Honors Physics 14 Sept 09 Today: Significant figures and scientific notation Don’t forget to date your page!!Warm-up: Please explain in your composition books how you can determine the number of significant figures in a numerical value - Don’t forget to date your page!! Homework: Write any ten numbers, determine the count of significant figures, and write them in scientific notation. Please write a variety of different numbers (small- large, etc.)Homework: Write any ten numbers, determine the count of significant figures, and write them in scientific notation. Please write a variety of different numbers (small- large, etc.)

Rules for determining significant figures 1. All non-zero digits are significant 2. All Sandwiched zeros are significant 3. Right most zeros with a decimal point are a significant 4. Right most zeros without a decimal point are NOT significant 5. Left most zeros are NOT significant

Scientific notation This way of writing numbers was developed as a short-hand notation for really big and really small numbers (many of which we need to use in this classroom) It involves expressing a value as the product of two numbers. One number is between 1 and 10, the other number is 10 raised to some power

Scientific notation strategy To write a number in Sci Not - do this: –Move the decimal point left or right until you have a value between 1 and 10 –If you move the decimal to the right, the exponent of ten is negative –If you move the decimal to the left, the exponent of ten is positive –The value of the exponent is equal to the number of places moved

Scientific notation strategy If you have a number in scientific notation and want the arithmetic value, just multiply the two values together.

Examples Determine the number of significant figures and scientific notation for these numbers: –1,987,000 – – –1,900.

Honors Physics 15 Sept 09 Today: Computers and graphical analysis introduction Homework Questions? Safety sheets – We need the rest to do lab work!! Homework: Think of something that could be analyzed by looking for a straight line relationship between two variables. Explain how you might go about collecting the data and setting up the analysis.

Honors Physics 16 Sept 09 Today: linear analysis and algebraic manipulation First – some homework examples Homework tonight : use the relationships established in class to find the following: –C, and K temp when F = 75 –F, and K temp when C = 38

Honors Physics 17 Sept 09 Today: Analysis of Linear Relationships using MS Excel If you still owe a safety sheet please turn it in! Assignment #2 – Analyze the differences between male and female height and weight data. Assignment #1 – Find a mathematical relationship between F and K (show all work)

Instructions for activity Go to pwhphys.wikispaces.com Download graphical analysis activity.xls Save the file to a flash drive if you have one Open the file in MS Excel Create a scatter plot using the chart wizard (follow teacher guidance here)

Honors Physics 18 Sept 09 Today: Complete data analysis activity in Excel Intro to problem solving methodology and linear motion Assignment # 3 In our first lab activity, we are going to be indirectly measuring the heights of trees. Research more about examples of indirect measurement, and report. All references should be clearly listed.