We’re entering the last 2.5 weeks of the semester at top speed!

This week in physics: On Monday we will quickly tie up the loose ends of our exploration of the dynamics and related kinematics of Newton’s Second Law. We will also enjoy a quick conceptual exploration of Newton’s Third Law and assignment 6. On Tuesday we’ll take a quiz over Newton’s Second Law. This will complete Unit 3, which brings us to a decision. I don’t want the Friction Lab to be due on the same day as the unit test, so each class can decide whether to postpone the lab or the test until Thursday. If a class postpones the test, then that class will begin the energy unit a day early. Based on each class’s decision, the following podcasts to begin Unit 4 – Energy will be due either on Wednesday or Thursday. These podcasts are:

• Energy Podcast 1 – Gravitational Potential Energy
• Energy Podcast 2 – Positive & Negative Potential Energy
• Energy Podcast 3 – Elastic Potential Energy
• Energy Podcast 4 – Kinetic Energy

Following our exploration of these types of energy, we will do assignment one from this unit. A quiz will likely occur the following week.

IMPORTANT: For the lab that is due this week, please be sure to read the blog entry from the week of December 3rd for important instructions and information.

This week in astronomy: On Monday and Tuesday we’ll do our group presentations on Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. (If you are absent the day your group presents, you will need to do an alternate assignment. See me for details.) We’ll take a quiz over the planets on Wednesday and complete our study of the solar system unit by exploring asteroids, comets, and meteoroids/meteors/meteorites. Expect a test by the end of the week.

Cool Science of the Week: NASA has just released a free app called “Earth as Art” to share some of the beautiful images taken by satellites over the  years. I like the idea of Earth being art. Color me cheesey.

Speaking of beautiful satellite images, check out this video of the Earth at night, compiled by NASA from one of its satellites. While you watch it, think about the direction the satellite must be traveling relative to the Earth’s rotation. That will make it even more fun and science-y. 🙂

Finally, there’s much ado these days about planetary and galactic alignments, the Mayan calendar, and the winter solstice. We’ll look at that from a science perspective next week, but in the meantime, did you know you can create an online countdown clock for any event? There’s also a link on that page to a site where you can calculate the number of days between any two events, like how many days between the day you were born and today. Seems fun! 🙂

We are past the mid-way mark in the second quarter. It’s unbelievable how fast time is flying! This week we’ll continuing using bellwork to help you begin reviewing for the finals, which begin three short days after winter break.

This week in physics: We will take a quiz over Newton’s Law of Inertia (Force Podcast 9 – Inertia and Force Podcast 10 – Static Equilibrium) and then look deeply into Newton’s Second Law. For Monday be sure to have watched and taken notes on…

• Force Podcast 11 – Newton’s Second Law
• Force Podcast 12 – Elevator Problem part 1
• Force Podcast 13 – Elevator Problem part 2
• Force Podcast 14 – Terminal Velocity

We will do a lot of practice problems with the ActivExpressions. For Tuesday or Wednesday (as announced in class) watch and take notes on Force Podcast 15 – Kinematics Problem with Newton’s Second Law part 1 and Force Podcast 16 – Kinematics Problem with Newton’s Second Law part 2, and for the next day view and take notes on the remaining podcasts for this unit: Force Podcast 17 – Complex Problem, Force Podcast 18 – Tying Concepts Together. We’ll spend most of this week simply practicing these problems in order to deeply understand the role of force in why things move the way they do, tying together our study of kinematics and dynamics. We’ll ultimately work on assignment 5 in class followed by a quiz. All that will be left is a quick conceptual exploration of Newton’s Third Law and assignment 6, which we’ll likely do early next week. Expect a unit test the week of December 10.

In addition to finishing the unit, on December 12 your friction lab report is due. Some requirements: You must write using Google Docs (now known as Google Drive.) Each writing partner must contribute her/his edits under her/his own Google account, as we did before, and you MUST share me on the document so that I can trace your revisions. This helps us remember to be responsible to each other in our level of contribution. My Google account is [email protected]. (Note: I do not use this for email.) Finally, you will need to upload one copy of your final lab document to TurnItIn.com by Friday, December 14 at 3:00. (If you haven’t created your account, you’ll need the class ID, which is 5463766, and the password, which is physicsrules.) Remember that you will need to use three documents when writing your lab report:

• Friction Lab
• Friction Lab Rubric
• Lab Report Writing Guide

This week in astronomy: Podcasts about the inferior and superior planetary motions are posted on our webpage for the solar system unit. We will spend most of the week researching, creating presentations, and sharing information about the planets when we do the planet project. Toward the end of the week we will study asteroids, meteors, and comets, which will complete our unit on the solar system. Expect a test the week of December 10th. After that, we’ll start our last unit when we look at various aspects of the universe. (It’s awesome!)

Cool Science: There is a rumor floating around the Internet about a planetary alignment over the pyramids of Giza occurring on Monday, December 3rd as in the following picture, purportedly showing Mercury, Venus, and Saturn. Sigh. Why do all of the cool Internet-y things turn out to be untrue? The planets WILL be visible in the pre-dawn skies, but not like the picture suggests. Bummer!

Happy Thanksgiving!!! Because we only have two days of school next week, I’m combining these two weeks together into one post.

These weeks in physics: Unless your class took a quiz over friction on Friday, you will take it on Monday. All physics classes will spend Monday and Tuesday scraping things together in an awesome friction lab. For Monday, November 26, please view Force Podcast 7 – Elastic Force, and Force Podcast 8 – Elastic Force Sample Problems. We will do practice problems in class with the ActivExpressions and then dive into assignment 3. Expect a quiz on Tuesday the 27th over elastic force. Also for Tuesday, please view the podcasts on inertia and static equilibrium: Force Podcast 9 – Inertia and Force Podcast 10 – Static Equilibrium. We will have some fun with demos in class, do a little practice with the ActivExpressions, and then do assignment 4, followed by a quiz on Wednesday or Thursday. Then things will get a bit intense when we explore Newton’s Second Law. Podcasts 11-18 cover this topic to great depth. I’ll let you know when you should watch each of these. We’ll practice a lot in class, and each class will follow a pace natural to that class. My aim is to finish Newton’s second law, visit Newton’s third law, and take a test by the end of the week of December 3rd.

This week in astronomy: We are just about finished with the unit on eclipses, and I have uploaded the last podcast for this unit: Eclipses Podcast 3 – Lunar Eclipses. We will take a test over this unit on Tuesday, November 20. (Remember my policy that if you have more than two tests on the day we have a test, and you bring me signed and dated notes from the other teachers verifying that you have those tests, you can postpone my test by one day. This will mean you have to schedule to take the test on the Monday after Thanksgiving break during a lunch or study hall.) When we return from break, we will explore the solar system…not literally, but figuratively speaking. 🙂 After some preliminary basic information from me, you’ll begin a research project on a planet of your choice. Fun times ahead!

COOL SCIENCE! Lot’s of fun stuff again! First, there’s a big NASA conference called Technology Days that’s taking place RIGHT HERE IN THE LAND OF CLEVE from November 28–30! According to the website, “this three-day event and technology showcase will bring together a broad community of stakeholders from industry, academia, and the U.S. government to engage in strategy development, partnership building, and implementation of ways to foster technology transfer and innovation.” It’s free and open to the public! That includes you!

Second, outer space right around Earth is becoming a bit of a giant trash can, filled with broken bits of satellites, old rocket boosters, and other debris. The US military is asking for help from amateur astronomers in identifying trajectories of this debris so that we can try to protect our valuable equipment that’s in orbit. A shout out to Gavin for sending in this article!

Finally, this has nothing directly to do with science, but I thought it might interest you. Here’s an excerpt from an article on college admissions officers checking prospective students’ social media footprints at an increasing rate, to deleterious effect: It’s no secret that college and university admissions officers run semi-frequent social media checks of prospective students, but the practice has turned increasingly dismal for students who failed, in one way or another, to exercise Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube caution. Admissions officers who responded to a national survey this fall said the percentage of applications that had been negatively affected by social media searches had nearly tripled, from 12 percent in 2010 to 35 percent in 2011.

…Did that say 35%? Yikes…

Nagging completed! I wish all of my students and their families a great Thanksgiving!

Another great week lies ahead!

This week in physics: It’s Friction Week! (That is not fiction!) Assignment 1 took us a bit longer than expected last week, which is OK because you were all doing some great work. We will finish it on Monday and then on Tuesday take a quiz over the first set of learning goals from this unit. (Note: Twelfth period is ahead – way to go! 🙂 – and will take the quiz on Monday.) By Monday be sure to have watched and taken notes on…Force Podcast 4 – Introduction to Friction, Force Podcast 5 – Static Friction, and Force Podcast 6 – Kinetic Friction. Following this we’ll do practice problems in class and assignment 2. A quiz will follow, and after that we’ll do an awesome lab on friction. Woo hoo!

This week in astronomy: We will go into depth exploring the different types of solar eclipses followed by a quiz. Then we will cover lunar eclipses and will do an in-class activity. Look for a test early next week. There is a new podcast posted about eclipses and eclipse seasons: Eclipses Podcast 1 – Introduction to Eclipses. REMEMBER: Your Astronomy Unit 3 – Outdoor Lab is due the day after Thanksgiving break and requires you to make multiple observations of the moon over many days. Don’t put it off, or you won’t be able to do it.

Cool Science: Again, too much good stuff to pick just one! Here are some of the coolest news stories in science!

• Check out this INCREDIBLE high resolution image of the Curiosity rover on Mars. I’m in love with this picture! Click on it to zoom in. According to Wired magazine, the source of this image, “the detail is so stunning you can zoom in on Curiosity’s ‘eye’ at the top and see a reflection of Mars and the rover’s arm.” I won’t put the thumbnail here. You’ll just have to go to the website to see for yourself! 🙂
• Researchers recently observed a cockatoo named Figaro suddenly make and use a tool to reach its food. Tool cute!

• Mark your calendars for February 15, 2013 when Asteroid 2012 DA14 will pass between Earth and our satellites. Yes, you read that right! It will pass closer to us than our satellites! But researches say it will pass us by and not stay for a visit, so don’t worry. 🙂

What a week this past week! Obviously we’ve had to make adjustments due to surprise guests, a calamity day, and the ongoing power outages that so many of you endured and are continuing to endure. As discussed in class, we’ll take things on a day-by-day basis and try to be flexible when necessary. However, please DO aim to do what you are able to do.

Remember that this week is a shortened week, as there is no school for students on Tuesday. Here’s the plan, which is almost exactly last week’s plan…

This week in physics:

• OK, I’ve made a tough decision that you will likely love (but that I don’t…) Given the fact that so many have struggled with power (or just Internet) outages and will likely continue to do so into next week, and given the fact that the lab report was already postponed once, it’s not reasonable to stick with our revised November 7 due date. However, I am concerned that if I delay it past this it will have been a month since you did the lab, and you likely will have forgotten what the lab was even about and therefore will have difficulty writing correctly. Sigh. I’m saying it. The lab report is now optional and due on November 15. This has been a difficult week. Let’s move forward. There will be plenty of opportunities to practice lab report writing. Parents who are concerned about this, please encourage your kids to write the report. It is good practice. I can make adjustments in the GBW to account for those who opt to do/not to do the lab.
• Podcasts: IF you can view them, please do so. You will do better, and we will be able to move at a faster pace that allows us more time in class to do assignments. However, we will adjust as needed. Please view three podcasts as homework for Monday: Force Podcast 1 – Net External Force, Force Podcast 2 – Weight, and Force Podcast 3 – Normal Force. (Note: These podcasts are may take a bit longer than usual to load.) We will do practice problems in class followed by assignment 1, and then we will take a quiz. Next up you’ll need to watch three more podcasts as homework by the date announced in class, likely Wednesday: Force Podcast 4 – Introduction to Friction, Force Podcast 5 – Static Friction, and Force Podcast 6 – Kinetic Friction. Following this we’ll do practice problems in class and assignment 2. After that we’ll do an awesome lab on friction…and then write a lab report no matter what!!! 🙂  (Well, barring further unexpected major chaos.)

This week in astronomy:

• The unit 2 outdoor lab is due Monday. You also should be working on the unit 3 outdoor lab, which is due the day after Thanksgiving break.
• We will be covering solar eclipses with notes and activities, followed by a quiz.

Cool science of the week: Not remotely cool, but informative nonetheless…This is a montage video from NASA satellites showing the formation of Hurricane Sandy.

Also, last year in August Hurricane Irene impacted the East Coast on a similar path as Sandy. This interactive map shows you the difference between the two storms. Note, in particular, how different our town looks from one hurricane to the other. It also gives you an idea of how our lake-front town got hit so hard. (Look at the direction of the storm over Lake Erie, where warm waters fed the storm and offered no obstacles to absorb the energy for us.)

Finally, Daylight-Saving Time ends this weekend, which means, among other things, people will play on their phones for an extra hour overnight on Saturday. This awesome article from Wired magazine discusses the physics of DST. (Did you know there was physics to it!?!? YAY!) What’s especially cool, astronomy folks, is the author uses the Stellarium software to puntuate his points, and he talks about many things we’ve learned in class. Y-A-Y!!!

This wind map is amazing.

Welcome to the first week of second quarter!

This week in physics: We will take the unit two (chapter three) test on Monday and then begin our unit on forces and Newton’s laws of motion. For the test, refer to the unit 2 study guide and study as advised in class. Then to begin the next unit, please view three podcasts as homework for Tuesday: Force Podcast 1 – Net External Force, Force Podcast 2 – Weight, and Force Podcast 3 – Normal Force. (Note: These podcasts are cranky and may take a bit longer than usual to load.) We will do practice problems in class followed by assignment 1, and then we will take a quiz. Next up you’ll need to watch three more podcasts as homework by the date announced in class: Force Podcast 4 – Introduction to Friction, Force Podcast 5 – Static Friction, and Force Podcast 6 – Kinetic Friction. Following this we’ll do practice problems in class and assignment 2. Next week we’ll do a fun lab on friction. ***Remember to work with your lab partner to write your lab report for the projectiles lab. This is due Wednesday, November 7. Documents that will help you are: the Lab Report Writing Guide, Human Cannonball Projectiles Lab, and Human Cannonball Projectiles Lab Rubric. *** Remember that you must write using Google docs/Google Drive and share the document with me at [email protected]. (Note: I use this account for documents only and do not use this account for email.) Uploads to TurnItIn.com are due on Friday, November 9 @ 3:00. (If you need the information for TurnItIn.com, please refer to the blog post from September 10, 2012.)

This week in astronomy: We will take the unit three test over the moon. Please refer to the unit three study guide and the podcasts on the unit 3 page. Also the bizarre but helpful video we saw in class will help (if you watch past the weird stuff to get to the animation of the moon orbiting Earth): Ask an Astronomer: Why Does the Moon Look Like it Changes? The Astronomy Unit 3 – Homework Questions are due the day of the test. In addition, the Astronomy Unit 2 – Outdoor Lab is due on Wednesday. You can begin the Astronomy Unit 3 – Outdoor Lab at any time now, but you’ll need some cloudless nights, so let’s make the due date realistic: November 26 (the day after Thanksgiving break.) Our next topic is eclipses, which are quite cool and beautiful! We’ll be working through notes and activities with eclipses this week.

Cool Science of the Week: Did you know that NASA has a webpage totally dedicated to satellite images of big storms? With the unfortunate presence of Hurricane Sandy, it may be of interest to you to check out what NASA’s images have to offer.

Well, it’s here! The end of the quarter is Friday, so let’s follow through and finish strong! Please remember that Twitter users can now follow our class on Twitter to receive occasional updates and reminders about our class.

This week in physics: We will wrap up our study of projectiles by finishing assignment 2 on Monday and by doing additional practice problems using the ActivExpressions on Tuesday. Look for a quiz over the conceptual and mathematical aspects of projectiles on Wednesday when we will also wrap up our study of two-dimensional motion by looking at satellite motion and doing assignment 3. Our unit test will most likely be Thursday, so be sure to start studying early using our study guide and our podcasts. Next up: The most famous un-moustached man in physics!

This week in astronomy: We will continue our investigation of lunar phases by doing several more activities followed by a quiz on Wednesday or Thursday. We’ll then conclude the unit with a look at lunar geography. Look for a test next Monday. Next up: Eclipses!

Cool Science of the Week: Another week with too much good stuff to share only one! First…

OHMYGOSHTHEREWILLBEABIGMETEORSHOWERTHISWEEKEND!!!!! Yes, we will be passing through the debris left behind from the most recent visit of Halley’s Comet (1986), and it will give us a rockin’ meteor shower in the overnight hours of Saturday and Sunday. Look to the left of the constellation Orion.

Second, NASA’s Kepler mission has found a planet with FOUR SUNS. WHAT!?!

Finally, European astronomers have found an Earth-sized planet orbiting our closest star neighbor, Alpha Centauri! Don’t make vacation plans, though. The weather is ridiculously hot. (The link from the photo, below, is to a video. The news story is here.)

Two weeks to go until you’ve successfully conquered the first quarter! Astronomy people, can you believe you’re almost halfway done? Physics people…You’re really doing physics! That’s awesome!

Twitter users can now follow our class on Twitter to receive occasional updates and reminders about our class.

This week in physics: We will do the Lab of Great Chaos. This lab is more often referred to as the projectiles lab, and on Monday and Tuesday (and possibly Wednesday) we will divide the class into teams. Some teams will complete the lab while others do projectile practice problems and assignment 2. Then we’ll switch until all teams have done everything. Then…quiz time! …followed by a look at satellite motion and assignment 3. I’d love to tell you that we’ll be ready for the test on Friday, but with the PSAT on Wednesday, we likely won’t get to this test until early next week. Stay tuned! Oh, and our next topic will be about this Mystery Man. Can you name him?

This week in Astronomy: Having bested the first two astronomy units, you are now ready to explore our nearest astronomical buddy, Earth’s BFF, the Moon. We will start by looking at the rotation and revolution of the moon and then do some good hard data analysis to figure out how the phases of the moon work. Remember that your Astronomy Unit 2 – Outdoor Lab is due on Halloween, but you have to start now in order to get all of the observations done.

Cool science of the week: I’m not sure if this is cool or crazy (leaning toward crazy), but a man named Felix Baumgartner planned this week to use a stratospheric balloon to climb 120,000 feet to the edge of space, where he will leave said balloon and then fall with the aim of traveling faster than the speed of sound, which is about 340 m/s depending on air quality. Weather prevented him from jumping this week. Will he do it next week? It’s in the stars…