F=ma Physics • 2020

This is a course at the San Diego Math Circle preparing students for the F=ma contest offered by the American Association of Physics Teachers, to select for the USA Physics Olympiad.

The course runs from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM on several Sundays from October 20, 2019 to January 19, 2020:

• October 20, 2019
• October 27, 2019
• November 3, 2019
• November 10, 2019
• November 17, 2019
• January 5, 2020
• January 12, 2020
• January 19, 2020

The official schedule is kept in the San Diego Math Circle Master Calendar.

Discussed in class –

• 2018A exam problems 2, 4, 5, 9, 11, 14, 15, 19 & 25.
• See the Pendulums and 2018A #9 notes linked below.
• A review of kinematics and forces can be found below under Kinematics and Forces.

Old exams – here.

• Please save the 2018B exam for later!

HW – for October 27th:

• Derive the new spring constant of spring cut in half in 2018A #11.
• Fully solve 2018A #15.
• Derive the relationship between the period and/or frequency of a (complicated) pendulum and its moment of inertia as in 2018A #14.

Discussed in class –

• Advanced techniques in 2018A #11, 14 & 15. See the HW1 Solutions notes linked below.
• 2018A #6, 8, 12, 16, 18, 21 & 24.

HW – for November 3rd:

• Solve a modified version of 2018A# 16: at what angle does the astronaut of mass m need to jump backwards to land on the same spot of the floor she started from?

Prepare for a practice test on November 3rd.

Discussed in class –

• Practice exam! 2018B.
• Exam copies and scantrons will be provided. Bring your writing utensils and your brain.
• Solutions to the most difficult 2018B questions: 7, 13, 19 & 24.

HW – for November 10th: None

Discussed in class –

• The people have spoken! Today we will cover exclusively rotational motion. See the Rotation notes linked below.
• 2017 #1, 6, 12, 14, 15, 18 & 25.

HW – for November 17th: None

Discussed in class –

• 2016 #7, 9, 14, 15, 17, 23 & 24.

Discussed in class –

• Practice exam! 2019A.
• Exam copies and scantrons will be provided. Bring your writing utensils and your brain.
• Solutions to the most difficult 2019A question as determined in class: 14, 24 & 25.

HW – for January 12th: Request topics for me to discuss at that session.

Discussed in class –

• Error analysis (refresher) with 2019A#11.
• Continued discussion of 2019A exam problems 4, 8 (with extra discussion of Orbits, see below), 10, 16, 19, 20 & 21.

HW – for January 19th: Rework Kepler's Third Law for elliptical orbits – see Orbits notes.

Discussed in class –

• Questions requested by individual students.

HW – None. Good luck on the exams!

The San Diego Math Circle will be administering the exams on:

• January 23 – 2020A
• January 28 – 2020B

I am not directly involved in the administration of the exams, so all questions should be directed to the SDMC administration.