Welcome to the first week of second quarter! Let’s make it great! 🙂

This Week in AP Physics
We will finish unit 4 over circular and rotational motion. Guided reading #2 is due on Monday when we will begin to look at rotation and torque. We will spend the week doing “AP Problem Solving with Physics” and will test by Friday. Your circular motion lab report is due by next Monday, November 4.

This Week in Physics
Please take notes on the following podcasts by Monday: Force Podcast 1 – Net External Force, and Force Podcast 2 – Weight. We will do activities with this information followed by assignment 1 in class (and then the inevitable quiz!) When announced please take notes on Force Podcast 3 – Normal Force, Force Podcast 4 – Introduction to Friction, Force Podcast 5 – Static Friction, Force Podcast 6 – Kinetic Friction. We will spend lots of time analyzing problems involving friction and will also do a great lab involving friction.

This Week in Astronomy
We will continue to analyze the appearance, alignment, and rise/set/appear/disappear times for the various phases of the moon by collecting and analyzing more data and synthesizing the information into one big masterful understanding of the phases of the moon. It will rock. (LAWLZ) These podcasts cover the material, so you can use them to support your study: Moon Podcast 2 – Lunar Phases and their Appearances, Moon Podcast 3 – The Phases and their Timings. We will end the week by exploring lunar geology (or is it “lunology”?) and will probably test early next week.

Cool Science of the Week
In the past couple of weeks in two separate instances, two giant (sadly, dead) “sea serpent” oarfish washed up on the Pacific coast. These incredibly deep-water fish are fantastically long, by some estimates reaching 45 feet! It is speculated that these have inspired “sea monster” myths of the past and that their deaths may portend geological activity such as earthquakes. Check out the photo (bottom) and this video (top) of an oarfish swimming deep beneath the sea.

Welcome to the last week of the first quarter! (Seniors, can you believe it?) Ready for it or not, be sure to check PowerSchool to make sure all of your assignments are turned in.

This Week in AP Physics
With an incredible array of basic tools in our toolbox, we can now explore specific types of motion. Our first specific applications will be circular and rotational motion. This will be a fast-paced week, as we’ll complete most of the work for this unit this week. Guided reading #1 will be due on Tuesday, and #2 will be due by the end of the week, as announced. Remember that your lab report for last unit’s Newton’s Second Law lab is also due on Tuesday.

This Week in Physics
We will finish all assignments for unit 2 in class on Monday and Tuesday and prepare for the test, which will be on Wednesday. Following the test we’ll do one of my favorite labs of the year, the Human Cannonball Projectiles Lab! Following the lab we’ll start a terrific unit on Newton’s laws. When announced the following podcasts will be due, either by the end of the week or the beginning of next week: Podcast 1 – Net External Force, Podcast 2 – Weight, and Podcast 3 – Normal Force.

This Week in Astronomy
Just in time for Halloween we look to that mysterious orb in the sky, the moon! We will start by analyzing data about the position and appearance of the moon from day-to-day to put together a deep understanding of why the moon appears as it does during different times of the evening, night, and morning. Three podcasts will support your learning through this unit: Podcast 1 – Introduction and Orbit, Podcast 2 – Lunar Phases and their Appearances, Podcast 3 – The Phases and their Timings.

Cool Science of the Week
We’ve been hearing about 3-D printing for some time now. The Science Museum in London recently opened an exhibit highlighting applications of this technology, including making prosthetic body parts! …and toys!!! 🙂
Check it out!

We are entering the last two weeks of the quarter. Please be sure to finish strong. Also keep up with any absent or missing/late work.

This Week in AP Physics
We will continue to analyze and solve complex dynamics/kinematics problems on Monday. The remaining guided readings for this unit are due on Monday, and the homework for this unit is due on Tuesday. (Note: I’ve added #50 to the list of problems. It’s a fun one. :)) On Wednesday/Friday we’ll complete the friction lab that was delayed by the PSAT training. Expect the Unit 3 test on Thursday.

This Week in Physics
3rd period: On Monday we will take a quiz over vector resolution and then go over an introduction to projectile motion. For Tuesday please take notes on Podcast 9 – Introduction to Projectile Motion part 3, Podcast 10 – Projectile Formulas, Podcast 11 – Projectile Sample Problem part 1, and Podcast 12 – Projectile Sample Problem part 2. We will miss 3rd period on Wednesday due to the PSAT, so we will spend Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday analyzing and solving multiple projectile problems and then complete assignment 2 together in class, followed by a quiz, likely next Monday.
6th period: For Monday please take notes on Podcast 9 – Introduction to Projectile Motion part 3, Podcast 10 – Projectile Formulas, Podcast 11 – Projectile Sample Problem part 1, and Podcast 12 – Projectile Sample Problem part 2. We will spend Tuesday and Wednesday analyzing and solving multiple projectile problems and then complete assignment 2 together in class, followed by a quiz, likely on Thursday. We will end the week by analyzing satellite motion.

This Week in Astronomy
For Monday as homework (due Monday) please complete this two-page assignment. You don’t have to print it and can just do it on a piece of your own paper if you choose. Unit 2 homework is due on Tuesday. On Monday we will do an activity regarding solar radiation and will complete the notes for this unit. This may spill into Tuesday, so we will have the unit 2 test on Thursday.  Please remember that the unit 2 podcast is a great study resource. After the test we will begin our unit regarding the moon. You are also now ready to do the Unit 2 Outdoor Lab. This takes 2-3 weeks to complete, so start now. It is due on November 11. Summary of due dates:
Monday: ecliptic assignment
Tuesday: Unit 2 homework
Wednesday: No class
Thursday: Unit 2 test
November 11: Unit 2 Outdoor Lab (Start now.)

Cool Science of the Week
So apparently the whole regeneration thing Dr. Who does may not entirely be fiction. Check out these immortal jellyfish who can regenerate their dying cells…Sound familiar?

This Week in AP Physics
We will continue to explore Newton’s Laws by examining what we learned from our Atwood’s machine lab in which we found the mass of an object by moving it. We will do lots and lots…and lots…of problem solving involving multiple forces, Newton’s second law, and kinematics, and we’ll also perform another experiment to find the coefficient of static friction of various materials sliding across our aluminum tracks. Expect at least one quiz this week and guided reading #4 to be due, as announced. Also due this week is your projectile motion lab report. Please remember to write using Google Drive, share it with me ([email protected] (not used for email)), and submit it to TurnItIn.com by Friday at 3:00. Next week we’ll cover Newton’s Third Law and take a unit test. 🙂

This Week in Physics
Depending on your course sections, due dates will vary, so watch for announcements in class. This week we will complete assignment 1 (3rd period) followed by a quiz (Monday for 6th period, Tuesday for 3rd period.) Please take notes on the following podcasts by Monday (6th period) or Tuesday (3rd period): Podcast 5 – Introduction to Vector Resolution and  Podcast 6 – Vector Resolution Sample Problem. After discussing these podcasts we will complete practice problems in class followed by a quiz the next day. As announced please take notes on Podcast 7 – Introduction to Projectile Motion part 1, Podcast 8 – Introduction to Projectile Motion part 2, and Podcast 9 – Introduction to Projectile Motion part 3. Later when/if announced please take notes on Podcast 10 – Projectile Formulas, Podcast 11 – Projectile Sample Problem part 1, and Podcast 12 – Projectile Sample Problem part 2. We will spend most of the second half of the week simply practicing projectile problems.

This Week in Astronomy
We will complete our unit on our own star, the sun, this week by connecting the dots between the sun’s path at the solstices/equinoxes and solar radiation/climate. We’ll also, once again, travel around the globe to see how these things change based on location. Expect lots of activities and research in lab this week. Unit 2 homework is due on Thursday, and we’ll probably test on Friday. Remember that the Unit 2 Podcast – The Ecliptic and its Implications will help you study. Next week, “to the moon!”

Cool Science of the Week
Dude. This is a mind-controlled flying robot. I mean, seriously. That’s ridiculous – the good kind of ridiculous. A mind-controlled…FLYING…robot.

(Note: The video playback may not work in email, but if you go to the home page of sgbscience.net, you will be able to play it from there.)