Physics Break the Barriers (VIDEO)

By Danielle St. Marie,
Senior Editor
March 29, 2012

In order to visually see what the Physics class has been learning about linear and angular momentum and velocity, science teacher Dan Harris took the students to Break the Barriers, a local non-profit organization, March 27. While there, students participated on various equipment to demonstrate the scientific concepts in which the class is studying.

Both linear and angular momentum and velocity are subjects that individuals encounter everyday through sports, but in order to gain a better understanding Harris decided that Break the Barriers provided the perfect opportunity.

"From my perspective, I felt that it would be worth while for the students to physically live out what we have been learning about," Harris said. "I thought Break the Barriers was the ideal place to do that because it has a lot of sports equipment to give you the chance to do flips, rotations, spins and kicks that you don't normally get to do on the average school campus."

When the students first arrived, Harris took them to the gymnastic rings where they witnessed a change in their angular momentum and angular velocity. Students would hang from the rings with their legs spread a part while spinning, then they would quickly pull them in to increase their velocity and momentum.

After, both Harris and seniors Sean Carter and Brian Kinghorn ran down the tumble track towards a mat where they would do a flip. Once students were complete with this part of the lesson, a coach from Break the Barriers did a demonstration for the students on a euro trampoline by doing different types of gymnastic style flips.

"I thought it was fun to go because I've always wanted to do stuff that like," Carter said. "I think it's pretty great we get to go there and he [Harris] knows what he is doing. I knew that I could do flips because I can do them into the pool and I've done stuff like that on trampolines, but that was a long time ago. So it was kind of like hey, I can still do this stuff."

Before heading back to campus, students participated in the Taekwondo room performing round house kicks, which conducted angular velocity to be transferred into linear velocity. During this demonstration, senior Trevor York performed the kick with enough power that the pad flew right into the Martial Art's director's face.

According to Harris, overall he felt the students enjoyed themselves while at Break the Barriers and would like to go again for another field trip.

"I think over they [students] thought it was fun," Harris said. "I think they wished we had more time there, as do I, and I think that now that they have seen it, and realize the stuff we have there they would like to go again. [Next time we can] try some stuff in the game court with the tennis ball launcher or the music room and see how the sound waves effect things or in the dance studio where they can watch themselves rotate in the mirror. I think there is a lot to do there and I think the students would enjoy it."



For more photos about Physics, check out Physics hits the gym and Rockets set to go.



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