CHRISTMAS

Christmas break is always the best time of the year. First off theres winterball, then christmas eve, christmas day, new years eve, and finally the New Years Day. So many things happen is such a short time period. There is so much laughter and smiles and giggles and joy. Presents being opened, egg nog and hot cocoa being drank, and fireworks being popped, and family coming together. So basically, i did no thinking of physics what so ever. The picture above was taken on Christmas Day at a christmas party with my moms family. The picture is of me and all of my first cousins, however i think a few were mising. The old person in the middle is my tutu with her dogs. I must say however, I am the best looking of them all! haha...Christmas for me was very enjoyable this year and a lot of fun and i look forward to a great 2009 Christmas!!! Happy Holidays everyone and a Happy New Year. Thanks Mr. K for a great 1st semester!!!

Crazy Reflection

On a rainy saturday afternoon, I decided to do my physics journal. I chose to do it on mirrors because my closet sliding doors are two big mirrors and the physics behind mirrors is amazing. Mirrors are objects that show a reflection. Usually light, the light from my room, reflects off the object and goes toward my eyes. Also, light travels in straight lines and will take the quickest path to get from point A to point B. In the picture, I am able to see a certain amount of other objects that are reflected as well because the angle of incidence from the object is the same as the angle of reflection, Law of Reflection. My brain will extrapolate backwards where the reflected ray(s) appears to have origianted from. Everything (the images) in a mirror are the same distance behind the mirror as the actual objects itself. So if I'm ten feet away from the mirror, then the reflected image is ten feet into or behind the mirror. Lastly, this mirror gives off specular reflection. Light rays are reflected from a smooth surface and light refelcts in one direction. And so, that is what mirrors are about!

InkJets...

This past weekend was superb! We won the DII HHSAA State Football Championship!!! Maybe it wasn't the longest that I would have liked but on Friday night, all the confetti fell from the skies!!! So anyways, this was a fun, physics filled weekend of color. I noticed things in color realizing that it all pertains to visible light and how it works. It pertains to how colors are made, either addition or subtraction. In this episode of physics nine journal, I shall introduce to you the magic of color of ink jet printers. Did you know that ink jet printers can create thousands and thousands of colors with only three colors, magenta, cyan, and yellow and then of course black which is the absence of color? Its true! And i really didn't realize this even though i always have to change the ink cartridges. The three colors are the 3 primary colors of pigment which in actuality would be produced when the 3 primary colors of light mix with each other. However the lights are different from paints and dyes and what not. Just for example, green and blue light will create cyan light. But cyan and magenta paint will create a blue color. So in an ink jet, colors are made by color by subtraction where 3 pigment colors are mixed and the size of the dot on the paper is manipulated. Inkjet printers deposit various combinations of magenta, cyan, and yellow, and black inks which can create amazing pictures. If you were to examine a picture in a book with a magnifying glass, you can see how the overlapping dots of these colors give the appearance of many colors.

Let There be Light

Well, Saturday, a rainy, stormy, horrible day. No sun out, bad day for surfing or any outdoor activities. I was stuck at home with nothing to do other than just watching college football and playing PS2. I did however find time to do this journal and i couldn't figure out what to do it on. I walked into my room and opened up the curtain so that light can come into my room. I suddenly realized that physics was involved in this action. The curtain is an opaque material meaning that it absorbs light without re-emitting it. Vibrations given by light to their atoms and molecules are turned into random kinetic energy--into internal energy. The curtain actually becomes warmer; it would become hott if the sun was actually out and shining brightly. The light can pass through the glass window because the window is transparent. When light is transmitted through matter, some fo teh electrons in the matter are forced into virbation. The glass allows light to pass through in straight lines elluminating my room. However, ultraviolet and infrared waves can't pass through the glass. Electrons in the atoms of glass have a naturla vibration frequency in the ultraviolet range. Therefore when ultraviolet waves shine on glass, resonance occurs and thr vibration of electrons builds up to large amplitudes. Now I have to go to the UH football game vs. Idaho! BYE

Transformer in Disguise

Last night was killer! There was a jammin party at a house in kailua. Driving home with my best friend buen, I decided to take some nice pictures of transformers since I have learned about them in physics class. I have to say that these things are everywhere! Theres no hiding from them. So anyways, I took some not bad pictures of these transformers in order to do this journal realizing that, yes, physics is all around us.

Basically, a transformer tranfers current from the primary to the secondary which is inside that metal, cylinder looking box. They transer electric energy across empty space which is crazy. When Mr. Kohara did a demonstration of what they do in class, I was shocked. Thats the most unbelievable thing I've ever seen. This transformer is transfering a current throughout the electrical wires. It is probably stepping down the voltage to most likely 120 volts so that 7-11 can use the power. Power in a transformer always remains the same. An alternating voltage is required for a transformer to work so there will be a change in magnetic field within the primary and secondary. The second coil needs to sense a change in magnetic field in order for a current to be induced and therefore sent out. It's Cool!

How does a Magnet do That?

So I'm sitting at my computer bored not knowing what to do! I then start playing with these magnetic earings which consists of a magnet and a metal ball as shown in the video. I love watching magnets and how they react to things because of their magical, invisible powers not realizing that what is happening is what I have learned in physics. I really think magnets are the most awesome invention in the world even though they really weren't invented. Lodestones founded by greeks are permanent magnets and they have unusual property of attracting pieces of iron. Anyways, the video shows magnets and their magnetic forces and things that are magnetic. The three dark, silver pieces of metal are magnets having the property of either iron cobalt or nickel. They consist of a magnetic force which attracts other magnetic things. The source of magnetic force is the motion of charged particles. If you watch closely, you can also sense the presence of a magnetic field that the magnets have. As I was moving the magnets closer to the round metal balls they would move because they sense the field. A magnetic field is due to the "distortions" in the electic fileld caused by motion and was explained by Albert Einstein in 1905 in his speical theory of relativity. So basically, magnets are cool!!!

Concept Physics so far has been really exciting! Everyday, I look forward to physics because there's something new to learn, and the class always makes me smile and laugh. I enjoy the labs, the demonstrations, and other activities such as the Van De Graff generator and the slinky. My goals for the course is to continue to achieve good grades and to improve them and to continue learning with a great attitude. I feel I can improve my study habits by studying more for test and quizzes raising my scores. My performance so far throughout the first quarter has been awesome with no missing assignments and the quality of my work is great but needs to be greater! I always bring to class a good attitude and leave class with big smile and a "see ya mr. kohara!" I think taking concept physics was a very good choice because I can now relate everything we do in class to the outside world. I also enjoy the teacher and his style of teaching. He makes sure we learn the concepts and understand the basics of what we're doing. Mr. K is also hilarious : )!

Towing on a Raft

Yesterday was a very fun day. My friends and I went out on my cousins boat and went towing on this super cool raft. It was an incredible day and everyone loved it.

However, as the boat was moving, I noticed that the boat was producing waves and I recall that in physics class we learned about waves. As the boat slowly travled in the marina and out to the ocean, it was easily traveling faster than the waves it was producing. I realized that the boat traveling faster than the speed of water waves finds itself always entering into water with a smooth, unrippled surface. The waves the boat created are known as bow waves. Therefore, the boat outruns the waves it produces.

Out in the open when the boat was traveling at a very fast speed and pulling me on the raft, as shown in the picture, the waves overlap at the edges, and the pattern made by these overlapping waves is V-shaped. At the very fast rate at which we were traveling, it is a disturbance produced by the overlapping of many circular waves. Also, the raft created its own bow waves too and we used the boats waves to jump and move around wildly.

SHOCKING News

First off, I have to say, WE UPSET ST. LOUIS! I was in shock and amazed when the clock was at 00:00 and the score 35-30. This was truly a battle of pure heart. Then when I went on the bus heading for school, I was thinking about what I'm going to write my physics journal about. I woke up the next morning and turned on my side and looked right at all of the electrical cords under my desk. Then I thought about what we are learning in physics and what we have learned.

In the picture, you are able to see many cords differing in thickness. You also see the power strip which is like the voltage source for all the cords. Throughout the power strip, there is an electical current which the flow of charge is beging transferred back and forth also known as an alternating current (ac) and is then transferred into the cords. Alternating currents reverses directions periodically. The energy that flows through the cords comes from the 120 volt electrical outlet. Current is measured in amperes. Also, the flow of charge persits for as long as there is a potential difference. Without a potential difference, no charge flows.

Then I observed the thickness of all the cords which relates to electrical resistance. The resistance of a wire depends on the thickness and length of the wire, and on its particular conductivity. Thick wires have less resistance than thin wires. The power strip has a thick wire which is able to transfer a charge more easily throughout the whole connection of wires.

Current=Delta V/Resistance.

Electricity w/ a Comb

Sunday's are great days to learn and observe something new. I was sitting in my room trying to do homework when all of a sudden I saw my comb which I never use. So, on this particular sunday, I decided to try and fix my messy hair by combing it. I began combing thinking nothing of it other than, "alright, my hair is gonna look good!" I ran the comb through my hair many of times trying to make my hair like Ron Burgendy's but of course it never worked. I stopped putting the comb down on my desk when these small pieces of paper were attracted to it defying the laws of gravity. I lifted the comb and there they were, the small pieces of paper were attracted to the comb like it was some sort of magnet. I realized that what just happened had to due with electrostatics that I learned in physics class. Electrostatics involves electric charges, the forces between them, the aura that surrounds them, and their behavior in materials. Material objects such as the comb and the paper pieces are made of atoms, which means they are composed of electrons and protons. Therefore, I was able to charge the comb by transferring electrons from my hair to the comb because of contact and friction. In this case, electrons are transferred by friction when the comb rubs against my hair.

Overall, the comb had more electrons and so the positvies protons of the neutral pieces of paper were attracted to the negative electrons. It was quite fascinating!

Waves and a Dog

Todays theme - Waves in Motion. Vibrations creat waves. At Bellos Beach on a nice sun shiny day, pictured to the left, you see a lot of waves or water waves being created and a dog doing whatever dogs do. These waves are transverse waves. The motion of the medium (water) is transverse to the direction of the wave traveling towards shore. Therefore, the actual water is staying in place moving up and down as the wave travels to the shore. Also, the wave is carrying energy and information which could carry a person on either a surf board or a boogie board which is actually a lot of fun. If you look closely, you can see two waves going to meet each other which are like two crest going to create a super crest. But once the waves hit the shore, the vibrations are weak creating a very low frequency and a small wavelength and soon there is no more wave until new sets are created by the wind and new vibrations. As for the dog, he didn't want to go in the water because the waves were too strong and would drown him. He had more fun playing the sand.