Conceptual Physics Course Requirements
Course Description: Physics is the study of naturally occurring phenomena that can be
measured and repeated. (Which covers just about everything in the physical world.) In this
course we will focus on topics including Motion, Forces, Electricity and Magnetism, Light,
Sound, and other topics of interest. This course will focus more on conceptual understanding of
physical phenomena than on mathematical analysis for the student who may never take another
Physics course.
Course Goals: Students will be able to recognize, understand, and reason about a range of
physical phenomena that they will encounter in daily life.
Required tools: Calculator, class notebook
Grading: Grades will be based on the following elements.
Quarterly Grade
Tests &
Quizzes
Labs and
Homework
Projects
Total
Final grade
45%
1st Quarter
20%
45%
2nd Quarter
20%
10%
100%
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
Final Exam
Total
20%
20%
20%
100%
Labwork / Classwork / Homework Assignments: All work assigned will be graded. Most
work will be able to be completed in class. Completion of all work is required and will count in
the grade for the quarter. Work is graded on a 100 point scale based primarily on
completeness.
Tests and quizzes: Tests can be expected at the end of every unit with quizzes given as
appropriate. In a given quarter, individual quiz grades will be counted as approximately 1/3 of a
test grade depending on the number of questions asked.
Projects: A project, either group or individual, may be assigned in each quarter. If no project is
assigned, Tests & Quizzes, and Labs & Homework, will each count for 50% of the grade.
Communications: Contact information will be posted on my website
(http://www.wappingersschools.org//Domain/1552).
Extra Help: Students may arrange for extra help during Period 3 and Period 4, and 5th period
(odd days) or 8th period (even days). Additionally, I plan to be available after school most days.
Missed work due to absence will need to be made up as soon as possible, with the details to be
worked out with the instructor.
Classroom expectations: Students are expected to arrive to class on time. Cell phones and
earbuds will not be tolerated and will be subject to confiscation. Any cell phones confiscated will
be turned over to the appropriate administrator.
Physical Setting – Conceptual Physics
Code: S639 Full Year (14-15)
(rank weight __1.00____)
Prerequisite: Two years of math and science, and a grade of 65 or better on at least one
math and one science Regents exam.
Areas of Study may Include:
PREDICTIONS:

REALITY AND ILLUSTIONS
MEASUREMENT & DATA COLLECTION; ACCURACY OF MEASUREMENTS;PATTERNS IN
DATA TO MAKE PREDICTIONS; THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PROBABILITY;
NATURE OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY; THE ATOM AND RADIOACTIVE DECAY

MAGIC AND MOTION
NEWTON’S LAWS OF MOTION; FORCE; FRICTION; SPEED & ACCELERATION;
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FORCE, MASS AND ACCELERATION; CIRCULAR MOTION
(CENTRIPETAL ACCELERATION AND FORCE)

PATTERNS AND PREDICTIONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS; LIGHT INTENSITY AND NEWTON’S LAW OF UNIVERSAL
GRAVITATION; INVERSE SQUARE RELATIONSHIP; SCIENTIFIC MODELING; WAVES;
ENERGY TRANSFER IN WAVES; WAVE INTERFERENCE; FRAMES OF REFERENCE;
SPEED OF LIGHT; RELATIVITY; SPECIAL RELATIVITY
TRANSPORTATION:

DRIVING THE ROADS
RESPONSE TIME; SPEED, DISTANCE AND TIME RELATIONSHIPS; ACCELERATION;
AVERAGE AND INSTANTANEOUS SPEED; INERTIA; FORCE AND FRICTION; GRAVITY;
CIRCULAR MOTION

SAFETY
EFFECT OF FORCES ON MOTION; INERTIA; FORCE AND PRESSURE; NEWTON AS A UNIT
OF FORCE MEASUREMENT; IMPULSE AND MOMENTUM; ACCELERATION; COLLISIONS

JOURNEY TO THE MOON AND BEYOND
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF MATTER; EFFECT OF FORCES ON MOTION; ACCELERATION
DUE TO GRAVITY; FREE FALL; INERTIAL AND GRAVITATIONAL MASS; NEWTON’S LAWS
OF MOTION; PHOTOSYNTHESIS; FERMI PROBLEM; SOUND WAVES; SPEED OF RADIO
AND SOUND WAVES
SPORTS:

THE TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SPEED, DISTANCE AND TIME; KINETIC ENERGY; USING DATA
TO MAKE PREDICTIONS; AVERAGE AND INSTANTANEOUS SPEED; ACCELERATION;
PROJECTILE MOTION; TRAJECTORIES; GRAVITY; FREE FALL; GRAVITATIONAL
POTENTIAL ENERGY; TRANSFER OF MECHANICAL ENERGY; CONSERVATION OF
ENERGY

PHYSICS IN ACTION
NEWTON’S FIRST LAW OF MOTION AND GALILEO’S PRINCIPLE OF INERTIA; NEWTON’S
SECOND LAW OF MOTION (RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MASS, FORCE AND
ACCELERATION); NEWTON’S THIRD LAW OF MOTION; GRAVITY; CENTER OF MASS;
POTENTIAL AND KINETIC ENERGY; WORK; MOMENTUM AND CONSERVATION OF
MOMENTUM; CIRCULAR MOTION (CENTRIPETAL ACCELERATION AND FORCE)

SPORTS ON THE MOON
NEWTON’S LAWS OF MOTION; PROPERTIES OF MATTER ON EARTH AND IN SPACE;
EFFECT OF FORCES ON MOTION; GRAVITY AND MASS ON THE EARTH AND MOON;
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GRAVITY AND FREE FALL; EFFECT OF GRAVITY ON THE
TRAJECTORY IN PROJECTILE MOTION; EFFECT OF GRAVITY ON FRICTION; COLLISIONS;
COEFFICIENT OF RESTITUTION; MOMENTUM; PENDULUM MOTION
Assessments: Final exam is given in class over a two-day period