I saw my first fall leaves of the year this week…a sign that we are really rolling into the school year now!

This Week in AP Physics
On Monday we will complete our inquiry activity into the kinematics of projectile motion and will then formalize our understanding with some fantastic notes and practice problems/questions. We’ll be doing homework 2 either for Tuesday or Wednesday. (This is a big assignment but is our only homework this week. Plan ahead.) Expect the unit 2 test by Friday. In addition, your Lab 2 – Acceleration due to Gravity is due on Friday with a hard copy ready to hand in at the start of class and your digital copy uploaded to TurnItIn.com by Friday at 3:00.

This Week in Physics
On Monday we will quiz over accelerated motion. Podcast 5 – Introduction to Acceleration will help you study. On Monday we will also do assignment 3 together in class. A quiz will follow on the day after we complete assignment 3. For Tuesday please take notes on Podcast 7 – Introduction to Kinematic Equations and Podcast 8 – Kinematic Equations Sample Problem. We will discuss those topics and then do assignment 4 together in class followed by a quiz the next day. Finally, please take notes on Podcast 9 – Introduction to Free Fall, Podcast 10 – Free Fall Sample Problems, and Podcast 11 – Terminal Velocity when announced. Expect the Unit 1 test in the early part of next week.

This Week in Astronomy
We will complete our survey of the diurnal motions of the night sky by examining the motions of the northern sky. Podcast 3 – Circumpolar Stars will support your learning. When we’ve completed our focus on the northern sky, we will take a quiz and will then turn our attention to annual changes in the stars we see. Podcast 4 – Seasonal Constellations and Star Magnitude will support your efforts. Most likely we will take our Unit 1 test by Friday. However, it may be pushed to Monday. Unit 1 – Homework Questions are due at the start of class on the day of the test. (You can do these on notebook paper and do not have to print them.) In addition, by the end of this week you should be able to begin your first lab, the Unit 1 Outdoor Lab. This will be due on Friday, October 3rd. (You do need to print this one and do the work on the lab document, but please print in black and white to save your ink.)

Hot Science of the Week
Two big solar storms (i.e., lots of solar flares on the surface of the sun) happened this past week, and their effects will reach us this weekend. On the plus side, this is your chance possibly to see the aurora borealis (also called the Northern lights) here in Cleveland if our skies are clear and conditions work in our favor. On the down side, there’s a reasonable chance that the electromagnetic energy from these storms may disrupt satellite communication and even our electrical grid systems. Brace yourselves for a possible analog weekend!