This is the second-to-last week before exams! Wow! The exam schedule is available at this link. AP Physics: Your exam will cover units 1-6 (and possibly 7). Physics: Your exam will cover units 1-3. Use your learning goal sets as your study guides.

This Week in AP Physics
On Monday unit 6 homework 1 is due along with the problem packet you received in class on Friday. (I’m not going to sugarcoat it. Homework 1 is one lengthy beast, so start early.) On Monday we will also finish the experiment we began on Friday. During the rest of the week we will explore rotational kinematics and torque. This will include homework 2 and possibly 3, more problem sets, and an experiment on rotational equilibrium.

This Week in Physics
Bring your books to class on Monday, because we’re going to have a blast doing unit 3 assignment 3. Early in the week we will also wrap up our friction experiment. As the week progresses, please take notes on video 4, which covers inertia, when announced. We will complete assignment 4 and possibly progress to video 5.

Cool Science of the Week
NASA dropped something on Mars this week! Check out the video!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! This blog entry covers the week of Thanksgiving and the week after, since we only see each other for TWO DAYS next week!

These Weeks in AP Physics
We will continue to strive for excellence as we complete our investigation of linear momentum. We will study the role of kinetic energy in different types of collisions by taking some AWESOME and INSPIRING notes, doing our last homework of the unit, doing some EXCITING practice problems, and conducting a RAD experiment! Then we’ll take our momentum unit test. Woot! Next up: circular and rotational motion #thankful!

These Weeks in Physics
For Monday, please complete goal set 1 from unit 3. We will take a quiz over this goal set on Monday. Please take notes on Video 2: Friction by the date announced right here for your class period: 3rd and 11th periods due Monday, 1st period due Tuesday. We will go over this topic, do assignment 2, do a spectacular experiment, and when announced take a quiz over goal set 2. Following that, if announced, please take notes on Video 3: Elastic Force. It will be fabulous! #thankful!

Cool Science of these Weeks
Meet the Balloonatics! This is the team of people who engineer the balloons for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, and believe it or not, they use PHYSICS…some of the same physics we’ve been learning, in fact! Here’s a short video from Science Friday that shows you how it’s done! Below the video I’ve included the science of cranberries, which I think is really cool.

The science of CRANBERRIES! I don’t know about you, but I LOVE to make homemade cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving. Did you know that cranberries are grown in BOGS? They’re grown on vines like strawberries, but they thrive if those vines are planted in wetlands. That’s cool. Also, 60% of our cranberries come from Wisconsin, while 25% come from Massachusetts, and if you have the chance to head out to those states, you can go to a cranberry farm (like we go to blueberry, raspberry, and strawberry farms here.) Here’s a little more information and a couple of awesome pictures.

This week is the third week of second quarter, and it’s almost Thanksgiving! Yay!

This Week in AP Physics
We will explore the law of conservation of linear momentum in systems this week by taking some enlightening and exciting notes, doing some intellectually stimulating practice problems, completing a mind-blowing experiment, and doing a very fulfilling homework 2. None of this is hyperbole. That last sentence was not glib. These are not the droids you’re looking for. By the end of the week we will explore the role of energy in collisions. Woot!

This Week in Physics
For Monday please take notes on unit 3 video 1, Net External Force, Weight, and Normal Force. We will do assignment 1 together in class and will take a quiz over goal set 1 as announced. When assigned please take notes on video 2, Friction.

Cool Science of the Week
In September researchers announced an incredible breakthrough treatment for paralyzed victims of spinal cord injuries. The treatment involves implanting a stimulator directly into the spinal cord to prompt the spinal cord to “relearn” how to move limbs. The man walking below is “paralyzed.” At long last, there is some real hope!Photo credit: NBC News

Mark your calendars for May 21! Our field trip to Cedar Point is approved for that day. While it’s not mandatory, if you’d like to go, you can toss it with confidence on your calendar now.

This Week in AP Physics
Problem packet 3 is due on Monday, when we will tie up loose ends from unit 4 on energy. The unit test will be Tuesday. This week we will also begin our unit on linear momentum. There are three topics in this unit, and we should work through the first topic, first homework, and first lab throughout the week. Woot!

This Week in Physics
This week we will take a quiz over horizontally-launched projectiles, complete goal set 2, do an experiment on projectiles, explore projectiles launched at an angle, and take our unit 2 test. YEAH! Here’s one more optional practice problem for your enjoyment. The solution is on page 2, so scroll for it. (Please see below for what is due for your particular class on Monday/Tuesday, as the schedules differ based on lab period.) By the end of the week we’ll begin talking about forces on our path toward Newton’s laws. If assigned, please take notes on unit 3’s video 1 on net external force, weight, and normal force.
Period 1: Goal set 2 is due on Monday, and we will take the quiz on Monday. The lab is Tuesday.
Period 3: Assignment 3 and goal set 2 are due on Monday. We will do the lab on Monday. The quiz is Tuesday.
Period 11: We will do the lab on Monday. Goal set 2 and the quiz are for Tuesday.

Cool Science of the Week
In these post-Halloween, candy-heavy days it’s fun to think about all of the critters we unintentionally live with. A new study is asking people to seek out and photograph the spiders and insects who keep us company. Grab that phone and take some snaps!

Image credit: The New York Times