We are entering the last three weeks of the quarter, so be sure to stay on top of all of your work! 🙂

This Week in Physics
For Monday, if your class has not already done so, be sure to complete goal set 2 as homework. As announced in your class we will take a quiz over goal set 2 from unit 5. When announced please take notes on PODCAST 3 – The Impulse-Momentum Theorem. We will complete assignment 3, the Impulse-Momentum Theorem Lab, and goal set 3 on our way to our unit test, which will likely be next week.

Cool Science of the Week
Silent space: Did you know that every science fiction movie that allows you to hear a blast is boldly lying to you? Sound waves need a medium to travel through, so in the vacuum of outer space, there’s no sound… or is there? A plasma physicist has discovered that charged particles interact with Earth’s magnetosphere to create a different kind of sound wave, a magnetosonic wave. These waves are very low in pressure and are therefore undetectable, but they can affect satellites. Below the awesome gif is an audio file that makes these space sounds audible by condensing a year’s worth of sound into six minutes. Check it out!

On the audio below, click on the white lines in the lower right to hear the sounds after clicking the play button in the top left. Alternately you can click here to access the researcher’s external site.

This will be a shortened week as we observe Washington’s and Lincoln’s birthdays on Presidents’ Day, which Ohio officially calls Washington-Lincoln day. Who knew?

This Week in Physics
We lost a lot of time last week due to scheduling, and each section has different starting points for the week. Therefore please follow the announcements for your particular class section regarding when each of the following will be due. (Your class period may have already done some of these.)

• Quiz over unit 5 goal set 1
• PODCAST 2: Types of Collisions – The role of kinetic energy
• Assignment 2 from unit 5
• PODCAST 3: The Impulse-Momentum Theorem

Cool Science of Last Week
Last week Elon Musk‘s SpaceX launched a new rocket model into space. The Falcon Heavy rocket has the cool feature of returning its rocket boosters back to Earth in a way that allows them to land for reuse. You can check out their synchronized landing at the end of the short video clip below – so cool! Also super cool: The Falcon Heavy, while in space, released into an orbit around the sun a Tesla Roadster, an electric car from Mr. Musk’s other company, Tesla. In the Roadster: an astronaut mannequin named Starman. On the dashboard: a sign that says “Don’t Panic.” Music playing in the car: Starman by David Bowie, natch.
Bonus trivia: For how long could the mennequin hear the song play (if the mannequin could hear)? Bonus bonus trivia trivia: Elon Musk was the inspiration for the movie version of which fictional character? (Bonus trivia is worth only the bonus of fame and glory, not points. 🙂 )
The following is a real picture! Ridic!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

This Week in Physics
For Monday please complete assignment 1. In class on Monday we will go over assignment 1 and will put the finishing touches on our law of conservation of momentum experiment. On Tuesday we will take a quiz over goal set 1. (If your class does not finish going over goal set 1 in class on Monday it will be due on Tuesday.) As announced please take notes on PODCAST 2: Types of Collisions – The role of kinetic energy. We will complete assignment 2 and will reprocess our data from our mini law of conservation of momentum lab from the perspective of analyzing the types of collisions. By the end of the week we will take a quiz over goal set 2. We may be ready to take notes on the last podcast of the unit by Friday, but with scheduling for next school year taking place this week, it is likely that you will take notes on that for next week. Stay tuned!

Scheduling Information
Here is the link for the 2018-2019 ALHS Program of Studies.

Cool Science of the Week
Scientists rock, and now a record number of scientists are running for political office, walking in the footsteps of Sir Isaac Newton, who served as a Member of Parliament after achieving success in the fields of science and mathematics.

This Week in Physics
We will take our unit 4 test either on Monday or Tuesday as announced in your class period on Friday. Due on the day after you take the test, please take notes on unit 5’s PODCAST 1: The Law of Conservation of Momentum. We will go over this in class, do assignment 1, complete an informal lab activity, and take a quiz over goal set 1 as announced. If announced please take notes on PODCAST 2: Types of Collisions – The role of kinetic energy.

Cool Science of the Week
If you lived in the Arctic Circle you would spend part of the winter experiencing 24-hours of darkness with the sun never rising due to the tilt of the Earth. What would that be like? The New York Times decided to find out by interviewing people who live there.  (Hint: The picture below is moonlight during the DAY!)