We are almost to the halfway point of the semester! That means, we need to start thinking about next semester soon. I think I am going to see if we can renew with the current venue because it seems to be working for everyone. If anyone is having issues with the time or place (or anything else), please email me.
Computer Programming
First of all, the “Section 2” assignment is due next week! Pick your favorite homework problem or book activity from Part II of the book (chapters 6, 7, 8) and turn it in for an official grade.
This week we dove into the syntax of the JavaScript language, focusing on basic statements and also conditional statements (i.e., the “if” statement). The reading for this week is chapter 9 up through (and including) section 9.3.1. We are not doing any homework from the book this week, but you are encouraged to type out the programs from the chapter to solidify your knowledge. Next week we will finish chapter 9 and study looping mechanisms in code.
Note that the more you program, the better you will be at it. That is why I am encouraging you to do the examples, they will help you think about programming. I really like the fact that you all improvise on the assignments during class, because that helps your thinking, too!
Electronics
UPDATE!!! In the chapter, there were some mistakes. (1) On page 79, in the middle of the page, it improperly suggests a ratio of 100ohms to 200ohms to get an 8V output. This should be 100ohms to 800ohms. (2) In the problem section, on #1, it should specify that the LEDs are red. (3) On questions #4 and #5, remember that the resistance of the load should be 10x the resistance of the parallel resistor from the voltage divider (see pg. 80).
Quizzes were handed back this week. The biggest problem, as I mentioned before, was understanding Kirchoff’s Voltage Law. Remember, the voltage drop between any two points on your circuit will be the same no matter what path you take! If you want to see the answer key, click the link below:
This week we started talking about resistor circuit patterns. The reading is chapter 9. The most difficult circuit pattern we are covering is the pull-up resistor, but it will be important for our project next week. The reason it is called a pull-up resistor will become more evident in the next week.
Feel free to play with your circuit boxes throughout the week. One of my goals in providing you with your own take-home circuits is to make sure that you all are comfortable building circuits on your own. So feel free to experiment!
Don’t forget to download the latest version of the book.
Calculus
This wee we moved from talking about the derivative to talking about differentials. If you can successfully make that pivot, you will be well on your way to understanding the finer points of Calculus! Chapter 10 is the reading, but I don’t yet have the problem set written. I will try to do that tonight or tomorrow. Calculus book is now available!