This Week in AP Physics
On Monday we will take a few minutes to complete and discuss the projectile motion lab, and then we will dive into Unit 3: Newtonian Mechanics – Newton’s Laws. We will develop and solve problems involving Newton’s First Law, mass, and static equilibrium on Monday and Tuesday before exploring our second topic, Newton’s Second Law. Guided reading #1 AND #2 will be due Tuesday to support this work. We will spend the rest of the week analyzing mechanics in light of these first two laws by generating and solving problems and by working on our first of two unit 3 labs, Lab 1 – Newton’s Second Law. Expect a quiz toward the late part of the week.

This Week in Physics
Depending on your section, you will either take the unit 1 test on Monday or Tuesday. The unit overview document is a good study guide. Be sure to use the podcasts to your best advantage and do lots of practice problems as you study. The day after your test you should take notes on the following podcasts from Unit 2: Motion in Two Dimensions:

• Motion in Two Dimensions Podcast 1 – Vectors vs. Scalars
• Motion in Two Dimensions Podcast 2 – Vector Diagrams
• Motion in Two Dimensions Podcast 3 – Introduction to Vector Addition
• Motion in Two Dimensions Podcast 4 – Vector Addition Sample Problem

We will analyze in class various examples of problems that involve vector operations and will then do assignment 1 together followed by a quiz the next day. As announced you should take notes on Podcast 5 – Introduction to Vector Resolution and Podcast 6 – Vector Resolution Sample Problem. We will then analyze more vector problems in class and do assignment 2 together followed by a quiz (perhaps next week.)

This Week in Astronomy
Having examined the stars at night, we turn our attention to the star of the daytime, our sun, as we begin Unit 2: The Ecliptic Motion of the Sun. We’ll start by analyzing data of the sun’s position in the sky over the course of the year and generate an explanation for how and why it moves the way it appears to move. After this activity and subsequent notes we will quiz. There is only one (relatively short) podcast for this brief unit, Unit 2 Podcast – The Ecliptic and its Implications, and minutes 1-189 of the podcast will help you study for this quiz. At some point during the week I will ask you to take notes on minutes 19-30 of the podcast as homework and will give you an open-notes quiz over this material on the day the notes are due. Then we will do a number of activities in which we analyze how the path of the sun changes annually at different latitudes. Next week we will wrap up this unit by looking at the relationship between the sun’s path and climate. We will take the test for this unit by the middle/end of next week.

Cool Science of the Week
REAL.LIFE.LIGHTSABERS.
(I am so freaking out…)

This Week in AP Physics
We will complete unit 2 by doing homework problems for Tuesday and a projectiles lab on Monday/Wednesday. Please remember that your lab report for the gravitational acceleration lab is also due on Tuesday and should be uploaded to TurnItIn.com by Wednesday at 3:00. Our unit 2 test will be Wednesday or Thursday. By Friday we will begin our examination of Newton’s Laws of Motion in unit 3.

This Week in Physics
Third period and sixth period are out of synch, so watch for me to announce due dates in class. By the end of the week we will complete the following: Assignment 4, homework (notes) on the remaining three podcasts (Podcast 9 – Introduction to Free Fall, Podcast 10 – Free Fall Sample Problems, and  Podcast 11 – Terminal Velocity),  Assignment 5, and our unit 1 test. For the start of unit 2 you will need to take notes on Podcast 1 – Vectors vs. Scalars and Motion in Two Dimensions Podcast 2 – Vector Diagrams when announced.

This Week in Astronomy
It’s show time! Late this week we will take our unit 1 test, but first we will explore how the sky’s appearance changes over the course of a year. Podcast 4 – Seasonal Constellations and Star Magnitude will support your learning. We will finish up the unit by exploring star magnitude. On Thursday Astronomy Unit 1 – Homework Questions are due. In addition, now that you’ve got some awesome knowledge under your belt, it’s time to check out the REAL sky and do the Unit 1 – Outdoor Lab. You need a clear night and some free time, so plan ahead. This is due on October 4. Late this week we will begin unit 2 in which we’ll turn our attention from the night sky to the day sky. 🙂

Cool Science of the Week
Have you ever wanted to fly on the back of a giant bird (or dragon :))? Then check out this beautiful video from the point of view of a small camera mounted to the back of a bald eagle.

Note: There is no information about how the video was made, although it is speculated that the man on the ground in the video is the bird’s professional handler.

This Week in AP Physics
We will add finishing touches to our Acceleration due to Gravity experiment on Monday. The lab report for this is due the following Monday, September 23 with an upload due to TurnItIn.com by that Tuesday at 3:00pm. To begin our study of two-dimensional motion we will examine vector operations. Guided Reading number 1 is due on Monday. In addition by Tuesday, please watch and take notes on podcasts 2-6 from this webpage. We will solve practice problems in class and then quickly move onto an examination of projectile motion. Guided Reading number 2 will be due as announced. Toward the end of the week/beginning of next week we will do another experiment with our Projectile Motion Lab. Expect the test over this unit (unit 2) toward the end of the following week.

This Week in Physics
For Monday please take notes on Podcast 6 – Acceleration Signs vs. Velocity Signs. We will complete assignment 3 in class followed by a quiz the next day. Third period, you also have a quiz on Monday over Podcast 5 – Introduction to Acceleration (covered in assignment 3.) For Tuesday or Wednesday (as announced) please take notes on Podcast 7 – Introduction to Kinematic Equations and Podcast 8 – Kinematic Equations Sample Problem. We will spend some time developing and solving multiple problems involving motion by using these equations. Then we will do assignment 4 in class followed by a quiz. We are nearing the completion of this unit, so plan for a unit 1 test the following week. Final note: Your lab report for the Analysis of Uniform Motion Lab is due on Tuesday, September 17 at the start of class. Please hand in one hard copy per writing team. In addition, you must upload one copy of your team’s report to TurnItIn.com. If you already have an account, you can add the class using the class ID 6936831 and the password Tesla. If you don’t already have a TurnItIn.com account, you can use this class ID to create your account. The upload is due by 3:00 on Wednesday, September 18.

This Week in Astronomy
On Monday we will complete our examination of the north declination sky including the celestial north pole. On Tuesday we will do a very cool virtual lab using the Stellarium program. Note that this is free software that you can use to help you study and to help you have fun. 🙂 Following the lab we will have a quiz over the celestial north pole, the north declination sky, and the celestial equator. Podcast 3 – Circumpolar Stars will support your studies. We will follow up by examining the phenomenon of seasonal constellations toward the end of the week. Anticipate a unit 1 test early the following week.

Cool Science of the Week
You’ve never seen camouflage like this! Check out the amazing camo abilities of cephalopods such as the octopus featured in this video. You’ve never seen anything like it (most likely)!

This Week in AP Physics
We will complete our work with unit 1 this week. Guided reading is due on Monday, and all homework problems, listed at the end of the lesson plan document, is due on Tuesday. In addition, your lab report for Lab 1 – Uniform vs. Accelerated Motion must be uploaded to TurnItIn.com by Tuesday to avoid a score deduction. (The TurnItIn.com class ID is 6936815, and the password is Einstein.) Our test will be Thursday. During the week we will also work on our second lab, Lab 2 – Acceleration due to Gravity.

This Week in Physics
Please take notes on Podcast 4 – Slope of Position vs. Time Equals Velocity for Monday if you have not already done so. On Monday 3rd period will do a graph analysis activity (that 6th period did on Friday,) and then both classes will do assignment 1 in class…so bring your books! 🙂 The day after we finish assignment 1, expect a quiz over the topics covered in podcasts 1-4. When announced, please take notes on Podcast 5 – Introduction to Acceleration. After we discuss that podcast, we will do assignment 2 in class, followed by a quiz the next day. If time permits, we will also get to Podcast 6 – Acceleration Signs vs. Velocity Signs, after which we will do a quick activity and another assignment/quiz combo. 🙂 NOTE: You should be working on your lab reports for the Analysis of Uniform Motion Lab. The lab reports are due next Tuesday, September 17.

This Week in Astronomy
We will take our star mapping quiz in the planetarium on Monday and then discuss what you discovered in Podcast 2 – Celestial Equator and Celestial North Pole as we begin to examine the appearance of the sky at different latitudes. We will spend the early and middle part of the week practicing drawing meridian diagrams for different latitudes, and then we will take a quiz over this skill. Following this we will turn our attention to the northern sky specifically and examine how its appearance changes as our latitude changes. Podcast 3 – Circumpolar Stars will aid your work.

Cool Science of the Week
On Earth we have terrifically beautiful solar eclipses when our moon blocks out the sun. Have you ever imagined what solar eclipses might look like on other planets? Mars has two moons, Phobos and Deimos, and here is what happened when the Curiosity Rover captured photographs of Phobos passing in front of the sun on August 17. Notice that Phobos doesn’t cover all of the sun the way our moon does. Think about relative sizes! 🙂