Physics & Astronomy GE Assessment 2009 - 2010
Summary of results:
GE average
Course
Astr 152
Phys 100A
62%
Course Objective
7 sections, 629 students
1 Students will become familiar with visible celestial objects
(such as the sun, the moon, the planets, stars and
constellations), their appearance and their regular motion or
motions in the sky.
2 The students will learn about historical developments of
astronomical ideas and concepts through contributions of
Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler, Galileo, Newton, and Einstein.
3 Students will learn about properties of electromagnetic
radiation, how it is generated and how it interacts with matter.
4 Students will also learn about astronomical telescopes and
detectors for collecting astronomical data and how the data
may be used for astronomical research
5 Students will learn about observed properties of stars, their
internal structure and energy production.
6 Students will become familiar with the sun and what the sun
is inside and outside, and how it affects the earth’s
environment.
7 Students will also learn about formation, evolution and deaths
of stars.Students learn about our Milky Way Galaxy (its size,
shape, and its different parts) and our location in it
8 Students learn about external galaxies, their classification,
properties, and distribution throughout our universe.
9 Students learn about the Hubble law, the universal
expansion, and the Big Bang theory of the beginning,
structure, and evolution of our physical universe.
2 sections, 111 students
1 Understand the concepts of displacement, velocity and
acceleration, and apply the kinematic equations to solving
problems on motion in one and two dimensions (includes
projectile motion).
2 Understand what a vector quantity is, including resolution into
components, and addition and subtraction of vectors.
3 Understand and apply the three Newton Laws of Motion to
problems that include friction, incline planes and uniform
circular motion.
4 Understand the concepts of work, energy (kinetic and
potential) and their interrelations, and apply these concepts to
problems. Understand and apply the Law of Conservation of
Energy. Being able to describe and apply the concepts of
power and efficiency to everyday situations.
5 Understand and apply the concepts of linear momentum and
impulse, and the conservation of linear momentum to
everyday examples of collisions or explosions.
6 Understand and describe rotational kinematics (includes
rolling motion) and dynamics (torque, moment of inertia,
center of mass and Newton’s Second Law in rotational
motion). Describe rotational kinetic energy and apply it to
energy conservation within rotational and/or rolling motion.
Page 1
SLO
1, 5
2009 – 2010
63%
62%
1, 5
57%
1, 5
63%
1, 5
67%
1, 5
68%
1, 4, 5
60%
1, 5
57%
1, 5
74%
1, 5
57%
1, 5
54%
28%
1, 5
75%
1, 5
82%
1, 5
47%
1, 5
25%
1, 5
48%
Physics & Astronomy GE Assessment 2009 - 2010
Phys 100B
Phys 100BL
7 Understand and apply the concepts of force, torque, and
equilibrium to common situations involving translational,
rotational, and static equilibrium.
8 Understand and describe simple harmonic motion including
the conditions for simple harmonic motion, the flow and
conservation of energy during simple harmonic oscillation,
and the period of this motion
9 Describe and identify the types of waves and in particular,
properties of sound waves including sound intensity and the
Doppler Effect. Understand the basic wave phenomena of
superposition and interference, and the application of this to
standing waves in sound waves and waves on a string.
10 Understand the concepts of density and pressure, and apply
the variation of pressure with depth in a static fluid to
everyday situations. Describe and apply Archimedes’
Principle to explain apparent weight and related buoyancy
phenomena.
3 sections, 103 students
1 Students will gain an understanding of electric forces and
fields. Practical example: static electricity.
2 Students will analyze problems involving electric potential and
electric potential energy. Practical example: cardiac
defibrillator .
3 Students will understand current and the properties of DC
circuits. Practical example: batteries and light bulbs
4 Students will analyze sources of magnetic field and the
effects produced by magnetic fields. Practical example:
compass needle responding to the Earth's magnetic field, the
electric motor.
5 Students will understand electromagnetic induction and
inductance. Practical example: electric generators,
transformers.
6 Students will analyze the properties of mirrors and lenses.
Practical example: telescopes .
7 Students will learn the concepts of interference and diffraction
of light. Practical example: image resolution of the human
eye.
8 Students will understand the historical basis and fundamental
concepts in the modern quantum theory of matter. Practical
example: electron microscope.
9 Students will learn how quantum theory is applied to gain an
understanding of atoms and atomic physics. Practical
example: X-rays, neon lights.
10 Students will learn the basic concepts of nuclear physics.
Practical example: radioactivity, fission, fusion.
2 sections, 44 students
1 Learn the role errors play in measurement including how to
measure these errors, and how they affect the results via
propagation of errors.
2 Understand the importance of recording the conditions of the
experiment, how the measurements were done, and what the
measurements were
3 Learn how to analyze the data collected and use the results
to prove or disprove a conjecture/theory.
Page 2
1, 5
67%
1, 5
45%
1, 5
57%
1, 5
70%
1, 4, 5
70%
60%
1, 4, 5
51%
1, 4, 5
64%
1, 4, 5
79%
1, 4, 5
79%
1, 4, 5
78%
1, 4, 5
76%
1, 4, 5
76%
1, 4, 5
69%
1, 4, 5
2, 5
61%
62%
2, 5
59%
2, 5
66%
Physics & Astronomy GE Assessment 2009 - 2010
Phys 220A
Phys 220B
4 Understand the role experimentation plays in verifying the
2, 5
laws of nature and hence the significance of the scientific
method.
1 section, 43 students
1 Students will understand and apply Newton's laws of motion 1, 4, 5
2 Students will learn how to add vector forces together
1, 4, 5
3 Students will solve problems using momentum conservation 1, 4, 5
law.
4 Students will apply energy conservation law.
1, 4, 5
5 Students will solve problems involving rotational motion,
1, 4, 5
torque.
6 Students will apply energy conservation law in the rotational 1, 4, 5
problems.
7 Students will solve problems involving potential energy and
1, 4, 5
conservation of energy. Practical example: calculating speed
variations with height on a roller coaster
8 Students will solve problems involving linear momentum,
1, 4, 5
systems of particles and conservation of linear momentum.
Practical example: understanding why it is usually safer to
ride in a large car than a small car
9 Students will solve problems involving rotational motion,
1, 4, 5
torque, angular momentum and conservation of angular
momentum. Practical example: understanding why an ice
skater spins faster when the arms and legs are pulled inward
10 Students will calculate the conditions necessary for static
1, 4, 5
equilibrium. Practical example: understanding the factors that
can cause a bridge to collapse or a ladder to slip.
11 Students will calculate gravitational forces using Newton's law 1, 4, 5
of gravitation and explore the consequences for the motions
of astronomical bodies. Practical example: understanding the
orbits of the planets around the sun or of a telecommunication
satellite around the earth.
12 Students will understand the basic properties of fluids.
1, 4, 5
Practical example: the increasing pressure on a diver with
increasing depth.
3 sections, 73 students
1 Students will gain an understanding of charge and calculate 1, 4, 5
forces between charges using Coulomb's law.Practical
example: static electricity.
2 Students will calculate electric field and understand the effect 1, 4, 5
of an electric field on the motion of a charged particle.
Practical example: cathode ray tube.
3 Students will understand and apply Gauss's law.Practical
1, 4, 5
example: shielding by a conductor
4 Students will calculate electric potential and identify its
1, 4, 5
relationship to electric field. Practical example: high voltage
electrical discharge
5 Students will understand the properties of capacitors.
1, 4, 5
Practical example: flash bulb in a camera, cardiac
defibrillator.
6 Students will gain understanding of the concepts of current, 1, 4, 5
resistance, and power in electric circuits. Practical example:
cost of electrical energy
Page 3
55%
73%
81%
56%
72%
84%
63%
84%
72%
70%
29%
54%
71%
76%
49%
83%
74%
42%
44%
52%
Physics & Astronomy GE Assessment 2009 - 2010
7 Students will analyze D.C. circuits, including the RC circuit,
using Kirchhoff's laws. Practical example: batteries,
grounding circuits, electrical hazards.
8 Students will calculate the magnetic field produced by various
current distributions using the Biot-Savart law and Ampere's
law. Practical example: MRI field.
9 Students will understand Faraday's law of induction and
inductance. Practical example: electric generator,
transformer
10 Students will understand Faraday's law of induction and
inductance. Practical example: electric generator,
transformer
11 Students will analyze RL circuits, LC oscillations and AC
circuits. Practical example: tuning a radio, electricity in the
home.
12 Students will explore Maxwell's equations and their
consequences. Practical example: electromagnetic waves.
13 Students will learn the basic electrical and magnetic
properties of materials. Practical example: copper is a good
conductor, superconductivity, semiconductors, permanent
magnets.
Page 4
1, 4, 5
59%
1, 4, 5
7%
1, 4, 5
31%
1, 4, 5
1, 4, 5
1, 4, 5
1, 4, 5