Physics

• Define, give examples of, compare and contrast, and/or identify the following terms or properties of waves:
  • wavelength
  • period
  • frequency
  • amplitude
  • longitudinal waves
  • transverse waves
  • the principle of superposition
  • constructive interference
  • destructive interference
  • diffraction through a narrow opening (that can vary) or around and obstacle (width can vary).
  • reflection from plane and curved surfaces.
    
• Calculate (using the proper units) the period, frequency, wavelength, and/or wave speed given the appropriate information (given any of the information listed here).
  Optional: Understand the differences between AM and FM waves.
  
• Define and give examples of the Doppler effect.
• Explain and draw pictures of how bow waves, shock waves, and sonic booms are produced.
  Optional: Be able to calculate frequency shifts caused by relative motion of a sound source and an observer.
• Identify, define or discuss the following concepts concerning sound:
  • how sound is produced, travels, and is received.
  • how sound waves are represented.
  • at what speed sound travels through different media.
  • define the terms condensation or compression, rarefaction, pitch, frequency, loudness and explain how they are used when discussing sound.
    
• Apply their knowledge of sound to the following concepts:
  • explain and give an example of what resonance is and how things can be caused to resonate.
  • explain and give examples of the diffraction of sound.
  • explain and give examples of the interference of sound.
  • explain standing waves and under what conditions they occur
    Optional:
    • be familiar with the dB scale as a measure of sound intensity level.
    • be able to calculate the dB level or the intensity of a sound based on given data.
    • calculate the velocity of a wave on a string as a function of string tension and linear density.
    • explain the production of sound in various musical instruments.
    • understand what sweet spots and dead spots and how they are produced.
      
• State the law of reflection:
  • Draw the incident or reflected ray if given the angle of incidence or angle of reflection and label the normal, incident and reflected rays, and the incident and reflected angles.
  • Define and give examples of the regular and diffuse reflection.
  • State what a virtual image is, where in a plane mirror it appears to exist and why it appears to exist there, and what amount can be seen in the mirror based on the height of the mirror.
    
• Construct a complete ray diagram to locate the image of an object as seen in a curved spherical mirror (concave and convex) and be able to describe the image (real or virtual, upright or inverted, larger or smaller than object).
  Optional: Students use the lens and magnification equations to calculate positions and heights of images and/or objects.
  
• Define refraction:
  • Explain why it is easier to hear sounds across a lake at night as compared to day (refraction of sound).
  • Explain how a mirage is formed (atmospheric refraction of light).
  • Explain why the bottom of a lake or pool (or submerged objects) appear to be closer than it actually is (refraction of light in liquids).
    
• Define and give examples of dispersion:
  • Explain and draw the dispersion of light as it passes through a prism.
  • Define and give examples of total internal reflection and explain why the light reflects inside these materials.
  • Explain how rainbows are made.
  • Calculate the angle of refraction for light traveling from air into another substance given the angle of incidence and the indices of refraction of air and the second substance (Snell's Law).
    Optional: Calculate the speed of light in various media given the index of refraction.
    
• Construct a complete ray diagram to locate the image of an object produced by a thin lens (converging or diverging):
  • Be able to describe the image (real or virtual, upright or inverted, larger or smaller than object).
  • Be able to identify, label, and measure the image distance, the object distance, the image height, and the object height on the ray diagram from first point above.
    
• Define nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, spherical aberration, and chromatic aberration:
  • Explain what causes each defect in vision and lenses.
  • Explain what type of corrective lens should be used in each case of vision problems and why.
  • Explain how to correct each defect or aberration in lenses.
    Optional: Explain how telescopes and microscopes work—lenses in combination.
    
• List chronologically the four major models/theories of light and list evidence to support each model:
  • State the speed of light and be able to calculate the time of light's travel given distance traveled.
  • List in order from long to short wavelength the major divisions of the electronic spectrum.
  • Discuss the characteristics of each major division of the electromagnetic spectrum.
  • Define transparent, translucent, and opaque in terms of the material's interaction with different wavelengths of light.
    
• Define polarized light:
  • List at least three different ways to produce polarized light.
  • Determine if the light he/she is viewing is polarized using a polarizing filter.
    
• Explain why both black and white are not considered to be color:
  • Explain how opaque objects can appear to be colored.
  • Explain how transparent objects can appear to be colored.
  • Define the term pigment as it related to color.
  • Describe the effects that fluorescent light, candle light, and incandescent light have on the appearance of colored objects.
    
• Categorize the primary and secondary colors of light:
  • State the definition of complimentary colors.
  • Explain the difference between mixing by addition and mixing by subtraction.
  • Predict the result when 2 color of light (primary or secondary) are mixed.
    
• Explain the following phenomena on an atomic scale:
  • why the sky is blue
  • why sunsets/sunrises are red
  • why water is blue-green (cyan)
    
• Explain and give examples of the diffraction of light:
  • Predict changes in a double slit diffraction pattern caused by changes in the wavelength of light or changes in the slit width.
  • Use a double slit diffraction setup to measure the wavelength of visible light.

Understand the concepts of electricity and magnetism

• State the modern theory of electrostatics which includes knowing:
  • the names of the two charged particles in the atom.
  • the type of electric charge on each of these two particles.
  • the basic rules which describe how these two charged particles interact.
  • the definition of an electrically neutral object.
  • which of the two charged particles in an atom is able to move in solids.
  • the definition of an insulator (or insulating object).
  • how two neutral objects become charged by friction.
  • what it means for an object to be charged by conduction.
  • what it means for an object to be charged by induction.
    
• Use her/his knowledge of charging by conduction and/or induction to explain for each of the items below either how each becomes charged, where the charge is stored, or how the phenomenon works. These items include:
  • a pith ball electrometer
  • an electrophorus
  • a Leyden jar
  • a gold leaf electroscope
  • cloud to ground lightning and how to protect yourself against being struck by lightning.
  • a balloon rubbed on a sweater sticking to a wall.
  • charged objects being able to pick up insulators (such as TV screens collecting and holding dust or combs run through hair, picking up small bits of paper).
  • Van de Graaff generator
    
• Use Coulomb's Law to calculate:
  • the force between two electric charges given the two charges and the distance between them.
  • one of the two charges given the other charge, the distance between them, and the force between the two charges.
  • the distance between two charges given the two charges and the force between them.
  • the change in the strength of the force between two charges given the changes in the charges and/or the distance between them.
    Optional: Relate potential difference to the work required to move a charge between two points.
    
• Hook up a voltmeter or ammeter properly into a circuit:
  • Wire a circuit given a circuit diagram, and/or draw a circuit diagram (schematic) given a circuit already wired.
  • Determine the values of resistors using the resistor color code.
  • Understand the properties of series and parallel circuits.
    Optional: explain the function of a battery, resistor, transistor and resistor in a circuit.
  • Build complex circuits following instructions.
  • Wire a household circuit in a mock stud wall).
    
• Analyze an electric circuit using Ohm's law and the circuit rules. This includes finding:
  • voltages across resistors everywhere
  • currents through resistors
  • combining series and parallel resistors
• Calculate:
  • the power of an appliance given current and voltage.
  • the current drawn by an appliance given the voltage and power.
  • the cost of operating an appliance given the current, voltage, time of use, and the cost per kilowatt-hour.
    
• Use the theory of atomic magnetism to explain magnetic induction, how to create magnets, and how to destroy magnets.
  
• Determine (using the right/left hand rules for current produced magnetic fields) and draw the magnetic field around:
  • a bar magnet
  • two bar magnets
  • a straight, current carrying wire
    Optional:
    • a single loop of current carrying wire
    • a coil of current carrying wire
• Describe how to increase the strength of the field—in the case of the current produced fields).
• List and describe uses for electromagnets and examples of electromagnetic induction in our everyday world.

Understand the concepts of motion.

• Define and distinguish between the following terms:
  • average speed and instantaneous speed
  • velocity and speed
  • velocity and acceleration
• Use the equations of motion to analyze the motion of a body in a straight line (assuming uniformly accelerated motion). This includes determining:
  • either the final velocity, initial velocity, acceleration, or time of travel given 3 of the 4 quantities.
  • the average velocity given the initial and final velocities.
  • the distance traveled given the initial velocity, acceleration, and the time of travel.
  • either the final velocity, initial velocity, acceleration, or the distance traveled given 3 of the 4 quantities.
    Optional:
    • analyze the motion of an object by graphical means
    • be able to derive the equations of motion from graphical analysis of motion
      
• Analyze an object in free fall motion. This includes being able to determine:
  • the maximum height of a body tossed upward given the initial speed and initial height.
  • the speed of the object at any point during its motion (up or down).
  • the time of flight for an object dropped from rest or tossed up.
  • either the initial speed, final speed, maximum height, or time of flight given any 3 or the 4 quantities.
    
• Using the ruler and protractor method of vector addition:
  • draw and label the magnitude and direction of a vector quantity
  • add two vectors and determine the magnitude and direction of the resultant
  • break up any vector into two components, one horizontal and one vertical
    Optional:
    • add vectors using the component method
    • understand static equilibrium of both forces and torques
    • for an object on a slope, resolve its weight into a component that causes acceleration along the slope and a component that presses it against the slope
      
• When considering the projectile motion of something that is fired horizontally:
  • determine the time it takes the projectile to hit the ground given the initial horizontal speed and height above the ground.
  • determine the horizontal distance traveled given the initial horizontal speed and the height above the ground (you'd have to get the time of fall first).
  • determine the initial height above the ground given the initial horizontal speed and the final horizontal distance the projectile traveled during its flight.
  • determine the initial horizontal speed given the initial height above the ground and the final horizontal distance the projectile traveled during its flight.
  • describe how the horizontal and vertical components of a projectile's velocity and acceleration change over time (if they do).
    

Understand the concepts of force

• State Newton's first law:
  • give three examples that clearly demonstrate this law.
  • apply the first law to explain an example given to you.
    
• State Newton's second law:
  • solve for force, mass, or acceleration given two of the three quantities.
  • calculate the weight of a mass given the mass and the acceleration due to gravity.
  • explain the difference between mass and weight.
    Optional: explain and calculate g-forces.
    
• State Newton's third law:
  • give three examples that clearly demonstrate this law.
  • apply the third law to explain an example given to you
    Optional: students use their understanding of Newton's laws to construct a bridge or tower out of a given material (toothpicks, spaghetti, etc.) which will then be tested for strength.
    
• Define and calculate:
  • orbital period given radius and speed.
  • orbital speed given radius and period or frequency.
  • centripetal acceleration given radius, speed, period, and/or frequency.
  • centripetal force given mass, radius, speed, period, and/or frequency.
• Define and calculate:
  • torque given force and the lever arm.
  • rotational inertia and apply it to everyday phenomena (sports, etc).
  • angular momentum (mathematical description).
    
• State how the law of universal gravitation depends on mass and distance:
  • Calculate the weight of an object given its mass and the acceleration due to gravity where it is being weighed.
  • Calculate the force between two objects given their individual masses and the distance between them.
  • Calculate the change in the gravitational force given only the change in distance between two objects.
  • Describe why all bodies accelerate at the same rate in freefall near the surface of the earth (neglecting air resistance).
• Complete calculations concerning:
  • Hooke's law for springs
  • simple harmonic motion (includes pendulums and springs).
  • the derivation of the equations for the period of an oscillating spring and/or pendulum.
    

Understand the laws of conservation

• Use the conservation of energy and momentum to calculate the motion of objects in collisions.
  
• Explain and give examples (or explain examples given) of the conservation of angular momentum.
  

Understand the concepts of energy and work

• Define and calculate:
  • an object's kinetic energy given mass and speed.
  • gravitational potential energy given mass and height.
  • momentum given mass and velocity.
  • work done by a force given the distance through which the force acts.
  • impulse given a mass using force and time or change in momentum.
    Optional: students shall understand simple machines and mechanical advantage.
    

Design and conduct an experiment to investigate a question and test a hypothesis in physics

• Use their knowledge of mechanics to analyze a number of rides at Valleyfair. Students will collect data and calculate various quantities such as speed, acceleration, forces, energy and momentum.
  

• Understand and be able to complete calculations concerning:
  • Buoyant forces
  • Pascal's principle
  • Archimede's principle
  • Bernoulli's principle
  • Continuity

• Define, explain, give examples and/or explain examples given of the following concepts in Special Relativity:
  • time Dilation—describe what happens to the apparent rate of a moving clock as observed from rest.
  • how "time travel" could be accomplished.
  • the change in distances with speed—describe how the observed length of a moving object changes as observed from rest.
  • the change in mass with speed—describe how the observed mass of a moving object changes as observed from rest.
  • mass-Energy Equivalence—calculating how much mass must be converted to produce a given amount of energy.
    
• Define, explain, give examples and/or explain examples given of the following concepts in Einstein's General Theory of Relativity:
  • describe at least 2 of the phenomena that Einstein predicted and explained using his general theory of relativity.
  • describe what Einstein calls "gravity."
  • describe where all matter gets its "moving orders" from if it isn't from a force of gravity (according to Einstein).
  • explain how the acceleration of an apple freely falling on the surface of the earth can be described by using an "accelerated frame of reference: instead of by a force of gravity.
    
• Explain how a black hole is created from the death of a large star.
  • use the concepts of Einstein's gravity to explain what a black hole is thought to be.
  • identify the parts of a black hole including the event horizon and the singularity.
  • define event horizon and singularity for a black hole.
    

• Thermodynamics goals (accelerated physics only):
  • explain the atomic level behaviors that cause thermal expansion.
  • calculate 1, 2, or 3-dimensional expansion in a given material caused by a temperature change.
  • understand the importance of Joule's work in determining the mechanical equivalent of heat.
  • understand the meaning of each term in the 1st law of thermodynamics, including significance of plus or minus signs.
  • be able to use the 1st law of thermodynamics to calculate a system's internal energy change during some process.
  • be able to calculate the work done by a gas.
  • use pressure-volume diagrams to analyze thermodynamic processes.
  • explain the difference between a heat engine and a heat pum.
  • calculate the efficiency of a heat engine given heat flow or temperature data.
  • explain the 2nd law of thermodynamic in terms of either heat flow or entropy change.
  • use thermodynamic concepts to interpret the short story "The Last Question" by Isaac Asimov.
    
    

Instructional resources used for this curriculum:

Copyright 2002, Prentice Hall Publishing
Conceptual Physics, Paul G. Hewitt

Copyright 2002, Holt Rinehart Winston Publishing
Physics, Serway, Faughn

Copyright 2002, Harcourt Publishing
College Physics, 6th Edition, Serway and Faughn