PHYSICS

COURSE OVERVIEW

Physics is intended to expose students to the design and order in the world that God has created. In preceding years, students should have developed a basic understanding of the macroscopic and microscopic world of forces, motion, waves, light, and electricity. The physics course will expand upon that prior knowledge and further develop both. The curriculum will also seek to teach the symbolic and mathematical world of formulas and symbols used in physics. The major concepts covered are kinematics, forces and motion, work and energy, sound and light waves, electricity and magnetism, and nuclear physics.

Students at this level should show development in their ability and understanding of scientific inquiry. The units contain experiments and projects that seek to develop a deeper conceptual meaning for the student and actively engage the student. The continued exposure of science concepts and scientific inquiry will serve to improve the student’s skill and understanding.

Physics should be preceded by Algebra I and II courses and geometry.

Kinematics: Students will learn to use scalars and vectors to visualize and calculate concepts of motion.
Dynamics: Students will articulate Newton’s and Kepler’s laws of motion.
Work and Energy: Students will demonstrate an understanding of how energy is transferred and changed from one form to another.
Introduction to Waves: Students will describe wave characteristics such as amplitude, velocity, wavelength, and frequency.
Light: Students will describe phenomena that characterize light as a wave and phenomena that characterize it as a particle.
Static Electricity: Students will understand that all electric charges produce an electric field around them
Electric Currents: Students will apply and solve problems using Ohm’s Law and Watt’s Law for both series and parallel circuits.
Magnetism: Students will describe the relationship between magnetism and electricity.
Atomic and Nuclear Physics: Students will acquire a general understanding of atomic theory, including fusion and fission.

Curriculum Content and Skill Focus

Unit 1: Kinematics

explain how the use of models, graphs, diagrams, and equations helps to analyze relationships and to understand physical concepts in physics
differentiate between scalars and vectors and distinguish between displacement and distance
differentiate between speed and velocity
solve problems concerning average and instantaneous speed and velocity
determine the relationship between acceleration and velocity
resolve vectors into components and apply the kinematic equations to solve problems involving projectile motion

Unit 2: Dynamics

articulate Newton’s first and second laws of motion and calculate the distance an object will travel when acted upon with force, and the acceleration, velocity, and momentum of an object
draw and interpret free body diagrams for objects
use the Inverse Square law to calculate force, velocity, and displacement
explain that in centripetal acceleration and centripetal force, the vector is directed toward the center of the circular motion
state Newton’s Third Law and that the total momentum of a system is conserved
understand Kepler’s first and second law conceptually and apply Kepler’s third law mathematically

Unit 3: Work and Energy

solve problems involving work, kinetic and potential energy, and the concept of conservation of energy
solve problems using power equations, involving efficiency and related ratios, such as IMA and AMA
understand the advantages and disadvantages of using a simple machine
solve problems involving specific heat and calorimetry
state the First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics
review the concepts of kinetic and potential energy, power, and efficiency and solve problems concerning all these ideas

Unit 4: Introduction to Waves

describe wave characteristics such as amplitude, velocity, wavelength and frequency
describe wave characteristics such as reflection, refraction, diffraction and interference
describe sound wave characteristics such as beats, resonance, the Doppler Effect and shock waves
solve problems concerning beats, the Doppler Effect and the speed of sound

Unit 5: Light

evaluate the impact of technology on the advance of scientific research
describe properties of light such as reflection, refraction, polarization, dispersion and scattering
use ray diagrams to demonstrate the path of reflected light from a mirror
use ray diagrams to demonstrate the path of light through a lens
explain the significance of the Young Two Slit experiment, the photoelectric effect, and the Taylor experiment to the definition of light

Unit 7: Static Electricity

describe the historical development of the understanding of electric charge as originating in the atom
use Coulomb’s Law to solve problems
differentiate between a conductor and an insulator
understand that all electric charges produce an electric field around them
realize when a change moves through an electric field, energy is expended and work is done
solve problems concerning potential energy, capacitance, and work

Unit 8: Electric Currents

realize that if a current carrying wire is coiled into a loop so that it forms a structure called a solenoid, that its magnetic field will be shaped similar to that of a bar magnet
use the right hand rules to determine the direction of force on a moving charge in a magnetic field
determine, using Lenz’s law, how to determine the direction of the induced current in a loop of wire experiencing a change in flux
realize that the direction of the electron beam in a CRT is determined by the interplay of two magnetic fields that are perpendicular to each other which, in turn, control where the beam will hit the screen to produce an image

Unit 9: Magnetism

realize that if a current carrying wire is coiled into a loop so that it forms a structure called a solenoid, that its magnetic field will be shaped similar to that of a bar magnet
use the right hand rules to determine the direction of force on a moving charge in a magnetic field
determine, using Lenz’s law, how to determine the direction of the induced current in a loop of wire experiencing a change in flux
realize that the direction of the electron beam in a CRT is determined by the interplay of two magnetic fieldsthat are perpendicular to each other which, in turn, control where the beam will hit the screen to produce an image

Unit 10: Atomic and Nuclear Physics

use the photoelectric and Planck’s equation to solve problems
explain the difference between the production and appearance of continuous, emission and adsorption spectra
understand that energy is emitted from the atom in the form of electromagnetic radiation when an electron moves from a higher to lower energy level
understand that the conversion of mass to binding energy in the nucleus was predicted in Einstein’s equation, E = mc²
understand that electrostatic repulsive forces are longer ranged, but not as strong as nuclear attractive forces between protons
understand the basic structure of a fission nuclear power plant

Additional Resources

All of the default activities in this course can be completed with online resources.