsciencebutitreinforcedthesameinformationwe
learnedpreviouslywhilealsoincludingsomenewtopics.Aftergettingmyfairshare,Iwantedto
exploreadifferentareainscience.Aftersomanyclassesinscience,Ididn'treallyenjoygoingto
themandwantedtoseewhatPhysicshadinstoreforme.
Throughouttheyear,therewereseveraltopicsandprojectsIenjoyedcompletingin
Physics.Ofalltheprojectswe'vedone,myfavoriteandthemostchallengingprojectwasthe
rollercoasterproject.AfterlearningabouttheconnectionbetweenMechanicalEnergy(Potential
Energy+KineticEnergy),velocityandrollercoasters,wehadtoimplementthoseideasinto
creatingarollercoasterundercertainconditionsandrestraints.Itwaschallengingaswehadto
constantlymakechangestoourrollercoasterinordertogetitapproved.Despiteallthe
difficulties,mygroupwasabletocreateanentertainingrollercoasterthatalsometallthesafety
conditionsandrestraints.AnothertopicthatIfoundinterestingwasthewavesunitbecauseofall
thecontroversyitbeganwith.Atfirst,itwasconfusingtounderstandbecausehalftheclasswas
convincedthatsoundwavesweretransversewavesandtheotherhalfbelieveditwas
longitudinal.Thatdebatesimplyinterestedmebecauseitdrewmetobetterunderstandingwaves
andintroducedustoapplyingittoreallife.Ifoundwavesinterestinginthewaythatformulas
welearnedpreviouslycanapplytoitandinadditionreinforcemyunderstandingofPreCalculus
andCalculusthroughmakingconnectionsbetweenitandsine/cosinefunctions.
Eversincemiddleschool,I'vealwayshadquestionsaboutscienceanditsconnectionto
theoutsideworld.My8thgradeteacheralwaysrespondedmewithanswersthatmadeevenless
sensethantheworkheassignedus.Fromthatpoint,IhadthetendencytosayIhatescienceand
thatitwasconfusing.AsIgotmoreintotheareainhighschool,thetendencystillremainedeven
justatinybit.AftertakingPhysics,IfeelthatIfoundanareainsciencethatactuallyinterested
me.AsI'vementionedbefore,Iknewmorethebiologyrealmofscience,butitneverresonated
withme.IwantedtogetabetterideaofthedifferentareasinscienceandPhysicsgavemethat
opportunity.Afterlearningthedifferenttopicsandcompletinghandsonassignmentsthattiein
withthem,IfoundthatIdoenjoythisareainscience.Thetopicsandideasluremeinandadding
mathtoitsimplymadeitevenbetter.Overall,I'mgladthatIchosePhysicsoverAPBiology
becauseitintroducedmetoanewviewpointonscience.