Physics for a Middle Schooler: AI as Adversary (Excerpt) by Cammy Kao

To S—, my reason for thinking again about physics

The subtitle tells kids to fight with an AI assistant if they want to get good answers. This book is an excerpt from a memoir.

An Artbook

  • #1 Conservation of Angular Momentum (PDF)

  • #2 Bicycle Gears (PDF)

  • #3 Cross Product (Sine) (PDF)

  • #4 The Limit of Calculus (PDF)

  • #5 Work Done on a Ramp (PDF)

  • #6 Bicycle Helmet (PDF)

  • #7 Lift of Airplanes (PDF)

  • #8 A Proportion in Sports (PDF)

  • #9 Throwing Motion (PDF)

  • #10 Foams: EPS, Rice Cakes, Popcorn, and Bread (PDF)

  • #11 Trajectory (PDF)

  • #12 Area Under a Curve (PDF)

Subsequent Lessons

PDF

  • #13 Circadian Rhythms and Limit Cycles (Biology, Systems of Equations)

  • #13 Tetravalent Carbon and the SN2 Reaction (Chemistry, Geometry)

  • #13 Reference Frames and Time Dilation (Physics, Lorenz and Schwarzchild Factors)

PDF

  • #14 Circadian Rhythms: Overview

  • #15 Circadian Rhythms: How Does a Cycle Occur?

  • #16 Circadian Rhythms: How Does a Particular Cycle Occur?

PDF

  • #17 Circadian Rhythms: What Is the Math?

  • #18 Circadian Rhythms: Starting Conditions and Equilibria / Steady States / Limit Cycles

  • #19 The Empennage (Tail) of an Airplane (PDF)

A Little Bit of History

  • #20 The Classical Hamiltonian (PDF)

  • #21 Landau’s Theoretical Minimum (PDF)

Lessons Linking All Eight IB MYP Subject Groups

PDF

  • #22 An IB MYP Interdisciplinary Sketch: The Pigment Ultramarine

  • #23 Heat as a Tool: A Brief Excursion Prompted by Ultramarine

PDF

  • #24 An IB MYP Interdisciplinary Sketch: The Japanese Pagoda

  • #25 Earthquakes: A Brief Excursion Prompted by the Japanese Pagoda

PDF

  • #26 An IB MYP Interdisciplinary Sketch: Chopsticks

  • #27 The Human Hand: A Brief Excursion Prompted by Chopsticks

Discovery De Nuevo

An employee at the school, I glanced at my email over and over while substituting for a science teacher — the students doing chemistry. This week I tutored twice — just a moment each time, but for real — while strolling among students.

Text to self at 5:09 PM on May 15, 2026, in Houston

Continuing After “Physics for a Middle Schooler”