TREASURE COAST SCIENCE SYLLABUS Physics I 2003380 Year and teacher contact information COMPLETED BY INDIVIDUAL TEACHER Conceptual Physics (Pearson, Prentice Hall 2006) Physics I is an introduction to the fundamentals of Physics. Students completing this course will be prepared to enroll in a technical school program or upon completing additional, appropriate mathematical preparation can enroll in Advanced Placement Physics or an introductory physics course in college. This course will cover at the conceptual level topics in mechanics, heat, sound, light, electricity and magnetism, and modern physics. Laboratory activities involving collection and interpretation of experimental data are an important component of Physics. This course will include problem solving at an appropriate mathematical level to achieve a better understanding of certain physics principles developed in the class and in laboratory activities. The requirement of a Science Fair project or a comparable project or a scientific competition beyond the classroom for non-honors courses is a decision made by the Science Department and the administration of each high school. All topics must be pre-approved in writing and all paperwork must be submitted prior to starting the project. Class time will be allotted for some aspects of the project; the remainder will be completed at home. Specific expectations and due dates will be given to each student. PREREQUISITE GUIDELINES: Completion of Algebra I with a grade of B or higher. Concurrent enrollment in Geometry is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED. Course Goals: Upon completion of Physics I, the student should have: the ability to use Physics to think critically about the world around them...how it works...why it works...and further, to predict its behavior. the ability to communicate an understanding of Physics concepts in both oral and written formats. the ability to apply available technology to solve problems, to complete experiments, to interpret results, and to verify conclusions in the field of Physics. an appreciation for Physics as a foundation for concepts in life sciences and physical sciences. Course Requirements: COMPLETED BY INDIVIDUAL TEACHER 1
Assignments: COMPLETED BY INDIVIDUAL TEACHER Tests and Quizzes: COMPLETED BY INDIVIDUAL TEACHER Research Projects: COMPLETED BY INDIVIDUAL TEACHER Grading Plan: COMPLETED BY INDIVIDUAL TEACHER Academic Honesty Plan: Willful or deliberate unauthorized use of the work of another person for academic purposes, or inappropriate use of notes, or other material in the completion of an academic assignment or test is not permitted. In addition to disciplinary responses, the granting of credit for this assignment may be considered null and void. Classroom Expectations: COMPLETED BY INDIVIDUAL TEACHER Personal Statement: COMPLETED BY INDIVIDUAL TEACHER Semester 1 Quarter 1 Topic of Study: Approaches to Science Define a scientific problem or question based on the specific body of knowledge correlated to the Physics I science course. Define a scientific problem or question based on the specific body of knowledge correlated to the integrated science course through a scientific investigation. Explain the difference between an experiment and other types of scientific investigations using a graphic organizer. Recognize systematic inference as one form of scientific investigation. Use appropriate reference materials to support scientific investigations of various types, such as systematic observation or experiments. Describe the creative means scientists must use to design an investigation. Explain that science is based on evidence based facts. Differentiate between science and pseudoscience. Develop a hypothesis with one independent variable (tested variable). Distinguish between dependent variables (outcome variable), independent variables (tested variable), controls, and variables that are held constant in a variety of activities. Develop hypotheses and determine what data should be collected to test the hypothesis. Determine tools and methods that should be used to collect valid data. Determine how data will be collected to analyze the data. 2
Determine appropriate and consistent standards of measurement for the data to be collected in a survey or experiment. Collect, organize, and analyze data sets, determine the best format for the data and present visual summaries from the following: bar graphs, line graphs, scatter plots, cumulative frequency graphs. Calculate and determine the % error of the data. Explain why scientific investigations should be replicable. Conduct, discuss, and compare similar investigations by working cooperatively in groups. Collect and organize data in charts, tables, and graphics. Present individual or group data after a scientific investigation, analyze the evidence, and reach a class consensus. Justify conclusions based upon all the available evidence, not on expressed opinions. Distinguish the difference between a scientific law and theory vs. a societal law. Describe the role consensus plays in the historical development of a theory in any one of the disciplines of science. Give examples of how advances in technology have affected scientific theories and laws. Compare and contrast the terms that describe examples of scientific knowledge such as: theory, law, hypothesis, and model. Distinguish between a scientific theory and a general claim. Distinguish between laws and theories by understanding that laws describe the what and theories explain the why. Explain why models are used in science to observe processes that happen too slowly, too quickly, or are too small or vast for direct observation. Give examples of visual/physical, mathematical, and conceptual models as used in science. Describe the limitations and misconceptions perceived by models. Recognize, identify and know how to safely and accurately use lab equipment. (Balance, spatula, beaker, graduated cylinder, Erlenmeyer flask, thermometer, stirring rod, ring stand, ring clamp, test tube, test tube holder, tongs, lab heater or burner, microscope, microscope slide, eye dropper, funnel, meter stick, refractometer or salinity tester). Identify the safety equipment in the science lab/classroom (safety shower, fire extinguisher, fire blanket, hood, eye wash, first aid kit, gloves, sharps container, MSDS sheets). Identify and find the following information such as chemical name, hazardous components, health hazards, first aid and emergency procedures using MSDS sheets. Identify protective clothing worn in the lab: safety goggles, aprons, gloves. Recognize that different types of wastes are disposed of in specific ways. Recognize the importance of the lab safety contract and explain why parent and student signatures are required. Distinguish science from other activities involving thought. Explain that scientific knowledge is durable because it is open to change as new evidence or interpretations are encountered. Identify reliable sources of information and assess their reliability according to the strict standards of scientific investigation while conducting research. 3
Recognize that scientists who make contributions to scientific knowledge come from all kinds of backgrounds and possess varied talents, interests, and goals. Describe the role consensus plays in the historical development of a theory in physics. Topic of Study: Kinematics Identify which quantities are scalar and vector quantities. Calculate horizontal and vertical components of vectors. Add and subtract vectors. Determine if an object s speed is increasing or decreasing by examining the velocity and acceleration of the object. Solve word problems by identifying given quantities and the unknown quantity, using the kinematic equations of motion, plugging in the given quantities, and performing the algebraic steps necessary to determine the unknown. (1-D and 2-D motion cases). Use qualitative or quantitative descriptions of an object s motion to construct the set of motion graphs. (1-D and 2-D motion cases). Use a single motion graph to create the remaining two motion graphs. (1-D and 2-D motion cases). Use individual motion graphs for an object to calculate unknown quantities about the motion of the object. (1-D and 2-D motion cases). Calculate relative velocities of an object in different frames of reference. Semester 1 Quarter 2 Topic of Study: Dynamics Understand the difference between static and dynamic equilibrium, and understand that an object that is moving with a constant velocity has NO net force on it. Identify action/reaction pairs of forces. Draw correct Free Body Diagrams (FBD s) of objects and compute horizontal and vertical components of these forces when necessary. Understand and apply the different nature of static and kinetic friction. Use the FBD s and Newton s 2 nd Law to solve statics and dynamics problems with and without friction. Recognize that an object in uniform circular motion is accelerating and thus it must have a net force on it. Use the FBD s and Newton s 2 nd Law to solve uniform circular motion problems. Calculate the gravitational force of attraction between two objects. Use Kepler s laws to relate the period of orbit to the radius for a satellite. 4
Topic of Study: Mechanical Energy, Momentum, and Conservation Laws Identify changes in energy in different situations. Determine the kinetic energy of an object in motion. Calculate the gravitational potential energy of an object in a gravitational field. Explain how energy is conserved in a closed or open system. Calculate the kinetic energy and potential energy in the motion of a free falling object. Interpret a graph of the KE and PE in a free falling object. Determine the work done on an object. Use the Work/Energy principle and the Conservational of Mechanical Energy to solve motion problems. Calculate Mechanical Power in problems. Calculate the impulse applied to an object. Calculate the momentum and change in momentum of an object. Use the Impulse/Momentum Relation to solve motion problems. Use conservation of momentum to solve elastic and inelastic collision problems. Distinguish between elastic and inelastic collisions. Semester 2 Quarter 3 Topic of Study: Waves and Optics Describe the red shift of galaxies as evidence of the Big Bang Theory. Solve problems involving the Law of Reflection and Snell s Law. Relate wavelength, frequency, and energy as they move along the EM Spectrum. Compare and contrast two different types of waves from the electromagnetic spectrum with regard to energy, frequency and wavelength Demonstrate constructive and destructive interference of transverse waves. Explain the behavior of waves as they travel between media. Explain how diffraction and interference relate to the formation of Young s Double Slit pattern. Construct ray diagrams for various scenarios of objects placed near optics and identify properties of the images formed. Solve problems using the optics equations. Topic of Study: Electrostatics and Circuits Calculate the charge, q, of an object given a number of excess electrons or protons. Calculate the electrostatic force between two charges give the separation distance between them. 5
Calculate the electric field strength near a point charge and the force experienced by a charge in an electric field. Identify the electric field vector diagrams around point charges, dipoles, and parallel plate capacitors. Students will be able to calculate the potential around point charges and parallel plate capacitors. Describe the motion of a test charge in a given electric field. Classify materials as conductors, insulators, and semiconductors. Analyze V vs. I graphs to calculate resistance. Apply Ohm s Law to simple circuits. Calculate energy used and power in circuits. Semester 2 Quarter 4 Topic of Study: Thermal Energy and Energy Transformation Relate solid, liquid, and gas phases to molecular motion. Given a situation, identify if the system is open, closed, or isolated. Distinguish between Heat and Temperature. Solve problems involving heat and cooling curves including phase changes. Solve ideal gas problems using the combined gas laws. Topic of Study: Structure of the Atom and Relativity Explore the history of the atomic theory and describe why the changes were necessitated by experimental evidence. Describe and illustrate the structure of an atom. Describe and illustrate the charges associated with the three subatomic particles. Recognize that Newton's laws are a limiting case of Einstein's special theory of relativity at speeds that are much smaller than the speed of light. Explain why time, length, and energy, depend on the frame of reference. 6