This is our last week of school before winter break. When we come back on January 5, we will have one week and one day before exams. 

This Week in AP Physics
We will investigate angular kinematics and angular dynamics by looking at angular displacement, angular velocity, angular acceleration caused by unbalanced external torque, moment of inertia, and angular momentum. We’ll do homeworks 3 & 4 and hopefully take our test on Friday.

This Week in Physics
On Monday we will take a quiz over the work-energy theorem as covered in assignment 2. Podcasts 5-11 will help you study. For Monday also please take notes on Podcast 12 – Conservation of Energy, Podcast 13 – Conservation of Energy Sample Problem 1, and Podcast 14 – Conservation of Energy Sample Problem 2. We will go over these and do assignment 3 on Tuesday-Wednesday. Our next topic, power, is a quick one. We’ll take notes on this in class and do a very short assignment 4. Our unit test will be Friday.

This Week in Astronomy
We will finish our planet presentations on Monday and then explore asteroids, comets, and meteoroids/meteors/meteorites. Expect our solar system unit test on Wednesday or Thursday. Remember that your Unit 3 – Outdoor Lab is due on Friday. Up next: I will give you nothing short of the universe, dears!

Cool Science of the Week
In physics we’ve been talking a lot about energy. One way that energy plays into our daily lives is when it takes the form of electrical energy, and this can be a hot button political and economic issue. This week Bloomberg (a source of business, financial, and economic news) announced that the Deutsche (German) Bank has predicted that by 2016, thanks to technological innovations, solar energy will be cheaper to produce than fossil fuel-based energy in thirty-six of our fifty states (even if the solar industry suffers reduced tax credits.) Wow! This is a good example of how science, ethics, and politics can collide. How will this affect the environment? How do you think the oil industry will respond? How will this change our economy and affect jobs, such as the many coal mining jobs in southeastern Ohio? If you were a politician, what role would you take to help or hinder the expansion of solar power in the US? What if the oil industry or the solar industry made big campaign contributions to you? Would that change your votes on the issue? Interesting questions! Science matters!
P.S. Ohio makes the list as one of the 36 states!

This Week in AP Physics
We will continue to explore circular and rotational motion with notes and assignments as announced. There are two experiments we will do for this unit. One will require a formal lab report, as announced. Be aware that the due date for the impulse-momentum unit lab report has been extended.

This Week in Physics
We will continue to debrief the podcasts and assignments from last week. When announced, please take notes on Podcast 7 – Work-Energy Theorem, Podcast 8 – Work-Energy Theorem Sample Problem 1, Podcast 9 – Work-Energy Theorem Sample Problem 2, Podcast 10 – Work-Energy Theorem Sample Problem 3, and Podcast 11 – Work-Energy Theorem Sample Problem 4. Remember to ,keep your “personal learning goal” in mind for the energy unit. Your paragraph will be due the day after we take the unit test.

This Week in Astronomy
We will complete our planetary research projects and presentations. Expect the unit test early next week.

Cool Science of the Week
Did you know that the flu vaccine doesn’t always work? (I might sort of know this already…) The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced this week that the 2014 flu vaccine is not as effective as hoped because the flu virus has mutated. This got me to thinking about how flu vaccines work. Unlike vaccines for illnesses like mumps or polio, whose viruses are always the same, we’re never sure which flu virus strains will be prominent from one year to the next. Every year scientists predict which strains of flu are likely to be most prevalent in the coming year, and they create that year’s flu vaccine based on those predictions. Sometimes their predictions are right, and sometimes they’re not right, and sometimes they’re neither right nor wrong, because sometimes, as it did this year, a prominent strain of flu mutates enough that the vaccine can’t provide protection from it.

This Week in AP Physics
We will spend Monday and Tuesday completing three experiments from our momentum unit. You will write a formal lab report on the impulse-momentum theorem experiment. This lab report will be due on Tuesday, December 9 as a hard copy at the start of class and as an upload to TurnItIn.com by 3:00 of that day. You’ll turn in short-form lab reports on the other two experiments. On Tuesday we will begin exploring circular and rotational motion with notes and assignments, as announced. Our main emphasis will be on rotation, and we may begin our rotational equilibrium experiment by Friday.

This Week in Physics
We’re starting our unit on energy! Since there is never any homework over a vacation, notes from the following podcasts are due on Tuesday: Podcast 1 – Gravitational Potential Energy, Podcast 2 – Positive & Negative Potential Energy, Podcast 3 – Elastic Potential Energy, Podcast 4 – Kinetic Energy. We will go over these on Monday and Tuesday and then begin assignment 1 followed by a quiz when announced. Our next topic will be work and the work-energy theorem, so please take notes on the following podcasts when assigned: Podcast 5 – Work, Podcast 6 – Positive & Negative Work, Podcast 7 – Work-Energy Theorem, Podcast 8 – Work-Energy Theorem Sample Problem 1, Podcast 9 – Work-Energy Theorem Sample Problem 2, Podcast 10 – Work-Energy Theorem Sample Problem 3, Podcast 11 – Work-Energy Theorem Sample Problem 4. This will take us through the rest of the week. 🙂

This Week in Astronomy
We’ll continue to explore the solar system by analyzing the motion of the inferior planets and the superior planets. We’ll take a quiz over these motions when announced. The following podcasts will support your studies: Podcast 1 – The Motion of the Inferior Planets and Podcast 2 – The Motion of the Superior Planets. By the end of the week we’ll begin our planet research projects, which are fun. 🙂 Finally, remember to work on your final outdoor lab, the Unit 3 – Outdoor Lab, which requires you to observe the moon. This lab is a long-term project, assigned on November 14, that requires multiple observations spaced days apart. It is due on the day before winter break, December 19. (Believe it or not, that is not very far off anymore!)

Cool Science of the Week
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 an awesome picture.

Happy Thanksgiving! Just in case you need reminding, there is no school this week on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. Classes resume on Monday, December 1.

This Week in AP Physics
On Monday homework 3 (plus the homework riddle on the back page of your notes) is due. On Tuesday we will take our momentum unit test. Next up: Circular and rotational motion! (As requested in class, here is the collisions graphic organizer we did, and here is the solution to one of our two-dimensional collision problems.)

This Week in Physics
6th period: On Monday your friction lab report is due. Be sure to upload it to TurnItIn.com by the date and time listed for 10th period. Also be sure that you share your Google Drive document with me at [email protected]. (Note this address is not used for email.) On Tuesday we will take our force unit test. Next up: Energy!
10th period: On Monday assignment 2 from our force unit is due. On Tuesday we will take our force unit test. On Tuesday, December 2 your friction lab report is due. Be sure to hand in a hard copy at the start of class and upload it to TurnItIn.com by 3:00 on that date. Also be sure that you share your Google Drive document with me at [email protected]. (Note this address is not used for email.) Next up: Energy!

This Week in Astronomy
IF YOU WERE AT THE SENIOR PROJECT MEETING ON FRIDAY…you need to catch up by taking all of the notes from Podcast 3 – Lunar Eclipses. We won’t be going over that material again in class, but the podcast covers everything. On Monday we will finish our eclipse unit so that we can take the unit test on Tuesday. Next up: Solar system! Finally, remember to work on your final outdoor lab, the Unit 3 – Outdoor Lab, which requires you to observe the moon. This lab is a long-term project, assigned on November 14, that requires multiple observations spaced days apart. It is due on the day before winter break, December 19.

Cool Science of the Week
Yep, there are more planets in our solar system! Granted, these planets, like Pluto, are dwarf planets, but we are discovering more and more of them. What’s perhaps more interesting is that their orbital behavior suggests that there is also a larger body out there whose size would classify it as an actual planet. Discovering planets is cool.

This is an artist’s representation of what the planet responsible for the orbital behavior of the dwarf planets might look like. The rocky band you see around the sun is an asteroid belt called the Kuiper belt, which exists beyond Neptune’s orbit. The sun, Earth, and all of the planets we know reside within the Kuiper belt. (Many of our comets come from the Kuiper belt, BTW.) This image gives you some idea of how far away our suspected ninth planet is.

This is a POWER WEEK!

This Week in AP Physics
We will finish the impulse-momentum theorem on Monday so that you can do assignment 1 for Tuesday. On Monday and Tuesday we will cover the law of conservation of momentum so that you can do assignment 2 for Wednesday (unless otherwise stated in class.) On Wednesday and Thursday we will cover energy interactions in collisions so that you can do assignment 3 for Friday. This allows us to test our momentum unit on Monday, November 24 so that you don’t have to worry about the test during Thanksgiving break. We do have three lab activities that go with this unit, but we will weave them around the homework/test schedule.

This Week in Physics
Expect the unit test on the Monday or Tuesday before Thanksgiving break.
6th period: You have no podcasts due this week unless otherwise stated in class. I will give all assignments verbally in class. Also, please do not work on your lab reports at home.
10th period: On Monday we will quiz over inertia and static equilibrium. Also for Monday please take notes on Podcast 11 – Newton’s Second Law, Podcast 12 – Elevator Problem part 1, and Podcast 13 – Elevator Problem part 2. For Tuesday please take notes on Podcast 14 – Terminal Velocity, Podcast 15 – Kinematics Problem with Newton’s Second Law part 1, Podcast 16 – Kinematics Problem with Newton’s Second Law part 2, Podcast 17 – Complex Problem, and Podcast 18 – Tying Concepts Together. On Tuesday we will do assignment 5 together in class followed by a quiz on Wednesday or Thursday. On Thursday we will cover Newton’s third law and do assignment 6. Finally, your friction lab report will be due on Tuesday, November 18 with an upload to TurnItIn.com by 3:00 of that day. Remember to follow the Lab Report Writing Guide and use the Lab Report Rubric to guide your writing, and use Google Drive (shared with me at [email protected]) for all of your work.

This Week in Astronomy
On Monday at the start of class your Unit 2 – Outdoor Lab is due. This is a long-term project that was assigned on October 16, and I’ve reminded you about it weekly. If you haven’t started it yet, you will not be able to finish it by Monday, as it requires you to make observations at the same time of day on at least five sunny days spaced at least two days apart. If you are not on a timeline to finish it for Monday, you can still do it for partial credit by completing it correctly and turning it in late.
On Monday we will start with a quiz over eclipse basics, such as umbras/penumbras, basic Earth-sun-moon alignment, eclipse seasons, and maximum/minimum number of eclipses per year. Then we will continue our eclipse jigsaw on Monday into Tuesday. We will spend the rest of the week learning about and doing activities related to solar and lunar eclipses. The following podcasts will support your studies: Podcast 1 – Introduction to Eclipses (quiz 1,) Podcast 2 – Solar Eclipses, and Podcast 3 – Lunar Eclipses. Ideally we can take the unit test before Thanksgiving break, but I make you no promises. 🙂 Finally, you are now ready for your final outdoor lab, the Unit 3 – Outdoor Lab, which requires you to observe the moon. This lab also is a long-term project that requires multiple observations spaced days apart. It is due on the day before winter break.

Cool Science of the Week
We have landed a robot on a comet! You may have seen the news this week about how the European Space Agency (Yes, there is one…just like NASA!) has landed a robot on a passing comet in order to study the properties of the comet. We couldn’t see the landscape of the comet prior to dropping the lander, and it turns out that the mountain-sized comet is full of crags, ledges, pits, and the like. The lander bounced off of one of these but managed to land again. First problem solved! It’s been taking great pictures and analyzing rock and water samples. Second problem: It’s not where we meant for it to be, so its solar panels aren’t getting optimal sunlight. Its batteries may die before the robot can send information from its rock and ice analyses back to Earth. Keep your fingers crossed! This is all happening RIGHT NOW! 🙂

The robotic probe, named Philae, as photographed by the orbiting rocket that carried Philae to the comet

Two-and-a-half weeks until Thanksgiving break…Let’s work hard to get a lot done! 🙂

This Week in AP Physics
For Monday please run through examples 8-13 from your guided notes. (For 13, assume the track has flattened out.) These are due at the start of class and will be checked, so be sure to give them your very best effort. Also over the weekend please play around with the first two websites linked from our energy unit webpage. They will hep you a lot, and they’re actually fun, and for once I’m not lying. On Monday we will run through conservation of energy and power so that you can do homework 2 for Tuesday. We’ll spend Tuesday and possibly Wednesday going over homework 2. The unit test will be Wednesday or Thursday. Your work-energy theorem lab report will be due one day after the test and should be uploaded to TurnItIn.com by 3:00 of that day. Finally, it’s always a good idea to refresh yourself with the guidelines for writing our lab reports so that you are true to the spirit of what’s expected.

This Week in Physics
Due to missing school on Tuesday when 10th period had lab, the assignments are different for each class section. Be sure to read your class section…
6th/7th: On Monday we will finish going over the friction lab and then will cover elastic force. Please take notes on Podcast 7 – Elastic Force and Podcast 8 – Elastic Force Sample Problems for Monday, when we will do assignment 3 followed by a quiz on Tuesday. Also for Tuesday please take notes on Podcast 9 – Inertia and Force Podcast 10 – Static Equilibrium. We will go over these on Tuesday and do assignment 4 on Tuesday into Wednesday followed by a quiz as announced. It is possible we may assign Podcast 11 – Newton’s Second Law, Podcast 12 – Elevator Problem part 1, and Podcast 13 – Elevator Problem part 2 by the end of the week, but I make no promises, so don’t get too excited. 🙂 Finally, your friction lab report will be due on Tuesday, November 18 with an upload to TurnItIn.com by 3:00 of that day. Remember to follow the Lab Report Writing Guide and use the Lab Report Rubric to guide your writing, and use Google Drive (shared with me at [email protected]) for all of your work.
10th: On Monday and Tuesday we will finish the friction lab and will do assignment 2 followed by a quiz as announced. For Wednesday please take notes on Podcast 7 – Elastic Force and Podcast 8 – Elastic Force Sample Problems. We’ll go over these and then do assignment 3 on Wednesday into Thursday followed by a quiz, as announced. When announced please take notes on Podcast 9 – Inertia and Force Podcast 10 – Static Equilibrium. We will go over these and do assignment 4 followed by a quiz as announced. Finally, your friction lab report will be due on Tuesday, November 18 with an upload to TurnItIn.com by 3:00 of that day. Remember to follow the Lab Report Writing Guide and use the Lab Report Rubric to guide your writing, and use Google Drive (shared with me at [email protected]) for all of your work.

This Week in Astronomy
For Monday please do the Astronomy Unit 3 – Homework, which is due at the start of class. On Monday we will tie up loose ends with our moon unit and will take the moon test on TUESDAY. Remember that there are three podcasts on our unit web page. These cover everything except lunar geology and are an important study tool. On Wednesday we will begin our unit on eclipses with some notes and multiple analytical activities. Finally, please remember to work on your Unit 2 – Outdoor Lab. This lab requires you to take multiple observations at the same time of day for multiple days. Be sure to start it right away, since you’ll need to find five sunny days. This lab was announced on October 16 and is due on November 17.

Cool Science of the Week
YES! Today a movie of physicist Stephen Hawking’s life hits theaters in limited release. Starring Eddie Redmayne (Marius from Les Miserables) and Felicity Jones, the film is already generating lots of Oscar buzz following a great reception at the Toronto Film Festival, so keep your eye out for it to hit theaters in Cleveland sometime soon.

This will be a shorter week, as you do not have school on Tuesday, election day, while the teachers go through a training day. The exciting news is that for some of you, this is your first chance to vote! Enjoy the experience! 🙂

This Week in AP Physics
For Monday remember to identify which big ideas, enduring understandings, essential knowledge items, and learning objectives we have covered so far in this unit. There will be a very short timed quiz asking yes/no questions to see if you can correctly identify the learning goals we’ve been working on. On Monday we will design an experiment to explore the work done on an object in relation to the energy it gains. For Wednesday or Thursday (as announced) please do homework 1. We will take a quiz as announced over internal energy, work, and the work-energy theorem after we complete exploring homework 1. We’ll end the week by looking at the conservation of energy. Anticipate a test by the end of next week.

This Week in Physics
We will continue to explore friction by completing assignment 2 together in class followed by a quiz when announced. We will finish out the week with our friction lab, during which we will collect data related to kinetic and static friction in order to analyze their relationship to each other and to mass.

This Week in Astronomy
We will continue to examine the phases of the moon by through a variety of activities aimed at helping you analyze the relationship between the Earth-sun-moon alignments, phase of the moon, time of viewing, and location of the moon throughout the synodic lunar cycle. Following this we’ll explore the geology of the moon. We may be ready to take the moon unit test by the end of this week. If not, we’ll text next week. Finally, please remember to work on your Unit 2 – Outdoor Lab. This lab requires you to take multiple observations at the same time of day for multiple days. Be sure to start it right away, since you’ll need to find five sunny days. Because this is Cleveland, we’ll need some time. This lab is therefore due on November 17.

Cool Science of the Week
Check out this video in which two guys manage to explain the four fundamental forces of the universe in an entertaining way.

This Week in AP Physics
Our unit 3 test on mass, force, gravity, gravitational fields, and Newton’s laws is Monday. (If you kept homework 4 to study from, please be sure to turn that in before you take your test.) On Tuesday at the start of class your lab report for the Newton’s second law experiment is due. Please remember to share it with me at [email protected]. By 3:00 on Tuesday please also be sure to upload it to TurnItIn.com. On Tuesday we will begin unit 4 on energy. At some point in the week we will also complete the short experiment, Friction and Vector Analysis of Forces.

This Week in Physics
We will begin our unit on force and Newton’s laws this week. Please take notes on Podcast 1 – Net External Force, Podcast 2 – Weight, and Podcast 3 – Normal Force for Monday. Through Monday and Tuesday we will cover these topics and do assignment 1 followed by a quiz as announced. When announced please take notes on Podcast 4 – Introduction to Friction, Podcast 5 – Static Friction, and Podcast 6 – Kinetic Friction. This will lead us into assignment 2 and our experiment on friction.

This Week in Astronomy
We will continue to work on our unit on the moon by collecting and analyzing a lot of data related to the moon phases and Earth-Sun-Moon alignments. A great website to use as we practices is Lunar Phases Interactive. In addition, Podcast 1 – Introduction and Orbit, Podcast 2 – Lunar Phases and their Appearances, and Podcast 3 – The Phases and their Timings will support your efforts. Expect a quiz at some point this week as announced. Finally, please remember to work on your Unit 2 – Outdoor Lab. This lab requires you to take multiple observations at the same time of day for multiple days. Be sure to start it right away, since you’ll need to find five sunny days. Because this is Cleveland, we’ll need some time. This lab is therefore due on November 17.

Cool Science of the Week
Did you know that rainbows aren’t actually acrs? They only look like arcs because of our ground-based view of them. It turns out the ground cuts off our view of their full form, and if we were higher up, such as in an airplane or helicopter, we would see them in their full form: a circle! Check out this beautiful photograph taken from a helicopter! (Note that it’s also a double rainbow. When light bounces inside of a raindrop once, it makes a rainbow. When it bounces twice, it makes a wider but dimmer rainbow.)

This is the last week of the quarter, so finish strong!

This Week in AP Physics
On Monday homework 3 is due. We’ll spend the class period doing homework 3 and completing the Newton’s second law experiment. If we finish going over homework 3 on Monday we’ll take a quiz on Tuesday covering everything related to Newton’s second law and tension problems with friction. If we don’t finish going over homework 3 on Monday we’ll take the quiz on Wednesday. On Tuesday and possibly into Wednesday we’ll do our third and final experiment for this unit, Friction and Vector Analysis of Forces. By the end of the week we’ll finish our notes for the unit so that we can do homework 4 for Thursday or Friday. Expect the unit test on Friday or on Monday, October 27. Therefore the lab reports for both the second law lab and the friction lab will be due during the week of October 27. Finally, for those of you who wanted to experience the joy of our fabulously complex Newton’s second law/tension/friction/inclined plane problem (example 16), enjoy!

This Week in Physics
We will finish unit 2 on two-dimensional motion this week by completing the final assignments for the unit and by experimenting with our awesome projectile launcher thingy. No podcasts are due, but make sure you’ve taken notes on all of the ones for this unit. Expect the unit test by Friday.

This Week in Astronomy
On Monday we will explore the shape of Earth’s orbit around the sun and how it affects our revolutionary speed (thereby affecting climate.) There will be no quiz on Monday, but we WILL DEFINITELY test Unit 2 – The Ecliptic Motion of the Sun on Tuesday. Be sure to bring your star maps to the test AND do Unit 2 – Homework Questions for Tuesday as a way to review. (The homework will be due at the start of class on Tuesday.) Remember that everything from our lectures is available on the Unit 2 Podcast – The Ecliptic and its Implications. On Wednesday we will begin our moon unit by analyzing data we’ll collect regarding the appearance of the moon and the times during which we see each phase. Finally, it’s time again for another real-world application of your astronomy fabulousness as you do your second outdoor lab, the Unit 2 – Outdoor Lab. This lab requires you to take multiple observations at the same time of day for multiple days. Be sure to start it right away, since you’ll need to find five sunny days. Because this is Cleveland, we’ll need some time. This lab is therefore due on November 17.

Cool Science of the Week
Let’s talk about something POSITIVE! COFFEE…(I could probably stop here, but I’ll go on.) Scientists have identified genes that make some of us more likely to find coffee rewarding. Although it’s hard to imagine anyone not finding it rewarding, some apparently find it more rewarding than others. (If you want to make it even more rewarding, of course, you could add some pumpkin spice and a whole latte sugar.)

This will be a short week with some scheduling hurdles, so be ready to focus and work hard so we make the most of every minute! 🙂

This Week in AP Physics
There is no school on Friday, and our class won’t meet on Wednesday, as first and second periods are not meeting due to the PSAT. With just three days together, we have to work very hard to keep on pace. On Monday we will finish debriefing homework 2 so that we can quiz on Tuesday over Newton’s second law, normal force, and tension. On Monday and Tuesday we will cover friction and terminal velocity so that we can do homework 3 over the long weekend (due Monday.) On Thursday I anticipate that we will perform our second unit 3 lab, Newton’s second law. Your lab report on gravitational mass vs. inertial mass will be due on Thursday (not Friday as planned, since we don’t have school on Friday.) Remember to share your writing with me via Google Drive ([email protected]) and submit to TurnItIn.com by 3:00 on Thursday.

This Week in Physics
If you are in 6th period, for Monday please take notes on Podcast 10 – Projectile Formulas, Podcast 11 – Projectile Sample Problem part 1, and Podcast 12 – Projectile Sample Problem part 2. By Wednesday we will do assignment 3 and will begin to experiment with our awesome laboratory projectile launcher!
If you are in 10th period, on Monday we will take a quiz over vector resolution. ( Podcast 5 – Introduction to Vector Resolution and Podcast 6 – Vector Resolution Sample Problem will help you study.) Also for Monday please take notes on Podcast 7 – Introduction to Projectile Motion part 1, Pocast 8 – Introduction to Projectile Motion part 2, and Podcast 9 – Introduction to Projectile Motion part 3. For Tuesday please take notes on Podcast 10 – Projectile Formulas, Podcast 11 – Projectile Sample Problem part 1, and Podcast 12 – Projectile Sample Problem part 2. By Wednesday or Thursday we will do assignment 3.

This Week in Astronomy
Well, sadly, we had some disruptions this past week due to special bell schedules, field trips and the like, so we are continuing with our plan from last week. You can follow the blog (below) from the week of October 6 for details.

Cool Science of the Week
This past week on Tuesday, October 7th, the Nobel Prize for Physics was awarded to three scientists who in 1994 invented the blue LED light. WHAT?!? A Nobel Prize for a blue light? Well, yes, actually! Read to discover why! (Hint, it was really hard to do, and you use blue LEDs all the time…)