Student Review Sheet
Physics Semester B Examination
Test Description
Length: 2 hours
Items: 50 SR (~85%), 2 BCRs (~15%)
Unit
Approximate Number of Selected
Response Items
Skills and Processes
Thermal Energy
Electrostatics
Circuits
Magnetism
Waves & Optics
Modern
Totals
8
3
6
8
7
15
3
50
The vocabulary terms and objectives are grouped into units for your convenience. Some
items may occur in multiple units during the semester. The vocabulary includes terms
that students may encounter when reading examination items.
Some Vocabulary for the Exam:
Skills and processes
accuracy
balance
calorimeter
data
degrees
dependant variable
frequency
gamma-rays
grams
hypothesis
independent variable
joules
kilograms
meter stick
milliliters
nanometer
pigment
procedure
range
scientific notation
thermometer
volume
Physics Semester B Examination
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Thermodynamics
conduction
convection
entrophy
heat
heat energy
heat transfer
joules
kinetic energy
radiation
specific heat
temperature
thermal equilibrium
Waves and Optics
amplitude
angle of incidence
angle of reflection
angle of refraction
bell jar
concave lens/mirror
constructive
convex lens/mirror
destructive
doppler effect
electromagnetic wave
energy
focus
frequency
hertz
real image
image size
incident
index of refraction
intensity
interference
inverted
law of reflection
law of superposition
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Student Review Sheet
lens
longitudinal wave
medium
mirror
note
orientation
period
ray diagram
real
reflection
refraction
Snell’s Law
speed
speed of light/sound
transverse wave
tuning fork
ultraviolet
upright
vacuum
vibration
virtual image
wave front
wavelength
Electrostatics
charge
charge distribution
charged particle
electric field
electric field strength
electric potential
electrostatic force
magnitude
vectors
Magnetism
coil
electromagnet
electromagnetic
energy transformation
generator
induction
magnet
magnetic field
magnetic field intensity
magnetic forces
motor
north/south pole
Tesla
Current Electricity
ammeter & its symbol
battery & its symbol
circuit
combination circuit
current
dissipate
electrical
equivalent resistance
induced
mechanical
lamp and its symbol
ohm
parallel plates
parallel circuit
potential difference
power
resistor and its symbol
series circuit
solar
voltage drop
voltmeter and its symbol
watts
Modern Physics
alpha decay
atomic mass
beta decay
fission
fusion
gamma ray emission
half-life
positron emission
photoelectric effect
radioactive decay
radioactive material
transmutation
wave-particle duality
Upon successful completion of Semester B the student should be able to:
Physics Skills & Processes
 Formulate a working hypothesis.
 Identify appropriate methods for conducting an investigation.
 Select appropriate units to describe quantities.
 Select appropriate instruments and materials to conduct an investigation.
 Express small and large quantities using scientific notation.
 Read and interpret a technical selection.
 Analyze data to make predictions or draw conclusions.
Physics Concepts
 Given the specific heat of a substance, its temperature, and its heat energy, determine
its mass.
Physics Semester B Examination
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Student Review Sheet
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Distinguish between the methods of energy transfer.
Describe the measure of the temperature of an object.
Describe the relationship of thermal equilibrium between two substances.
Given the speed of sound and frequency, determine the wavelength of a sound wave.
Determine the relationship between frequency, speed, and wavelength.
Describe the movement of the medium of both transverse and longitudinal waves.
Describe the need of a medium for both transverse and longitudinal waves.
Compare the period and frequency of a wave.
Given the wavelength and speed, determine a wave’s frequency.
Given the location of an observer, describe the perceived frequency of a moving
sound source.
Describe the Doppler Effect.
Given the distance between two charged objects, determine the electrostatic force.
Describe the relationship between distance and electrostatic force.
Describe the types of electric charges.
Describe the effect that similar and different charged objects have on each other.
Given the amount of work needed to move a charged object in an electric field,
determine the electric potential difference.
Describe the magnitude and direction of electric field vectors.
Given the electric field strength due to two charges, determine the magnitude of the
force on one of the charges.
Describe the magnetic field intensity on a current carrying wire.
Determine the relationship between distance and magnetic field intensity.
Given the current and resistance, determine the power dissipated by the resistor.
Given the current and resistance, determine the voltage drop across a resistor.
Identify the symbols for ammeter, battery, lamp, resistor, and voltmeter.
Calculate power for a series, parallel or combination circuit.
Calculate the equivalent resistance for a series, parallel or combination circuit.
Determine the current through a resistor in a series, parallel or combination circuit.
Given the distance between two parallel plates, the potential difference and the size of
the charge, determine the kinetic energy of the charge.
Solve problems using Ohm’s law or Snell’s Law.
Describe the charge distribution on an object when brought near a positively or
negatively charged object.
Compare the frequency and the energy of an electromagnetic wave.
Given the object distance, describe image size, orientation and type of image found in
a convex versus concave lens and a convex versus concave mirror.
Describe the bending of waves as they enter optically different medium.
Distinguish between real and virtual images.
Solve problems using the index of refraction or the law of reflection.
Determine the location of the image formed by a lens using both a ray diagram and
the lens equation.
Describe the relationship between the frequency of light and the photoelectric effect.
Solve problems using the law of superposition.
Compare constructive and destructive interference.
Physics Semester B Examination
3
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Student Review Sheet
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Describe the relationship between the strength of an electromagnet and the number of
times a wire is wrapped around its coil.
Describe the effects of the poles of a magnet on other magnets.
Describe the shape of a magnetic field around a magnet.
Describe the relationship between magnetic force, magnetic field and charge.
Calculate the magnitude of the magnetic force on a current carrying wire.
Describe the properties of a magnet
Describe how forces on electrons make a motor work.
Determine the half-life of a material given the initial and final mass.
Explain the energy transformations that may result from electromagnetic induction.
Describe wave-particle duality.
Explain entropy and the irreversibility of heat energy transformations.
BCRs were put on the exam review sheets to encourage appropriate student
collaboration and review of concepts in preparation for the entire exam (not just the
BCRs). Teachers should not address these BCRs during the course of their instruction
nor should they assist in preparing students for the BCRs during exam review.
Students are able to collaborate and use other resources to review and solidify concepts.
Students should be prepared to answer any of the following BCRs. Teachers will select
TWO from the list below on the day of the exam:
BCR: Energy Transfer
A cook places a pot containing 2.0 kg of water at a temperature of 20 ºC on an electric
burner. The burner is in direct contact with the pot. The water heats to boiling at
100 ºC.
Describe how the energy is transferred from the burner to the pot to the water. In your
response, be sure to include
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the three methods of energy transfer.
a definition for each method.
a description of how each method is demonstrated as the water is heated.
Physics Semester B Examination
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BCR : Venetian Grinds
Students in art class want to determine the amount of glass to mix with a red pigment to
provide the most reflective surface.
Design an investigation they could use to answer their question.
Be sure to include
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the materials they should use.
the independent and dependent variables.
a procedure for them to follow.
data they could collect to help answer the question.
ways to help ensure the accuracy of their results.
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BCR: Earthquake
Earthquakes are very powerful waves that are created when portions of Earth’s surface move
very quickly. Two different kinds of waves are created in an earthquake; transverse waves
and longitudinal waves.
An earthquake occurs very close to a body of water, like the one pictured below.
Land
Observer
1000 m
3281 ft
Epicenter
Ocean
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Compare the two kinds of waves (transverse and longitudinal) and how they would
cause the medium (the ground) to move differently.
The transverse waves would stop at the edge of the shore and the longitudinal waves
would continue in the water. Explain how the speed of the waves would change
when they enter the water, predict if the speed would increase or decrease when they
enter the water and explain why.
A person several miles away could see the earthquake before he or she could hear it
or feel the waves in the ground. Explain how this can occur, and what other kinds of
waves are involved.
Physics Semester B Examination
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BCR: Analyzing Circuits
Apply your understanding of circuits to analyze the circuit below and explain the
relationships between its various parts.
Be sure to include:
 how the number of resistors effects the total resistance
 what determines the amount of current that flows through the circuit
 if another resistor was added, what effect it would have on the circuit
The following information will be provided in the test book for students to use during
their exam:
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Science Rubric for BCRs
Formula Sheet
Physics Semester B Examination
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Physics Formula Sheet
Semester B
WAVES
STATIC ELECTRICITY
V=fλ
F = kq1q2/r2
T = 1/f
k = 9 x 10 9 Nm2/C2
V = PE/q = W/q
P. E. = qEd
MAGNETISM
F = qvB
F = ΒIL
E = F/q
E = kq/r2
V = Ed
B = M0I/2πr
M0 = 4π x 10-7Tm/A
CURRENT ELECTRICITY
OPTICS
1/f = 1/do + 1/di
n = c/v
n1sin θ1 = n2sin θ2
P = I2R
R = R1 + R2 + R3…
V = IR
P = V2/R
1/R = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3…
I = q/t
P = W/t
P = IV
Energy = Pt
THERMODYNAMICS
Q = mcΔT
Physics Semester B Examination
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