Water Waves

Can't remember the last time I did a blog post…but since the topic is something cool this time, i'll do it.
Water waves, my favorite type of waves, are caused by wind or groundswells that generate energy that moves through the water.  However, waves will not break unless the water is shallow enough.  As waves approach shallow water, the bottom (trough) of the wave slows and the top (crest) of the wave moves at the same speed.  This causes the wave to crumble on itself and start to break into fun, rideable waves.  When the water gets really shallow really fast, we get barreling waves where the lip throws over and provides a barrel for the surfer to get shacked out of his mind.
Unfortunately, today out at China Walls in Portlock, my friends and I were not able to "get shacked" out of our minds, but some fun surf was still provided.

Electricity, Importance of Electricity, Electric Current, and Resistance
Electricity is a form of energy resulting from the existence of charged particles known as electrons or protons, either statically as an accumulation of charge or dynamically as a current.
Electricity is important because it allows us to use machines and electronic devices.  The entire world runs on electricity and energy, making it a crucial factor in the making the world go round.
Electric current is the rate of charge flow.  It is measured in Coulombs/second also known as Amperes. In most currents, the resistance to current flow is constant, therefore the current in the circuit is related to voltage and resistance.

Capacitance
Capacitance is a property of a circuit element that permits it to store charge.  If electric charge is transferred between two initially uncharged conductors, both become equally charged.  The capacitance is the ratio of the amount of charge on either conductor to the potential difference between the conductors.  This is represented by the function: C = q/V.   The unit of capacitance is named the farad (symbolized F).  This is equal to one coulomb per volt. One farad is a relatively large capacitance.  Common examples of capacitance include: the human body, batteries, cell phones, laptops, cars, etc.

Electric Potential Energy
Electric potential energy is a form of potential energy that results from conservative Coulomb forces.  An object may have electric potential energy based on its own charge and its position relative to other electrically charged objects.
Electric potential energy describes the potential energy in systems with electric fields that change over time and electrostatic potential energy describes the potential energy in systems with constant electric fields.
Electric potential energy is measured in Joules and often measured in electron volts (1eV = 1.602 x 10^-19 J).

Electrostatics
This week in Physics, we learned about electrostatics.  Electrostatics is defined as the study of stationary electric charges or fields as opposed to electric currents.  The electric charges dealt with in this branch of Physics are positive, negative, and neutral charges.  Like charges repel and unlike charges attract.  For example: positive repels positive but attracts negative.  However, neutral charges attract to positive and negative charges but do not have any effect on other neutral charges.

As I unloaded my laundry from the dryer into my wash basket, I noticed that some of my clothing had stuck together.  I concluded that the friction caused by the tumbling dryer "charged my clothes".  The unlike charges attracted and made some of my clothes stick.  Although I can't figure out what charges are involved, it is clear that there are multiple charges present.

Work, Power, and Force
This week in Physics, we learned about work, power, and force.
Work is equal to any change in energy.  It can be found by the equation  W = f (force) • d (distance), and is measured in Joules (J).
Work is related to power because power is the rate at which work is being done.  Power = work / time and is measured in Watts (W).
We also learned about energy.  In an isolated system, energy can not be created nor destroyed, it just changes form.  There are two forms of energy; potential (energy of position) PEg = mass • height • gravity, and kinetic (energy of motion) KE = 1/2 mass • velocity^2.

Below we have a dog.  This dog does work while playing fetch because it exerts a certain force for a certain distance on the stick being used.
PC: Noʻe

I'm Thankful For....
I'm thankful for Physics because it helps me understand why things work in the way they do.  I am thankful for Blake and Freitas because they make learning fun and enjoyable.  They make me look forward to coming to another crazy class.  In physics, I'm thankful for gravity (an unbalanced outside force that acts on objects at -9.8m/s^2 in the y-axis).  It allows us to live our lives on earth the way we do.  It also prevents us from floating off into space.  I'm also thankful for acceleration, momentum, and mass because it allows us to perform daily tasks that are necessary for us to live.  I am thankful for Newton because he explained why things happen the way they do in his 3 laws.   Physics shapes life on earth as we know it.