Honors Physics I
Course Description
This is a college preparatory course, which will include the big three concepts of motion, force, and energy. These three concepts are applied over many topics in all of the sciences, but specifically in this class we will look at motions and energies associated with macroscopic objects, electrical current and electric energy. We will study the field forces that arise from both gravity and electricity. We study waves, their interaction and the wave/particle nature of light. As this is a science class, a significant portion of time is devoted to laboratory work. A proficiency in mathematics is required. The honors class goes into more depth with vectors and the mathematics required.
Course Big Ideas
- Motion can occur as accelerated motion or non-accelerated motion and these have different outcomes on a system.
- Forces are interactions between two objects that occur at finite distances and can change the motion of a system.
- Systems can be defined for convenience and have energy that we can account for.
- Forces can change the energy distribution in a system.
Course Essential Questions
- How do we combine vectors?
- How can we predict an object’s continued motion, change of motion, or stability?
- How do field forces compare and contrast?
- How does the defined system change how we account for energy in the system?
- How does the defined system change how we account for momentum in the system?
- Where does energy go when it leaves a system?
- How do we account for other forms of energy that exist beyond mechanical energy?
- How do waves interact with one another?
- How does the medium through which a wave travels, change the wave?
Course Competencies
- Slope and area on a graph allow one to compute for unknown physical quantities.
- Given a situation, discern the given information to select appropriate mathematical models to solve for desired quantities.
- Use graphical means to represent an understanding of a situation.
- Draw a force diagram (FBD) to represent non-negligible forces action on an object for a given situation.
- Explain a situation using vocabulary terms.
- Identify appropriate graphs used in situations and quantify information using graphical techniques.
Course Assessments
- Course final assessment
- Formative Assessments
- Summative Assessments
- Common Assessments
- Performance-based lab assessments
Course Units
- Unit 0: Introductory Unit
- Unit 1: Forces and Motion
- Unit 2: Field Forces
- Unit 3: Energy and Momentum
- Unit 4: Energy - Thermal, Electrical, Nuclear
- Unit 5: Waves
Unit 0: Introductory Unit
- Standards
- Know
- Understanding/Key Learning
- Do
- Unit Essential Questions
- Lesson Essential Questions
- Materials/Resources
- Vocabulary
- Assessments
Standards
Rationale: Unit 0 is a short review unit that is intended to go over content that would have been taught in the 8th grade curriculum. Some content that will be reviewed is units and quantities used in physics, number notation, and showing relationships with graphs.
PA STEELS Standards
- 3.2.6-8.H Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.
- 3.2.6-8.J Construct and present arguments using evidence to support the claim that gravitational interactions are attractive and depend on the masses of interacting objects.
- 3.2.6-8.O Construct, use, and present arguments to support the claim that when the kinetic energy of an object changes, energy is transferred to or from the object.
- 3.2.6-8.P Develop a model to describe that when the arrangement of objects interacting at a distance changes, different amounts of potential energy are stored in the system.
Know
Understanding/Key Learning
Do
- Identify variables with the corresponding quantity in an equation.
- Identify units and the corresponding quantity.
- Make appropriate unit conversions.
- Represent large and small numbers in scientific notation.
- Determine if a quantity is a vector or scalar.
- Identify if a relationship is direct or inverse
Unit Essential Questions
Lesson Essential Questions
- What are the units we use and how do we convert between units?
- How does a graph show a relationship between variables?
- How do we represent big and small numbers?
- What is a vector and scalar?
- What are the quantities that describe motion? (kinematics)
- What are quantities associated with force? (dynamics)
- What are the quantities associated with energy?
Materials/Resources
Vocabulary
Assessments
Unit 1: Forces and Motion
- Standards
- Know
- Understanding/Key Learning
- Do
- Unit Essential Questions
- Lesson Essential Questions
- Materials/Resources
- Vocabulary
- Assessments
Standards
PA STEELS standards
- 3.2.9-12.I Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration.
- 3.5.9-12.W Optimize a design by addressing desired qualities within criteria and constraints while considering trade-offs.
PA Core Standards Writing in Science and Technical Subjects
- CC.3.6.11-12.B. Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical processes.
Container
Know
- Know that the quantities force, displacement, velocity, acceleration are vectors.
- Know that the quantities mass, distance, speed are scalars.
- Know that an object does not need to be moving in the direction of acceleration.
- Know that freefall is when gravity is the sole force acting on an object.
- Know that a projectile is another object in freefall.
Understanding/Key Learning
- Macroscopic objects have a center of mass and can be treated as point particle.
- Newton’s 2nd law accurately predicts changes in the motion of macroscopic objects.
- Velocity is the motion and acceleration is the change of motion.
- Force is the interaction between two objects and not the resulting motion.
Do
- Mathematically add collinear vectors.
- Mathematically add vectors at right angles.
- Mathematically resolve a vector into its components.
- Sketch a position vs time graph to represent the motion of an object.
- Sketch a velocity vs time graph to represent the motion of an object.
- Draw appropriate vectors to represent the kinematics understanding of a situation.
- Draw a force diagram (FBD) to represent non-negligible forces action on an object for a given situation.
- Explain a situation using motion and force vocabulary terms.
- Given a kinematics or dynamics situation, discern the given information to select appropriate mathematical models to solve for desired quantities.
- Identify qualitative relationships between two variables in an equation.
- Identify quantitative relationships between two variables in an equation.
- Quantify motion using slope on a graph (both position vs time and velocity vs time).
- Quantify motion using area on a graph (velocity vs time).
- Solve situations that utilize both kinematics and dynamics.
- Justify or support a claim using evidence from experimental data, physical representations, or physical principles or laws.
Unit Essential Questions
Lesson Essential Questions
- How does force affect the motion of an object?
- How can objects ever move when forces are equal and opposite (N’s 3rd law)?
- How do distance and displacement compare and contrast?
- How do speed and velocity compare and contrast?
- How is an instantaneous quantity different from an average quantity?
- How does constant motion compare and contrast to accelerated motion?
- What is a FBD?
- How is net force different from individual forces?
- How does a FBD help us understand the motion or change of motion of an object?
- How do we apply the FBD to Newton’s 2nd law to solve problems?
- What is freefall?
- How does projectile motion compare and contrast with 1D motion?
Materials/Resources
Vocabulary
Assessments
Unit 2: Field Forces
- Standards
- Know
- Understanding/Key Learning
- Do
- Unit Essential Questions
- Lesson Essential Questions
- Materials/Resources
- Vocabulary
- Assessments
Standards
PA STEELS standards
- 3.2.9-12.L Use mathematical representations of Newton’s Law of Gravitation and Coulomb’s Law to describe and predict the gravitational and electrostatic forces between objects.
- 3.2.9-12.M Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that an electric current can produce a magnetic field and that a changing magnetic field can produce an electric current.
PA Core Standards Writing in Science and Technical Subjects
- CC.3.6.11-12.B. Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical processes.
Know
- Know that gravity force is proportional to the mass of two objects and inversely proportional to the distances between their center of masses.
- Know that the electrostatic force is proportional to the amount of charge on two objects and inversely proportional to the distance between their center of masses.
- Moving electric charges produce a magnetic field.
- A changing magnetic field produces electric current.
Understanding/Key Learning
Do
- Mathematically combine vectors at non right angles.
- Given a field force situation, discern the given information to select appropriate mathematical models to solve for desired quantities.
- Draw appropriate vectors to represent the understanding of field forces that apply to a situation.
- Draw a force diagram (FBD) to represent non-negligible forces action on an object for a given field force situation.
- Explain a situation using field force vocabulary terms.
- Identify qualitative relationships between two variables in an equation.
- Identify quantitative relationships between two variables in an equation.
- Use the right hand rule to predict the force acting on a moving charge in a magnetic field.
- Use the right hand rule to predict the direction of the magnetic field at a given point in space.
- Identify quantitative relationships between two variables in an equation related to field forces.
- Justify or support a claim using evidence from experimental data, physical representations, or physical principles or laws.
Unit Essential Questions
Lesson Essential Questions
- What is the smallest mass that gravitationally pulls on you?
- Why don’t we fall into the Sun?
- Which is stronger, gravity or electricity?
- Have you ever really touched anything?
- How do we predict the direction of the magnetic field for moving charges?
- How do we predict the direction of the force acting on a charge?
Materials/Resources
Vocabulary
Assessments
Unit 3: Energy and Momentum
- Standards
- Know
- Understanding/Key Learning
- Do
- Unit Essential Questions
- Lesson Essential Questions
- Materials/Resources
- Vocabulary
- Assessments
Standards
PA STEELS Standards
- 3.2.9-12.J Use mathematical representations to support the claim that the total momentum of a system of objects is conserved when there is no net force on the system.
- 3.2.9-12.K Apply scientific and engineering ideas to design, evaluate and refine a device that minimizes the force on a macroscopic object during a collision.
- 3.2.9-12.P Develop and use models to illustrate that energy at the macroscopic scale can be accounted for as a combination of energy associated with the motions of particles (objects) and energy associated with the relative positions of particles (objects).
- 3.2.9-12.Q Design, build, and refine a device that works within given constraints to convert one form of energy into another form of energy.
- 3.2.9-12.S Develop and use a model of two objects interacting through electric or magnetic fields to illustrate the forces between objects and the changes in energy of the objects due to the interaction.
- 3.5.9-12.P Apply a broad range of design skills to a design thinking process.
- 3.5.9-12.Q Implement and critique principles, elements, and factors of design.
PA Core Standards for Reading and Writing in Science and Technical Subjects
- CC.3.6.11-12.B. Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical processes.
- CC.3.5.11-12.I. Synthesize information from a range of sources into a coherent understanding of a process, phenomenon, or concept, resolving conflicting information when possible.
Know
- The type of energy a system contains depends on the way we define the system.
- Energy can be transformed within a system or transferred into or out of a system by doing work.
- Momentum can be transformed within a system or transferred into or out of a system by forces.
- Work can be done by internal or external forces.
- Work done by internal forces transforms the type of energy in a system.
- Work done by external forces transfers energy in or out of a system.
Understanding/Key Learning
Do
- Given an energy or momentum situation, discern the given information to select appropriate mathematical models to solve for desired quantities.
- Draw a force diagram (FBD) to represent non-negligible forces action on an object for a given conservative energy or momentum situation.
- Account for changes to internal energy of a system.
- Explain a situation using work, energy, and momentum vocabulary terms.
- Sketch a graph of kinetic, potential and total energy to represent the changes within a system.
- Classify forces as either conservative or non-conservative.
- Identify qualitative relationships between two variables in an equation.
- Identify quantitative relationships between two variables in an equation related to energy or momentum situations.
- Quantify energy using area on a graph (force vs distance).
- Quantify impulse using area on a graph (force vs time).
- Justify or support a claim using evidence from experimental data, physical representations, or physical principles or laws.
Unit Essential Questions
Lesson Essential Questions
- What is work?
- What is the connection between work and energy?
- How do we determine if a force is conservative or non-conservative?
- What is power?
- How do we calculate the amount of power a person produces?
- How does force change momentum?
- How did Sir Issac Newton actually write Newton’s second Law?
- What does it mean to conserve a quantity?
Materials/Resources
Vocabulary
Assessments
Unit 4: Energy - Thermal, Electrical, Nuclear
- Standards
- Know
- Understanding/Key Learning
- Do
- Unit Essential Questions
- Lesson Essential Questions
- Materials/Resources
- Vocabulary
- Assessments
Standards
PA STEELS Standards
- 3.2.9-12.H Develop models to illustrate the changes in the composition of the nucleus of the atom and the energy released during the processes of fission, fusion, and radioactive decay
- 3.2.9-12.O Create a computational model to calculate the change in the energy of one component in a system when the change in energy of the other component(s) and energy flows in and out of the system are known.
- 3.2.9-12.Q Design, build, and refine a device that works within given constraints to convert one form of energy into another form of energy.
PA Core Standards Writing in Science and Technical Subjects
- CC.3.6.11-12.B. Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical processes.
Know
Understanding/Key Learning
- A system’s energy may change when forces acting on this system originate from outside the system.
- Work can be done by internal or external forces.
- Work done by internal forces transforms the type of energy in a system.
- Work done by external forces transfers energy in or out of a system.
- Any change to a type of energy within a system must be balanced by an equivalent change of other types of energies within the system or by a transfer of energy between the system and its surroundings.
Do
- Given an energy situation, discern the given information to select appropriate mathematical models to solve for desired quantities.
- Account for changes to internal and external energy of a system.
- Draw a force diagram (FBD) to represent non-negligible forces action on an object for a given non-conservative energy situation.
- Explain a situation using work, energy, and momentum vocabulary terms.
- Sketch a graph of various forms of energy to represent the changes within a system.
- Classify forces as either conservative or non-conservative.
- Identify qualitative relationships between two variables in an equation.
- Identify quantitative relationships between to variables in an equation related to energy or momentum situations.
- Justify or support a claim using evidence from experimental data, physical representations, or physical principles or laws.
Unit Essential Questions
Lesson Essential Questions
- How do we determine if a force is conservative or non-conservative?
- How do we account for non-mechanical forms of energy?
- What element is responsible for the death of a star?
- How is the most famous physics equation used?
- What is Ohm’s Law?
- What type of energy does a resistor use and produce?
- How are electric charges conserved in an electric circuit?
- How is electric charge conserved during a nuclear process?
- How are mass and energy conserved during a nuclear process?
Materials/Resources
Vocabulary
- Isotope
- Nucleon
- Nuclear fission
- Nuclear fusion
- Radioactive decay
- Types of radiation (alpha, beta, gamma)
- Stable nuclei
- Strong nuclear force
- Weak nuclear force
- Half-life
- Conductivity
- Polarity
- Friction
- Conservation of energy
- Coefficient of restitution
- Force
- Kinetic energy
- Potential energy
- Mechanical energy
- System
- Energy transfer
- Energy transformation
- First law of thermodynamics
- Second law of thermodynamics
- Thermal energy
- Heat
- Heat transfer
Assessments
Unit 5: Waves
- Standards
- Know
- Understanding/Key Learning
- Do
- Unit Essential Questions
- Lesson Essential Questions
- Materials/Resources
- Vocabulary
- Assessments
Standards
PA STEELS Standards
- 3.2.9-12.T Use mathematical representations to support a claim regarding relationships among the frequency, wavelength, and speed of waves traveling in various media.
- 3.2.9-12.U Evaluate questions about the advantages of using digital transmission and storage of information.
- 3.2.9-12.V Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning behind the idea that electromagnetic radiation can be described either by a wave model or a particle model and that for some situations one model is more useful than the other.
- 3.2.9-12.W Evaluate the validity and reliability of claims in published materials of the effects that different frequencies of electromagnetic radiation have when absorbed by matter.
PA Core Standards for Reading and Writing in Science and Technical Subjects
- CC.3.6.11-12.B. Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical processes.
- CC.3.5.11-12.I. Synthesize information from a range of sources into a coherent understanding of a process, phenomenon, or concept, resolving conflicting information when possible.
Know
- All types of waves have analogous properties such as wavelength, frequency, and wave speed.
- Waves change speed when they pass from one medium to another.
- Wave speed is constant in a given medium.
- EM radiation has an amount of energy directly proportional to its frequency.
- The frequency of a wave remains constant when passing from one medium to another.
- All forms of electromagnetic (EM) radiation are related to light in the fact they are disturbances in both the electric and magnetic fields.
- The properties of media determine if EM radiation reflects or refracts.
- Waves pass through one another unimpeded but interact through a process called superposition.
Understanding/Key Learning
- Waves carry energy from one location to another without a bulk movement of the medium through which it propagates.
- Most waves need a medium through which they must propagate, the exception is light.
- Light has a dual nature of both a particle and a wave.
- Information can be carried on EM waves over distances.
- When light or longer wavelength electromagnetic radiation is absorbed in matter, it is generally converted into thermal energy (heat). Shorter wavelength electromagnetic radiation (ultraviolet, X-rays, gamma rays) can ionize atoms and cause damage to living cells.
Do
- Identify the parts of a wave.
- Draw pictures of wave situations that describe observed phenomena.
- Explain a situation using wave vocabulary terms.
- Given a wave situation, discern the given information to select appropriate mathematical models to solve for desired quantities.
- Justify or support a claim using evidence from experimental data, physical representations, or physical principles or laws.