Be sure to scroll down to see the Cool Science of the Week. It’s pretty wild this time!

This Week in Physics
Be sure to read the assignments for your class period.
First period: On Monday goal set 2 is due (except for the level 4 problem.) On Monday and Tuesday we will finish looking at upwardly-launched projectiles and will do the Human Cannonball Projectiles Lab. (This lab will require a formal lab report, which we’ll discuss in class. This report won’t be due until next week.) On Wednesday you will take your unit 2 test over your unit 2 learning goals. For Thursday please take notes on unit 3’s PODCAST 1: Net External Force, Weight, and Normal Force.
Third period: On Monday assignment 3 is due. On Monday and Tuesday we will analyze upwardly-launched projectiles and satellites. On Tuesday goal set 2 is due (except for the level 4 problem.) On Wednesday we will
do the Human Cannonball Projectiles Lab. (This lab will require a formal lab report, which we’ll discuss in class. This report won’t be due until next week.) On Thursday you will take your unit 2 test over your unit 2 learning goals. For Friday please take notes on unit 3’s PODCAST 1: Net External Force, Weight, and Normal Force.
Eighth period: On Monday goal set 2 is due (except for the level 4 problem.) We will go over this and will then analyze upwardly-launched projectiles. On Tuesday we will do the Human Cannonball Projectiles Lab. (This lab will require a formal lab report, which we’ll discuss in class. This report won’t be due until next week.) On Wednesday you will take your unit 2 test over your unit 2 learning goals. For Thursday please take notes on unit 3’s PODCAST 1: Net External Force, Weight, and Normal Force.
Eleventh period: On Monday we will do the Human Cannonball Projectiles Lab. (This lab will require a formal lab report, which we’ll discuss in class. This report won’t be due until next week.) On Tuesday goal set 2 is due (except for the level 4 problem,) and we will finish looking at upwardly-launched projectiles. On Wednesday you will take your unit 2 test over your unit 2 learning goals. For Thursday please take notes on unit 3’s PODCAST 1: Net External Force, Weight, and Normal Force.

Cool Science of the Week
This week Saudi Arabia became the first country to recognize robots as…humans? … when it awarded citizenship to Sophia, Hanson Robotics lifelike artificial intelligence robot. Check “her” out on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon! How lifelike is Sophia? Check out her Elle magazine cover!

Welcome to the first week of second quarter!

This Week in Physics
By Monday be absolutely sure to take notes on PODCAST 4: A Quantitative Look at Projectile Motion. We will be working with that material all week as we analyze projectile motion. Expect a test at the end of this week or the beginning of the next. Depending on timing we may do our Human Cannonball Projectiles Lab this week before the test or next week after the test. (Note: Third period can wait to watch the podcast one extra day.)

 
Cool Science of the Week
In the spirit of the season, let’s talk about BEING AFRAID!
What’s the one weird thing ALL humans fear?

What’s with the fear of clowns?

So…How can we get over our fears?

These videos are created by the DNews (now called Seeker) YouTube channel, which answers questions such as Can Dogs and Cats Be Left-Handed? “Seeker exists where technology, innovation and the future collide. We celebrate relentless curiosity with an insatiable drive to question, inspire, and create.“

This is the last week of first quarter. Can you believe it?

This Week in Physics
By Monday please be sure to take notes on Unit 2 Podcast 2: Vector Resolution and bring your books to class on Monday so that we can complete assignment 2 and an additional vector resolution activity. Following that we will take a quiz over all of goal set 1 as announced, and this will be the last grade for this quarter. We will also go outside to do an outdoor vector lab, weather permitting, during one of your double period classes as announced. By the end of the week by the date assigned in class please take notes on PODCAST 3: A Conceptual Look at Projectile Motion. On the following day be sure to take notes on our last podcast for the unit, PODCAST 4: A Quantitative Look at Projectile Motion. Next week we will complete an experiment on projectiles and will finish unit 2.

Cool Science of the Week
Have you ever questioned the old saying that if you dig a hole straight through the center of the Earth, you’d wind up in China? Now you can find out for certain where you’d wind up with this antipodes map. What’s an antipode? It’s the diametrically-opposite position on Earth from a particular location. Before you test our own Avon Lake on this map, make a guess first to see how right you are!

There are two weeks left to first quarter. Be sure to check PowerSchool for any missing or late assignments. All late credit work is due by this coming Friday, October 20.

This Week in Physics
By Monday please take notes on PODCAST 1: Introduction to Vector Operations and by Tuesday please take notes on the exceptionally short PODCAST 2: Vector Resolution. We will go outside at some point mid-week to complete a vector operations activity, so be prepared for the weather as announced. We will finish the week by completing assignment 1 and assignment 2 and taking a quiz or two when announced.

Cool Science of the Week
A couple of weeks ago we learned about octopus cities in our CSOTW feature. Not that I’m obsessed with octopi, but they are AMAZING at camouflage. Stop this video at 0:08 and see if you can find the octopus. Then let it play again to see if you were right. Phenomenal!

How do they do it? They have tiny muscle-controlled pigment cells called chromatophores in their skin that dilate and contract easily. Nature rocks!

We are entering the last three weeks of first quarter, and this is a very short week for us due to (a) the PSAT on Wednesday & (b) no school on Thursday and Friday. Stay focused for a strong finish to quarter one!

This Week in Physics
See below to see what your particular class has due for Monday. Everyone has the unit 1 test on Tuesday. For Wednesday please take notes on Unit 2 Podcast 1: Introduction to Vector Operations.
1st: Nothing is due Monday.
3rd: Assignment 4 and goal set 4 are due Monday. (Most of you are done or almost done.)
8th: Nothing is due Monday.
11th: Nothing is due Monday, but bring your books and be ready to work fast.

Cool Science of the Week
In 11th period this week we talked a bit about the “beginning” of the universe according to physics’s Big Bang Theory. One of you brought up the multiverse theory, which suggests that there may be a field beyond space and time from which multiple universes are born and die, and that we are but one of these universes. While this sort of topic is phenomenally complicated, I found a short article that gives a fairly understandable explanation of various perspectives on this idea. Check it out!

Due to a server crash, my website has reverted to its early 2015 version. Therefore if you were subscribed to the blog then and are receiving this, you may need to click “Unsubscribe” again at the bottom of this message. Additionally, the ONLY page currently functioning at 2017 levels is Physics Unit 1. I am collecting my tears in a bottle of sadness. Nonetheless we journey forth!

This Week in Physics
All but 11th period: On Monday we will take a quiz over the kinematic equations. Following that we will explore the remainder of Podcast 4, covering free fall, so be sure to take notes on all of Podcast 4 by Monday. During the middle part of the week we will do assignment 4. Ideally we will take the unit 1 test on Thursday or Friday. For 11th period’s assignments, read on…
11th period: Your quiz and podcast are due Tuesday. Everything else is the same as for the other classes.

Cool Science of the Week
The octopus city of Octlantis? This video!

Well, who expected a two day week last week? Obviously we’ll be continuing with some of the items from last week’s blog. We ALSO have to do scheduling this week, so that will take up some extra time. We’ve got to stay focused and work efficiently, so be ready! 🙂

This Week in AP Physics
The Analysis of P-V Diagrams lab is due on Monday along with homework 3. We wil debrief these on Monday and possibly into Tuesday. On Tuesday and possibly into Wednesday we will finish the unit on thermal physics by examining the 2nd and 3rd laws and doing homework 4 for Wednesday or Thursday. Expect the test by the end of the week UNLESS our course scheduling takes more time than I anticipate.

This Week in Physics
We spent a lot of time last week discussing scheduling options for next year, so we still need to debrief the first three podcasts on circular motion. Then we will do our Centripetal Force Lab and assignment 1 followed by a quiz as announced. Expect the test late next week.

This Week in Astronomy
We’ll examine how and why the sky changes throughout the year so that you’ll know how to figure out what the sky should look like on any day at any time at any latitude. Cool stuff! Podcast 4 – Seasonal Constellations and Star Magnitude covers the topics we’ll be going into to finish this unit. To do a final reinforcement of our skills, we will do a virtual lab using Stellarium freeware. We will likely test by the end of the week, although we may not test until early next week. On the day of the test, Unit 1 – Homework Questions are due. These make for a quick review to prepare you for the test. It is also time for you to begin your first outdoor lab. This will require you to go outside on a clear night at one hour intervals to make a total of three observations of the night sky. Please follow the instructions on the lab to complete it correctly, and see me if you have any questions. Obviously the weather is pretty dangerously cold right now, so I will give you a few weeks to do this lab. We’ll watch the weather and can extend the due date if necessary, but as of now, I’m anticipating making it due on Friday, March 13. Note: You do not have to print the homework questions. You can just write your answers on notebook paper. However, you will need to print the outdoor lab, which is only two pages. (Be sure to print in black-and-white. 🙂 )

Cool Science of the Week
You may have heard in the news this week about a privately-funded, privately-run project called Mars One, which plans to send humans to Mars to begin colonization in 2024. This week Mars One announced that it has narrowed the applicant pool down to 100 candidates for the 24 spots available to go to Mars…and never return. Will it work? MIT says it will face big technological challenges that will make it impossible using today’s technology. This will be an interesting project to watch over these next nine years!

You’ve been working hard…Why not take Monday off? (While your relaxing, you can think about the contributions of the U.S. presidents. 🙂 )

This Week in AP Physics
On Monday we will complete the Behavior of Gases lab and homework 2 from our thermal physics unit. The lab report for the gas behavior lab will be due next week as announced. We will take a quiz over the ideal gas law and the kinetic theory of an ideal gas as announced and will also begin our exploration of the laws of thermodynamics. During the remainder of the week we will do homework 3 and our Analysis of P-V Diagrams lab activity (short form.) Expect a test by the end of next week. After that…electricity!

This Week in Physics
We begin our unit on circular and rotational motion this week. (This is a quick one, so be ready for fast action!) For Monday please take notes on Podcast 1 – Introduction to Circular Motion, Podcast 2 – Circular Motion Formulas, and Podcast 3 – Formulas. For Tuesday please take notes on Podcast 4 – Centripetal Force. We will go over these and on Monday, Tuesday, and possibly into Wednesday and will then do our Centripetal Force Lab. (Guess what…GOGGLES!!!!) We will also round out the week with assignment 1 followed by a quiz as announced. Expect the test late next week.

This Week in Astronomy
We will continue to explore the celestial sphere as we complete our examination of how the sky varies with latitude. Expect a quiz as we close out that topic, likely on Tuesday or Wednesday, as announced. Podcast 2 – Celestial Equator and Celestial North Pole, and Podcast 3 – Circumpolar Stars will help you study, and if you’re feeling a bit lost, please check these out. They can be a big help. 🙂 Following the quiz we’ll examine how and why the sky changes throughout the year. This will round out* our full view of the celestial sphere…latitude changes, daily changes, and annual changes. You’ll know how to figure out what the sky should look like on any day at any time at any latitude. You’ll be THAT cool. 🙂 Expect a test early next week.
* celestial sphere pun

Cool Science of the Week
I love candy hearts for Valentine’s Day. Do you? Here’s some fun science behind our delicious treat…

Happy Valentine’s Day Week!

This Week in AP Physics
We will continue our exploration of our unit on thermal physics as we cover methods of heat transfer on Monday so that you can do homework 1 for Tuesday. Next we’ll cover the mathematics of probability as it relates to the ideal gas law and the kinetic theory of an ideal gas so that we can do a swell lab* and homework 2 toward the end of the week and into early next week. Finally, your lab report on the Bernoulli’s experiment is due on Wednesday with a hard copy at the start of class and an upload to TurnItIn.com by 3:00 pm.
* volume change pun

This Week in Physics
We will complete our study of momentum as we finish the topic of the impulse-momentum theorem by doing assignment 4 and a fun little lab activity involving ramming cars into things. Expect a test by the end of the week.

This Week in Astronomy
If you have not already done so, please download the Astronomy Course Policies and Procedures document, go over it with your parent(s) or guardian(s), print the last page, sign it, and turn it in. This was due on Friday, January 23rd. This week we will continue to explore how the appearance of the sky changes when we travel across the Earth. First we will finish analyzing the E-S-W apparent motion of the sky and then will turn to the north to analyze what we see there. Expect a quiz or two scattered throughout the week. Podcast 2 – Celestial Equator and Celestial North Pole will help you study but is not required viewing.

Cool Science of the Week
This is LITERALLY cool science that takes you on a “Snowflake Safari” to discover whether the old adage is true that no two snowflakes are alike.

Happy Groundhog Day! I’m sure winter will be over any day now. Right!

This Week in AP Physics
On Monday and Tuesday we will finish our Bernoulli’s experiment and the final homework from our fluid mechanics unit so that we can take our unit test on Wednesday. Next, things will heat up as we examine thermal physics.

This Week in Physics
On Monday, Tuesday, and into Wednesday we will complete our analysis of the role of kinetic energy in collisions by doing assignment 3 and taking a quiz as announced. Following that, we will look at the impulse-momentum theorem. To prepare for that topic, please take notes on Podcast 10 – Introduction to the Impulse-Momentum Theorem and Podcast 11 – Impulse-Momentum Theorem Sample Problem when announced. Expect a test by the end of next week. Finally, your conservation of momentum lab report is due at the start of class on Thursday with the upload to TurnItIn.com due by 3:00 of that day.

This Week in Astronomy
We will complete our constellation activity by the end of class on Tuesday, and this will wrap up our star mapping learning objectives. On Wednesday we will take a star mapping quiz in the planetarium. Podcast 1 – Star Mapping will help you study. After that we will start to examine how the sky changes when we travel north-south on the planet.

Cool Science of the Week
On Monday of this past week, a large asteroid flew fairly close to Earth. It is widely accepted that a huge asteroid impact on Earth led to the extinction of the dinosaurs about sixty-five million years ago, so we have reason to be aware of asteroid behavior. To prepare, NASA’s Near Earth Object Program analyzes the trajectories of asteroids with the intention of finding potential impacts years before they might happen. This will give us time to do something about it. Check out this video to find out more!