Assignment: Intro to Physical Science

• Being able to send appropriate, professional emails is a vital skill in today's workplace. When considering audience and context, determine why it is so important to know to whom you are writing and for what specific purpose you are sending the email communication.

• Describe an example of a workplace or personal email communication in which the sender (you or someone else) did not pay close attention to audience and context. Ascertain the consequences. Determine how the miscommunication might have been avoided.

• Explore the interactive titled "Lift and Drag" under the Lift and Drag terms section of the Science corner. You can also view it at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/space/lift-drag.html. Next, describe the way in which one could use both Newton's Third Law of Motion and the Bernoulli Effect to explain the generation of a lifting force when air passes over an airfoil.

• Read the article titled "Why don't I fall out when a roller coaster goes upside down?" under the Forces terms section of the Science corner. You can also view it at http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/rollercoaster.html. Next, imagine that you are trying to convince your apprehensive friend John to take his first roller-coaster ride. Then, explain to John the manner in which the roller-coaster engineers use physics to create a safe, yet thrilling ride. Note: In your explanation, be sure to include a discussion of potential energy, kinetic energy, angular momentum, frictional forces, and inertia when analyzing all aspects of the roller-coaster ride.

• Give an example of how you experience each of Newton's three laws in your everyday life. Next, choose an example that hasn't already been mentioned in your textbook or by your classmates.