Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Conservapedia:American Government Fall 2012

2010-08-19T03:27:05Z

Jma: /* Enrollment */

''The first lecture is being developed at [[Draft American Government Lecture One]].''

Enroll by inserting your user name into this file: click "Edit this page" below, then position your cursor in the Enrollment section below, and then click 10th tab from the left above.

"American Government Fall 2010" is a 14-week course that teaches the basics of government, both federal and state. It covers the political process and operation of the U.S. government, and may be the most important course you will ever take. It includes review of the U.S. Constitution, including concepts like the separation of powers among the branches of government.

'''Unlike other courses, this class will tie closely to current events and the lectures will be revised online and tailored to the most up-to-date available information'''.

Students in this class will make predictions at three different points about the outcome of the midterm elections on November 2nd: as the first homework assignment, after learning a month's worth of material, and just prior to the election.

Students seeking to earn college credit can take the CLEP or AP exams upon successful completion of this course.

This course begins September 2nd and already several dozen students have enrolled. Please add your user id. (as explained above) if you would like to participate in this course in any way, either as a student or as a teacher on this site.

The instructor is Andy Schlafly, who has taught over 15 courses, including one as an adjunct professor at a major law school.

== Enrollment ==

--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 10:39, 6 June 2010 (EDT) (instructor)

--[[User:MartinLXA|Martin Amrowski]] 13:11, 6 June 2010 (EDT) (student)

--[[User:Davidkon|Davidkon]] 15:04, 6 June 2010 (EDT) (student)

--[[User:Beardude1963|Beardude1963]] 15:00, 7 June 2010 (EDT) (student)

--[[User:PNarcisse87|Paul Narcisse]] 13:02, 8 June 2010 (EDT) (student)

--[[User:FloM|Florencia Miguez]] (Student)

--[[User:AJ4JQ|AJ4JQ]] 10:39, 10 June 2010 (EDT) (Student)

--littlehouse (student)

--[[User:OurFuture12|Daniel Bruski]] 10:07, 7 July 2010 (EDT) (Student)

--[[User:James1962|James]] 08:30, 9 July 2010 (EDT) (Student)

--JohnnyZig (student)

--[[User:Israelgarza|Israelgarza]] 22:31, 16 July 2010 (EDT)israel garza (student)

--tallone

--[[User:RMallett|RMallett]] 18:47, 8 August 2010 (EDT) (Student)

--RianB (student)

--TerryB (student)

--Craig1 (student)

--running total of in-person enrollment: 51

--running overall total enrollment: 66

(add your id above)

== Special concepts ==

This course will include many concepts not included in most run-of-the-mill government courses, such as:

*the difference between politics and history, and the similarity between politics and team sports; impediments to teamwork and communication

*political cycles

*political factions, such as Big Labor, anti-war, pro-life, Second Amendment, etc.; interest groups and their scorecards and endorsements, such as the NRA and Elena Kagan and the effect on Harry Reid

*Tea Party: the decentralized political party

*declining role of newspapers, and increasing role of the internet

*the effect of low voter turnout, discuss in the context of initiatives; effect of initiatives on candidates on the ballot

*free speech and campaign finance

*pending court cases concerning the structure of government

*[[media bullying]] (e.g., post-election interviews for [[Rand Paul]]), media bias, [[double standard]]s in reporting news, effect of the bias in misleading the public

*famous expressions and special vocabulary (as in sports): "all politics is local," "if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!" "coattails", "political capital," "midterm elections," "filibuster", "voice vote," (add more)

*election process: various signature requirements to qualify for the ballot, use of convention rather than public elections in some areas, primary election, general election, concept of endorsements, term and qualifications for various offices

*correlations of voting patterns by "voting blocs"; "single issue" voters

*initiatives and referenda: how different states handle this differently, track record of various issues, effect on others on the ballot

*polling, pollsters, and their impact (e.g., Scott Brown upset)

*contrast the two-party system in America with multiple-party systems in other nations, how the power of political parties ebbs and flows with changes in campaign finance and the strength of interest groups like the NRA

*elements of a political campaign, including who gets involved and why and how

*the role of the Courts: the "least dangerous branch," or now the most powerful branch of government?

*the U.S. Supreme Court, and how it accepts cases for review and its October through June annual Terms

*administrative law, federal and state agencies, and the most cited U.S. Supreme Court decision: ''Chevron''

*"strict scrutiny," "intermediate scrutiny," and "rational basis" as three levels for judicial review in civil rights

*[[consumer confidence]] and the effect of the economy on elections

*[[think tank]]s and their influence; example of Robert Rector's analysis of proposed immigration changes

*the [[political benefit]] to a side from promoting a particular policy

*the concept of "[[political capital]]"

*commenting on proposed regulations

*[[FOIA]]

*line-item veto at state level, not at federal level

*office of county commissioner, or [[freeholder]]

*political asylum and example of homeschooling family that fled Germany to the U.S.

*pundits, talking heads, talk radio, editorials, endorsements

*Biblical basis for our three branches of government: Isaiah 33:22 ("The LORD is our judge, the LORD our lawgiver, the LORD our king ....").<ref>Interestingly, this verse is omitted entirely from the [[New American Bible]], and it is put in parentheses in the [[New Jerusalem Bible]].</ref>

*role of internet news sources and bloggers; example: Shirley Sherrod firing.

*swing state

*trial balloon

*[[safe seat]]

*plurality vote, majority vote, [[cloture]], and two-thirds vote (supermajority)

*The [[U.S. Supreme Court]] decision in ''Citizens United'', and the liberals' response with the [[DISCLOSE Act]]

*[[Presidential candidates, 2012]] and the political and social undercurrents associated with that contest

(add to list)

== Homework questions ==

*Are politicians leaders or followers of the direction of the nation? Does your answer vary depending on the political position?

*Why is this a famous saying: "All politics is local." Do you agree?

*"Politics is like icebergs: 90% is below the surface." Explain.

*''Why'' should it matter what the original meaning of the U.S. Constitution was?

*Should legislative history be relevant to interpreting a statute?

*Define conservative and liberal. Do you think our nation is becoming more conservative, or more liberal? Are the political cycles oscillating above and below a line that has positive or negative conservative slope?

*Teaching more people how to read: that benefit one political side more than the other? The oil spill in the Gulf: on which side that does that confer greater political benefit? (add more examples)

*Was Jesus pro-life?

== Order of presentation of topics ==

American Government is typically taught in an historical manner. This is disadvantageous for several reasons. First, it's more tedious and less interesting with that approach. Second, politics is not history.

Suggested order of presentation:

# The midterm elections; what it affects, and what it does not affect: [[Draft American Government Lecture One]]
(add more)

== References ==

<references/>

User talk:Jma

2010-07-09T12:41:19Z

Jma:

{{welcome|sig=[[User:Tzoran|'''Tyler Zoran''']][[User_Talk:Tzoran|Talk]] 00:04, 29 June 2010 (EDT)}}

== Hello... ==

Living where you do, do you ever feel like a pair of brown shoes with a tuxedo? ;-) --<big>[[User:TK|'''ṬK''']]</big>/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 01:34, 9 July 2010 (EDT)
:I do, here in socialist seattle... :-( [[User:DerekE|DerekE]] 01:53, 9 July 2010 (EDT)

TK, thanks for the welcome. Sorry, but I don't understand the reference to "brown shoes with a tuxedo". If you're talking about Hawaii weather, it certainly is great here. The cost of living is very high, though.
DerekE, sorry to hear that Seattle is a socialist city. I went to UW for a year, but out-of-state tuition was expensive, so I transferred to the U. of Hawaii. Seattle was actually a great experience for me and the people were very friendly.

User:Jma

2010-07-09T04:56:59Z

Jma: Created page with ' Good day everyone, My name is John Akutagawa, an instructor at Heald College in Honolulu, Hawaii. I teach math, physics, and environmental science. I'm a conservative Christia…'

Good day everyone,

My name is John Akutagawa, an instructor at Heald College in Honolulu, Hawaii. I teach math, physics, and environmental science.

I'm a conservative Christian who believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and in the Bible as the inspired Word of God.

My views are the same as most other social and political conservatives. I am pro-lifer who strongly supports traditional marriage, abstinence, school prayer, United States sovereignty, and Sarah Palin.

I object to the theory of evolution, the theory of anthropogenic (man-made) global warming, obamacare, and the idea of a one-world government.

Conservapedia:American Government Fall 2012

2010-07-09T04:29:37Z

Jma: /* Enrollment */

Enroll by inserting your user name into this file: click "Edit this page" below, then position your cursor in the Enrollment section below, and then click 10th tab from the left above.

"American Government Fall 2010" is a 14-week course that teaches the basics of government, both federal and state. It covers the political process and operation of the U.S. government, and may be the most important course you will ever take. It includes review of the U.S. Constitution, including concepts like the separation of powers among the branches of government.

'''Unlike other courses, this class will tie closely to current events and the lectures will be revised online and tailored to the most up-to-date available information'''.

Students in this class will make predictions at three different points about the outcome of the midterm elections on November 2nd: as the first homework assignment, after learning a month's worth of material, and just prior to the election.

Students seeking to earn college credit can take the CLEP or AP exams upon successful completion of this course.

This course begins in September and already several dozen students have enrolled in person. Please add your user id. (as explained above) if you would like to participate in this course in any way, either as a student or as a teacher on this site.

The instructor is Andy Schlafly, who has taught over 15 courses, including one as an adjunct professor at a major law school.

== Enrollment ==

--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 10:39, 6 June 2010 (EDT) (instructor)

--[[User:MartinLXA|Martin Amrowski]] 13:11, 6 June 2010 (EDT) (student)

--[[User:Davidkon|Davidkon]] 15:04, 6 June 2010 (EDT) (student)

--[[User:Beardude1963|Beardude1963]] 15:00, 7 June 2010 (EDT) (student)

--[[User:PNarcisse87|Paul Narcisse]] 13:02, 8 June 2010 (EDT) (student)

--[[User:FloM|Florencia Miguez]] (Student)

--[[User:AJ4JQ|AJ4JQ]] 10:39, 10 June 2010 (EDT) (Student)

littlehouse (student)

--[[User:OurFuture12|Daniel Bruski]] 10:07, 7 July 2010 (EDT) (Student)

--[[User:Jma|Jma]] 00:29, 9 July 2010 (EDT) (Student)

(add more names above)

== Special concepts ==

This course will include many concepts not included in most run-of-the-mill government courses, such as:

*the difference between politics and history, and the similarity between politics and team sports; impediments to teamwork and communication

*political cycles

*political factions, such as Big Labor, anti-war, pro-life, Second Amendment, etc.; interest groups and their scorecards and endorsements, such as the NRA and Elena Kagan and the effect on Harry Reid

*Tea Party: the decentralized political party

*declining role of newspapers, and increasing role of the internet

*the effect of low voter turnout, discuss in the context of initiatives; effect of initiatives on candidates on the ballot

*free speech and campaign finance

*pending court cases concerning the structure of government

*[[media bullying]] (e.g., post-election interviews for [[Rand Paul]]), media bias, [[double standard]]s in reporting news, effect of the bias in misleading the public

*famous expressions and special vocabulary (as in sports): "all politics is local," "if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!" "coattails", "political capital," "midterm elections," "filibuster", "voice vote," (add more)

*election process: various signature requirements to qualify for the ballot, use of convention rather than public elections in some areas, primary election, general election, concept of endorsements, term and qualifications for various offices

*correlations of voting patterns by "voting blocs"; "single issue" voters

*initiatives and referenda: how different states handle this differently, track record of various issues, effect on others on the ballot

*polling, pollsters, and their impact (e.g., Scott Brown upset)

*contrast the two-party system in America with multiple-party systems in other nations, how the power of political parties ebbs and flows with changes in campaign finance and the strength of interest groups like the NRA

*elements of a political campaign, including who gets involved and why and how

*the role of the Courts: the "least dangerous branch," or now the most powerful branch of government?

*the U.S. Supreme Court, and how it accepts cases for review and its October through June annual Terms

*administrative law, federal and state agencies, and the most cited U.S. Supreme Court decision: ''Chevron''

*"strict scrutiny," "intermediate scrutiny," and "rational basis" as three levels for judicial review in civil rights

*[[consumer confidence]] and the effect of the economy on elections

*[[think tank]]s and their influence; example of Robert Rector's analysis of proposed immigration changes

*the [[political benefit]] to a side from promoting a particular policy

*the concept of "[[political capital]]"

*commenting on proposed regulations

*[[FOIA]]

*line-item veto at state level, not at federal level

*office of county commissioner, or [[freeholder]]

*political asylum and example of homeschooling family that fled Germany to the U.S.

*pundits, talking heads, talk radio, editorials, endorsements

(add to list)

== Homework questions ==

*Are politicians leaders or followers of the direction of the nation? Does your answer vary depending on the political position?

*Why is this a famous saying: "All politics is local." Do you agree?

*"Politics is like icebergs: 90% is below the surface." Explain.

*''Why'' should it matter what the original meaning of the U.S. Constitution was?

*Should legislative history be relevant to interpreting a statute?

*Define conservative and liberal. Do you think our nation is becoming more conservative, or more liberal? Are the political cycles oscillating above and below a line that has positive or negative conservative slope?

*Teaching more people how to read: that benefit one political side more than the other? The oil spill in the Gulf: on which side that does that confer greater political benefit? (add more examples)

*Was Jesus pro-life?

== Order of presentation of topics ==

American Government is typically taught in an historical manner. This is disadvantageous for several reasons. First, it's more tedious and less interesting with that approach. Second, politics is not history.

Suggested order of presentation:

# The midterm elections; what it affects, and what it does not affect: [[Draft American Government Lecture One]]
(add more)

RoyGBiv

2010-07-09T02:55:52Z

Jma:

'''RoyGBiv''' is an [[acronym]] that uses the first letter of each of these colors: ''[[red]], [[Orange (color)|orange]], [[yellow]], [[green]], [[blue]], [[indigo]], [[violet]]'' in order of the color [[spectrum]]. It is pronounced as if it were a name: "Roy G. Biv". Red is the color of lowest energy and violet is the highest-energy color.

Some debate exists over whether indigo is distinct from blue and violet on the color spectrum.

The reason for the "seven" colors is that when they were named from the results of the spectrum thrown by a [[prism]], seven was considered to be a holy number, dating to the seven observable (non-[[star]]) objects in the heavens (the sun, the moon, and the five planets visible to the naked eye).

[[Category:Acronyms]]
[[Category:Colors]]

Acceleration

2010-07-09T02:49:03Z

Jma:

'''Acceleration''' is the rate of change of an object's [[velocity]].<ref>Wile, Dr. Jay L. ''Exploring Creation With Physical Science''. Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. 1999, 2000</ref>. More precisely, it is defined as the derivative of [[velocity]] over time, and is a vector. For an object to undergo an acceleration, a [[force]] needs to be exerted on the object. An example is a falling object on [[Earth]], which is subject to a [[gravity|gravitational force]]. The resulting acceleration ''g'' is independent of the mass of the object, and is approximately 9.81 [[meter]]s per [[second]] per [[second]] near the Earth's surface<ref>Marcelo Alonso and Edward J. Finn, ''Fundamental University Physics'', Addison-Wesley.</ref>.

According to Newton's Second Law of Motion, calculation of acceleration is done with the formula <math>\vec F=m \vec a</math>, where F=force and is measured in Newtons, m=mass and is measured in kilograms, and a=acceleration and is measured in meters per second squared. Using the formula we can find that <math> \vec a=\frac{\vec F}{m}</math>.

In the case of straight trajectory, if an object's acceleration and [[velocity]] have the same direction, the object is gaining [[speed]]. If the acceleration and velocity have opposite directions, the object is losing speed. If the acceleration is zero, then the object is either at rest or travelling in a straight line at constand speed.

In case of a curvilinear trajectory, there is an acceleration, even if the speed of the object is constant. This is because the ''direction'' of the object's velocity changes if the path is curved. And whenever there is a change in velocity, there is an acceleration, since acceleration is the change in velocity with respect to time.

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Mechanics ]]

Kurt Warner

2010-07-09T02:13:49Z

Jma:

'''Kurt Warner''' (1971 - ) is a former quarterback for the [[St. Louis Rams]], [[New York Giants]], and [[Arizona Cardinals]] of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the [[Green Bay Packers]] as an undrafted free agent in 1994, but was cut before the season began. Following this, he worked the night shift at a Hy-Vee grocery store and concurrently served as an assistant coach for his old college, the [[University of Northern Iowa]], during the day.

Warner still dreamed of playing football and was able to join the Iowa Barnstormers of the [[Arena Football League]] in 1995 and played there for three seasons, guiding the team to two Arena Bowl appearances -- the only two in team history. In 1998, he played a season for the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe before making the final cut with the [[St. Louis Rams]]. He was a backup that season and in the 1999 preseason, until the starter, Trent Green, got hurt. Warner then came in and played phenomenally, winning the 1999 league MVP and leading the Rams to a 23-16 [[Super Bowl]] XXXIV win over the [[Tennessee Titans]], winning game MVP honors in the process. He won another league MVP in 2001 and led the Rams back to the Super Bowl, only to be upset 20-17 by the [[New England Patriots]].

After suffering a hand injury the following year, Warner was sidelined and eventually lost his starting spot. In 2004 he was released and signed with the [[New York Giants]]. Warner got off to 5-4 start but lost the starting job to rookie and number one draft pick [[Eli Manning]]. Warner played backup for the remainder of the year. In 2005, he signed with the [[Arizona Cardinals]].

The Warner-led Cardinals won the 2008 NFC Championship but lost to the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] in Super Bowl XLIII by a score of 27-23. Warner played one more season, leading the Cardinals to a second consecutive NFC West title, before retiring from football in January, 2010.

Warner is one of only three quarterbacks to accomplish a perfect NFL passer rating three times (the others are Peyton Manning, who actually did it four times if playoffs are counted, and Ben Roethlisberger). Warner holds the record for most passing yards in a Super Bowl (414 yards in Super Bowl XXXIV). In his other two Super Bowl appearances, Warner recorded the 2nd-most and 3rd-most passing yards in Super Bowl history. Warner has a perfect record in NFL home playoff games (7-0), and is similarly unblemished in Conference Championship games (3-0). He has the remarkable distinction of leading his team to the Super Bowl every single time he has started all of his team's games.

Kurt and his wife Brenda, whom he married in 1997, are evangelical and [[charismatic movement|charismatic]] [[Christian]]s and have 5 children together, one of whom is [[Autism|autistic]]. Warner adopted his wife's two children from a previous marriage at the time they were joined.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Warner, Kurt}}

[[Category:NFL Players]]
[[Category:Religious People]]

Kurt Warner

2010-07-07T14:58:52Z

Jma:

'''Kurt Warner''' (1971 - ) is a former quarterback for the [[St. Louis Rams]], [[New York Giants]], and [[Arizona Cardinals]] of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the [[Green Bay Packers]] as an undrafted free agent in 1994, but was cut before the season began. Following this, he worked the night shift at a Hy-Vee grocery store and concurrently served as an assistant coach for his old college, the [[University of Northern Iowa]], during the day.

Warner still dreamed of playing football and was able to join the Iowa Barnstormers of the [[Arena Football League]] in 1995 and played there for three seasons, guiding the team to two Arena Bowl appearances -- the only two in team history. In 1998, he played a season for the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe before making the final cut with the [[St. Louis Rams]]. He was a backup that season and in the 1999 preseason, until the starter, Trent Green, got hurt. Warner then came in and played phenomenally, winning the 1999 league MVP and leading the Rams to a 23-16 [[Super Bowl]] XXXIV win over the [[Tennessee Titans]], winning game MVP honors in the process. He won another league MVP in 2001 and led the Rams back to the Super Bowl, only to be upset 20-17 by the [[New England Patriots]].

After suffering a hand injury the following year, Warner was sidelined and eventually lost his starting spot. In 2004 he was released and signed with the [[New York Giants]]. Warner got off to 5-4 start but lost the starting job to rookie and number one draft pick [[Eli Manning]]. Warner played backup for the remainder of the year. In 2005, he signed with the [[Arizona Cardinals]].

The Warner-led Cardinals won the 2008 NFC Championship but lost to the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] in Super Bowl XLIII by a score of 27-23. Warner played one more season, leading the Cardinals to a second consecutive NFC West title, before retiring from football in January, 2010.

Warner is one of only three quarterbacks to accomplish a perfect NFL passer rating three times (the others are Peyton Manning, who actually did it four times if playoffs are counted, and Ben Roethlisberger). Warner holds the record for most passing yards in a Super Bowl (414 yards in Super Bowl XXXIV). In his other two Super Bowl appearances, Warner recorded the 2nd-most and 3rd-most passing yards in Super Bowl history. Warner has a perfect record in NFL home playoff games (7-0), and is similarly unblemished in Conference Championship games (3-0). He has the remarkable distinction of leading his team to the Super Bowl every single time he has started all of the team's games.

Kurt and his wife Brenda, whom he married in 1997, are evangelical and [[charismatic movement|charismatic]] [[Christian]]s and have 5 children together, one of whom is [[Autism|autistic]]. Warner adopted his wife's two children from a previous marriage at the time they were joined.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Warner, Kurt}}

[[Category:NFL Players]]
[[Category:Religious People]]

Kurt Warner

2010-07-07T14:48:12Z

Jma:

'''Kurt Warner''' (1971 - ) is a former quarterback for the [[St. Louis Rams]], [[New York Giants]], and [[Arizona Cardinals]] of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the [[Green Bay Packers]] as an undrafted free agent in 1994, but was cut before the season began. Following this, he worked the night shift at a Hy-Vee grocery store and concurrently served as an assistant coach for his old college, the [[University of Northern Iowa]], during the day.

Warner still dreamed of playing football and was able to join the Iowa Barnstormers of the [[Arena Football League]] in 1995 and played there for three seasons, guiding the team to two Arena Bowl appearances -- the only two in team history. In 1998, he played a season for the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe before making the final cut with the [[St. Louis Rams]]. He was a backup that season and the 1999 preseason, until the starter, Trent Green, got hurt. Warner came in and played phenomenally, winning the 1999 league MVP and leading the Rams to a 23-16 [[Super Bowl]] XXXIV win over the [[Tennessee Titans]], winning game MVP honors. He won another league MVP in 2001 and led the team back to the Super Bowl, but they were upset 20-17 by the [[New England Patriots]].

After suffering a hand injury the following year, Warner was sidelined and eventually lost his starting spot. In 2004 he was released and signed with the [[New York Giants]]. Warner got off to 5-4 start but lost the starting job to rookie and number one draft pick [[Eli Manning]]. Warner played backup for the remainder of the year. In 2005, he signed with the [[Arizona Cardinals]].

The Warner-led Cardinals won the 2008 NFC Championship but lost to the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] in Super Bowl XLIII by a score of 27-23. Warner played one more season, leading the Cardinals to a second consecutive NFC West title, before retiring from football in January, 2010.

Warner is one of only three quarterbacks to play three games with a perfect NFL passer rating (the others are Peyton Manning, who actually has four if playoffs are counted, and Ben Roethlisberger). He holds the record for most passing yards in a Super Bowl (414 yards in Super Bowl XXXIV). In his other two Super Bowl appearances, Warner recorded the 2nd-most and 3rd-most passing yards in Super Bowl history. Warner has the remarkable distinction of leading his team to the Super Bowl every single time he has started all of the team's games.

Kurt and his wife Brenda, whom he married in 1997, are evangelical and [[charismatic movement|charismatic]] [[Christian]]s and have 5 children together, one of whom is [[Autism|autistic]]. Warner adopted his wife's two children from a previous marriage at the time they were joined.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Warner, Kurt}}

[[Category:NFL Players]]
[[Category:Religious People]]

Velocity

2010-07-07T13:32:45Z

Jma:

The '''velocity''' of an object is a combination of both speed and direction: in formal terms, it is the rate of change of the object's [[displacement]], and the direction of that change. If the position of an object is some [[function]] of [[time]], then the velocity is the [[derivative]] of that function:

:<math>\vec v(t)={\mathrm{d}\vec x \over \mathrm{d}t}</math>

where <math>\vec x</math> is the position and <math>\vec v</math> is the velocity. The velocity is a [[vector]], and its length or absolute value is called the ''[[speed]]''. The velocity has dimensions of length / time, and may thus be expressed in meters per seconds (in scientific usage), or miles per hour in more common usage.

For an object moving along a straight trajectory, if its [[acceleration]] and velocity have the same direction, the object is gaining [[speed]]. If its acceleration and velocity have opposite directions, the object is losing speed.

Even if an object's velocity is [[zero]], its [[acceleration]] is not necessarily zero. For example, consider a baseball thrown straight up into the air. At the top of its trajectory, it is momentarily motionless (and thus has zero velocity) even though its acceleration is not zero (it is still being pulled downwards by gravity).

If an object's acceleration is zero, its velocity is constant, but not necessarily zero.

[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Mechanics]]

Physical Review Letters

2010-07-07T13:22:39Z

Jma:

The '''Physical Review Letters''' is journal that publishes short articles about topics in [[physics]], typically having length of only four pages or less. For decades the American Physical Society has published this journal, which is considered to be one of the most prestigious today. <ref>http://prl.aps.org/</ref>

== References ==
<references/>

[[category:Physics]]

Capacitance

2010-07-07T13:12:13Z

Jma:

'''Capacitance''' is a property of [[electric]] [[circuit]]s that describes how much electricity is stored between two plates or wires. It is defined as '''C=Q/V''', where ''C'' stands for capacitance, ''Q'' for [[charge]], and ''V'' for [[voltage]].

Because of this inverse relationship, most capacitors are quite large compared to other parts on a circuit board, and still only power circuits in the range of a few microfarads. (The '''farad''', named for [[Michael Faraday]], is the unit of capacitance in the [[SI]] system.) Recently, by packing many curved plates into a single cylindrical capacitor, electronics companies have been able to shrink the volume of a capacitor by factors of two or three, thus producing a corresponding boost in farad capacity. It is now possible to buy capacitors as powerful as one or two farads, and super-small capacitors in the kilofarad (one thousand farads) range are being developed in [[Britain]].<ref>[http://www.engineerlive.com/news/20026/iec-to-develop-standard-for-supercapacitors.thtml IEC to develop standard for supercapacitors]. ''EngineerLive'', March 27, 2008.</ref>

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Physics]]

Gamma ray

2010-07-07T13:06:48Z

Jma: /* Popular Culture */

'''Gamma rays''' are a form of dangerous [[radiation]] released in [[nuclear]] reactions. Gamma rays are invisible and harmful to people and all living things.

==Popular Culture==
In the comic book 'The Incredible Hulk', Dr. Bruce Banner was accidentally exposed to gamma rays. He then changed into the Hulk when subjected to stress. The Hulk possessed superhuman strength.

[[Category:Physics]]